Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

James Kim — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 12:33:16 GMT

This is how I would do such a simulation to have an information about stability - So far I did that with OpAmp/MOSFET current sources. My experience is that many sources looked critical but stable, but in reality they were not stable... I had to apply a dumpster rental compensation and with much margin in the loop the simulation did a good job.

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Jon Titus — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:02:43 GMT

Nice blog post, Bruce. I have used solderless breadboards for over 40 years. TI has a nice series of LaunchPad MCU evaluation boards with pins on 0.1-inch centers along two sides. But the two rows don't have sufficient space between them to insert in two breadboards. Aaargh! I solved that problem by cutting a breadboard in half (lengthwise), and plugging the LaunchPad pins into the separate pieces. This "technique" applies to other MCY evaluation and development boards, too.

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Bruce Trump — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:15:28 GMT

The pads are indeed tinned, Andrew. I think the picture on the product page is getting a direct reflection from a "warm" incandescent light source. --Bruce

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Andrew Tubesing — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:07:45 GMT

Great adaptor kit. One question though... your picture above shows it having tinned pads, but on the product order page they appear to be bare copper? Which is it? I'd order a bunch on the spot if they're tinned. Thanks!

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Jim McGrew — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:48:23 GMT

Bruce - Thanks to you and TI for a great selection of adapters. One additional breadboard technique. I work in automotive where currents are often high. I fasten a plug board to a real board (wood) and mount the high current parts to terminal block along with large heat sinks etc. to the wood and use the plug board for the small signal stuff.

As for awareness you and Jens-Michael Gross are certainly correct. However, given awareness, I find that analog circuits well into the MHz and digital circuits in the 10s of MHz will work correctly on plug boards. So don't be afraid to try.

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Lampros Panagis — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:30:53 GMT

Great post! It highlights some very usefull techniques. Jens-Michael Gross you could not be more right!!!

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Bob555 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:13:51 GMT

Thanks Bruce:

For higher pin count devices (64+) like msp430's I use schmartboard. (schmartboard.com )

Bob Pond

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Herman Shim — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:50:45 GMT

Thank you Bruce. You just made me dust off my breadboard.

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Tom Hendrick — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 17:11:39 GMT

Nice post Bruce!

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Jens-Michael Gross — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:59:10 GMT

"The key is awareness"

How true these words are. Unfortunately, most people ar enot aware. Especially in the digital world, everything is seen as black and white. High and Low. And people constantly forget that the signals they send are still analog. And digital interpretation may be different for e.g. circuitry and attached logic analyzer. Or sender and receiver. And measuring things changes what you measure, may it be a cheap scope probe on a crystal or a debugger on a realtime microcontroller.

I constantle see posts about problems people wouldn't have if they were aware of the non-ideal reality.

So these words are one of the most important things to remember, not only for analog circuitry but for any design. Or debugging.

RE: Breadboarding with Micro-Packages—Ouch!

Larissa Swanland — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:36:29 GMT

Bruce, thank you for this blog!

This will be exceptionally helpful for Universities who are always looking for DIP Packages.