Circuit prototyping with Vero wire

[Dave Clausen]

Is anyone familiar with Vero wire? It is a prototyping system similar
to wire-wrapping, except that you don't strip the ends of the wire.
Instead, you do a couple of wraps around the component leg and then
solder. The jacket of the wire melts away. As far as I can tell, the
wire is similar (perhaps identical) to magnet wire: fine gauge, enamel
coated, solid core copper wire. They sell a plastic "pen" to dispense
it, and some other accessories, including plastic "combs" which you
use to keep the wires in place.

I saw it used here:
http://www.thebox.myzen.co.uk/Hardware/Econo_Monome.html

which reminded me of Mr. Elm-Chan's homebrew version:
http://elm-chan.org/docs/wire/wiring_e.html
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbwires.htm

So then I googled around and found:
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.hardaker/Musatek/vero.html

and finally the source:
http://www.verotl.com/vero-wire

I wonder if it is worth trying. The SMD possibilities are most
interesting to me. Maybe it can even be used to connect leadless
packages like QFN.

[Marius Kintel]

On Jun 26, 2009, at 17:09 PM, Dave Clausen wrote:

>
> Is anyone familiar with Vero wire?

We use this for prototyping circuits here at the Metalab in Vienna.
We use a modified version in which the tip has been replaced by a
metal tip from a "mechanical pencil".
This improves the precision when wrapping and allows for cutting the
wire with the edge of the pencil hole.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kintel/sets/72157620457304023/

~/= Marius

--
We are Elektropeople for a better living.

[Matt Joyce]

I'd love to try one out.

My immediate question is ... is vero wire more durable than kynar?  I guess my biggest problem with wirewrap is that the kynar wire is so easy to break.

-Matt

[Marius Kintel]

On Jun 26, 2009, at 18:55 PM, Matt Joyce wrote:
>
> My immediate question is ... is vero wire more durable than kynar?
> I guess my biggest problem with wirewrap is that the kynar wire is
> so easy to break.
>

I've never used write wrap so I cannot answer that.
I assume that kynar breaks because you stress it while wrapping? If
that's the case, this doesn't apply to vero-wire since there are
basically no forces on the wire itself since it's just wrapped, routed
and then soldered.

[Matt Joyce]

Not really during wrapping.  But post wrapping... it's a very thin and solid core wire.  It's easy to kink it, or in some applications shear it.

-Matt

[Marius Kintel]

On Jun 26, 2009, at 19:07 PM, Matt Joyce wrote:

> Not really during wrapping. But post wrapping... it's a very thin
> and solid core wire. It's easy to kink it, or in some applications
> shear it.
>

Well, I've heard about people flooding the backside of vero-wrapped
boards with hot glue ;)

[Matt Joyce]

heh.  resin sealed cable... probably won't break... but if it does man you are in trouble =P

[Dan Lavin]

I used something very similar years ago under the name "wiring pencil".
I found it unreliable. It was hard to heat the wire hot enough to make
a connection without stripping it too far up by conduction.

These days, I solder point to point using wire wrap wire.

[Dave Clausen]

Marius-

Thanks for the photo and the info. Do you guys use regular magnet
wire or the brand-name "Vero wire"? I'm debating whether to make my
own pen or order a real one from the UK. Also how do you feel about
the plastic combs? Are they useful?

Ouch. I just checked, and shipping from the UK is $56. A full kit
with the pen, combs, and some extra wire is well over $100. I guess
that's not unreasonable for a tool that you use regularly but it seems
like a lot for what is basically a plastic stick with a hole in it,
plus some wire I can get at Radio Shack for five bucks. I think I
will try a home-made version first.

Thanks,
Dave

[Marius Kintel]

On Jun 27, 2009, at 00:43 AM, Dave Clausen wrote:

> Thanks for the photo and the info. Do you guys use regular magnet
> wire or the brand-name "Vero wire"? I'm debating whether to make my
> own pen or order a real one from the UK. Also how do you feel about
> the plastic combs? Are they useful?

We're using the wire which comes with the pen.
I haven't tried the combs. They might be useful for buses, but you can
always just solder some pins somewhere and route around those.

They're not cheap though, as you just figured out :/

[Zach 'Hoeken' Smith]

It might be tricky, but that pen looks like we might be able to 3d print it, or at least a suitable alternative...