AAAARRRRGH! #28 stranded ribbon-cable wire -> protoboard? Hah!

[Rich Grise]

http://www.abiengr.com/~sysop/images/AAAARGH!!.jpg
(the point is to bus all of the even-numbered wires to ground.)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[John Popelish]

http://www.abiengr.com/~sysop/images/AAAARGH!!.jpg
(the point is to bus all of the even-numbered wires to ground.)

Cheers!
Rich

why not solder all of them in a line across a piece of solid wire, and
plug the two ends of than into the proto board?

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

why not solder all of them in a line across a piece of solid wire, and
plug the two ends of than into the proto board?

Naaaahhh... that would be too much like the way that the rest of the
world does it... :-]

 

[Chris]

http://www.abiengr.com/~sysop/images/AAAARGH!!.jpg
(the point is to bus all of the even-numbered wires to ground.)

Cheers!
Rich

Hi, Rich. Let's assume for the sake of discussion you have a 20-pin
ribbon cable. Here's what I've done in the past, after looking at this
same depressing problem too many times:

1) Terminate your ribbon cable with an IDC connector.

2) Scrounge a piece of perfboard at least as wide as the IDC
connector, with three hole-per-pad layout. Cut the perfboard so the
dividing line between two lines of pads runs down the middle laterally.

3) Using 24AWG wire, jumper across from one line of pads to the other,
leaving the closest holes on each side of the dividing line open (in
the diagram below, the jumpers go from the top "X" to the bottom "X").
Have the jumpers extend a few tenths of an inch down from the bottom
side of the board.

4) Solder the jumpers onto the perfboard. Now, using sheer cutters,
cut the jumpers off flush at the top of the board. You should have two
lines of leads coming down from the solder side of the perfboard.

5) Now, solder in a mating IDC receptacle on the perfboard. In the
diagram below, it should be in the holes marked "o".

1 19
.---------------------.
| X X X X X X X X X X --Jumper Leads
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| o o o o o o o o o o |
| \ IDC receptacle
| o o o o o o o o o o /
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| X X X X X X X X X X --Jumper Leads
'---------------------'
2 20 \
\ Perfboard
(created by AACircuit v1.28.6 beta 04/19/05 www.tech-chat.de)

You now have an IDC connector you can easily insert into a protoboard,
0.3" spacing just like a thru-hole IC, and you can automatically plug
one end into a bussed line of the protoboard to have your interleaved
GND.

I've got a few of these lurking around, and dig them up when I need
them for ribbon cable to protoboard work (if you take care of them,
you'll only have to make them once).

Glad to 'ave been of 'elp, sir. Again, thanks for "coming down from
heaven" to enlighten us groundlings. Always a pleasure.

And "keep up the skeer" on s.e.d. ;-)

Chris

 

[Robert Baer]

why not solder all of them in a line across a piece of solid wire, and
plug the two ends of than into the proto board?

With ribbon cable, one could use an IDC connector, and all of the
even numbered wires are then on one row and the odd numberes wires are
on the other row...

 

[Rich Grise]

why not solder all of them in a line across a piece of solid wire, and
plug the two ends of than into the proto board?

I had thought of that, but when I tried to set it up, whether one wire
at a time or as a batch, it got to looking like a PITA, so I decided to at
least give the protoboard a shot. But the little #28 wires, even tinned,
aren't stiff enough. I guess I'll have to do the soldering. :-/

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

With ribbon cable, one could use an IDC connector, and all of the
even numbered wires are then on one row and the odd numberes wires are on
the other row...

Yeah, in fact, I'm exploiting that - the other end does have the IDC
connector, and I'm plugging it into a single-row header. For the end
in the pic, I don't have an IDC connector unless I take apart some old
cable. And then I'd have to go from the IDC connector to the protoboard
anyway.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

http://www.abiengr.com/~sysop/images/AAAARGH!!.jpg (the point is to bus
all of the even-numbered wires to ground.)

You just have to be smarter than the breadboard! ;-)
http://www.abiengr.com/~sysop/images/AAaahhh!.jpg

And, yeah, there's a lot of ego there: "Well, I'll show THEM! Solder to
a bus wire, indeed! When I have this beautiful, expensive (if a little
shopworn) solderless breadboard? Never!" ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

I had thought of that, but when I tried to set it up, whether one wire
at a time or as a batch, it got to looking like a PITA, so I decided to at
least give the protoboard a shot. But the little #28 wires, even tinned,
aren't stiff enough. I guess I'll have to do the soldering. :-/

Solder pins on the ends of them. OR tin them RIGHT, and insert them
vertically, not bent as you show in the photo, THEN bend it over.

The best way is to bus them on a bare copper strip, or WIRE, and
insert a single wire into your vector board, etc.

 

[Rich Grise]

Solder pins on the ends of them. OR tin them RIGHT, and insert them
vertically, not bent as you show in the photo, THEN bend it over.

The point was, I was trying to insert it vertically, but it bent under
the pressure before it slipped between the connector's labia. ;-)

The best way is to bus them on a bare copper strip, or WIRE, and
insert a single wire into your vector board, etc.

It's OK - I've got them all inserted now, and am snitching 3.3V power
from the development board that this will be plugging into. A certain
client lent me a Xilinx XC9572XL development board and software, and
I've been itching to find an excuse to get into it - The part of the
client's project this was suppposed to be for got either back-burnerized,
superseded, or he's waiting to see what I can do with this thing before
he actually gives me the assignment. I'm a little hampered lately,
because I only have the one computer and the Xilinx stuff only runs on
Windows, unless maybe Wine, but that's a whole nother project in itself.

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Ben Jackson]

And then I'd have to go from the IDC connector to the protoboard
anyway.

They make IDC connectors that go to pins with .300" DIP spacing.

This is the first quick thing I found on google:

http://www.e-tec.ch/v2/PC_Products/IDP-254-01_030711.pdf

 

[Carl Smith]

It's OK - I've got them all inserted now, and am snitching 3.3V power
from the development board that this will be plugging into. A certain
client lent me a Xilinx XC9572XL development board and software, and
I've been itching to find an excuse to get into it - The part of the
client's project this was suppposed to be for got either back-burnerized,
superseded, or he's waiting to see what I can do with this thing before
he actually gives me the assignment. I'm a little hampered lately,
because I only have the one computer and the Xilinx stuff only runs on
Windows, unless maybe Wine, but that's a whole nother project in itself.

Thanks!
Rich

If you are going to do some programming of Xilinx CPLDs and you
try their version ISE 7.1 software for Windows, MAKE SURE you
also install the service pack updates to get to 7.1.04. There
is a bug in the 7.1 version that causes the CPLD outputs to be
inverted. Xilinx has a page somewhere that explains this
problem, but the only way to find it is to already know that the
problem exists. They have no notice on the download page for
7.1 that you need the 04 update if you are using CPLDs.

Or you could try the new version 8 software, but who knows if
that actually works either.

I found out about this when I recently programmed a XC9536 to
control a stepper motor, and I couldn't figure out why the
output sequence was wrong, even though it worked perfectly in
simulation. So I figured I'd try something simple and just put
a 4 bit counter in. It counted in some weird sequence where
every second number was inverted and off by one. Because of the
inversion problem the counter would take the current output, add
one, then invert that and put it out on the pins. Next time it
would do the same thing. So it was right half the time. I only
figured out the problem after posting to comp.arch.fpga and
someone there knew about it.

By the way, I thought Xilinx had a linux version of ISE. I seem
to remember people on comp.arch.fpga discussing how to get the
parallel download cable and their programming software working
on linux...

Carl

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

The point was, I was trying to insert it vertically, but it bent under
the pressure before it slipped between the connector's labia. ;-)

You use retarded terms in your technical discussions. You gotz
issues. If you want to be technical, be technical. If you want to be
an adolescent idiot that claims to be technical, it won't ever work...
EVER.

A properly tinned 28 ga wire will insert in such locations just
fine. If the wire is ten years old, and doesn't even accept a tinning
correctly, you will see it fold under stress. If it is a new wire,
then your soldering skills need honing, and the sexual comics need to
be extricated. They are muddling your mind.

 

[Roy L. Fuchs]

I'm a little hampered lately,
because I only have the one computer and the Xilinx stuff only runs on
Windows, unless maybe Wine, but that's a whole nother project in itself.

It is hard to believe that someone that refers to cinch actuators as
"labia" can actually understand and maintain a Linux computer.

What you need to do is get a dual boot machine set up. Away go all
platform dependent problems at that point.

 

[John Fields]

You use retarded terms in your technical discussions. You gotz
issues. If you want to be technical, be technical. If you want to be
an adolescent idiot that claims to be technical, it won't ever work...
EVER.

A properly tinned 28 ga wire will insert in such locations just
fine. If the wire is ten years old, and doesn't even accept a tinning
correctly, you will see it fold under stress. If it is a new wire,
then your soldering skills need honing, and the sexual comics need to
be extricated. They are muddling your mind.

 

[Rich Grise]

....
If you are going to do some programming of Xilinx CPLDs and you try their
version ISE 7.1 software for Windows, MAKE SURE you also install the
service pack updates to get to 7.1.04. There is a bug in the 7.1 version
that causes the CPLD outputs to be inverted. Xilinx has a page somewhere
that explains this problem, but the only way to find it is to already know
that the problem exists. They have no notice on the download page for 7.1
that you need the 04 update if you are using CPLDs.

I'm glad I heard about this - I did install their latest service pack, but
don't know if it's 7.1.04 or not - I'll have to check.

Or you could try the new version 8 software, but who knows if that
actually works either.

Not Me! ;-)

I found out about this when I recently programmed a XC9536 to control a ....
figured out the problem after posting to comp.arch.fpga and someone
there knew about it.

By the way, I thought Xilinx had a linux version of ISE. I seem to
remember people on comp.arch.fpga discussing how to get the parallel
download cable and their programming software working on linux...

I guess I'll have to spend some time lurking there.

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

What a bunch of tight-asses! Lighten up a bit - it's a _hobby_ project!

Sheesh!

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

It is hard to believe that someone that refers to cinch actuators as
"labia" can actually understand and maintain a Linux computer.

Ah, there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your
philosophy, Horatio. ;-P

What you need to do is get a dual boot machine set up. Away go all
platform dependent problems at that point.

I not only have a dual-boot machine set up, but when I boot Windoze I've
got myself cut off from the internet so I don't get viruses and crap.

So I can only do either-or, currently.

And why do you have to be so huffy about it?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[ian.field1]

You use retarded terms in your technical discussions. You gotz
issues. If you want to be technical, be technical. If you want to be
an adolescent idiot that claims to be technical, it won't ever work...
EVER.

A properly tinned 28 ga wire will insert in such locations just
fine. If the wire is ten years old, and doesn't even accept a tinning
correctly, you will see it fold under stress. If it is a new wire,
then your soldering skills need honing, and the sexual comics need to
be extricated. They are muddling your mind.

Labia is the plural of labium, meaning a lip or lip like structure - it is
only a sexual reference when used in a sexual context.

 

[Wim Lewis]

Labia is the plural of labium, meaning a lip or lip like structure - it is
only a sexual reference when used in a sexual context.

Yup. Although I usually hear those springy metal bits called "fingers"
or "leaves", neither of which is cognate with labia, I had no trouble
understanding Rich's post...