The end of Breadboard

[Upacesky]

Hi there,
just found something funny: a pen with conductive ink. You literally draw your circuit on a piece of paper. Have a look:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/24/5135624/rollerball-pen-turns-doodles-into-working-circuits

 

[ppa]

nice, but how will people solder the components on paper?  ;D

 

[JohnRoberts]

Perhaps useful as a learning tool. I guess components could be glued to the piece of paper. Major issue I see for practical breadboarding is modern fine pitch devices are closer together than that pen tip, and many small SMD parts depend on the solder pad for heat sinking. 

That reminds me os a silly technician trick I did back in the '70s. I was teching for an engineer that had an immediate need for a PCB. I literally hand drew the PCB design on some copper clad using dykem(?) bluing ink and a fine brush. I etched that, drilled hole, and delivered him a working PCB in a few hours. But this was back in the '70s when through hole parts were large enough for me to get away with crude  "hand" design. 

JR

 

[ruffrecords]

There's nothing new under the sun. I did much the same back in the early 80s using conductive epoxy based ink. We did some flashing LEDs on a Coke can and we build the same circuit onto the front of the Electronics Times, framed it and sent it to the editor. We got an article out of it. I think I have a photo of it somewhere. If I can find it I'll post it.

Ian

 

[Jidis]

nice, but how will people solder the components on paper?  ;D

I think this might make it through some of the thinner paper for through hole stuff.   

 

[emrr]

Haven't conductive pens been around for years? 

 

[living sounds]

What about conductive inkjet cartriges? Print it, glue it to a piece of cardboard, make the holes with a pin and you've got yourself a circuit board.  ;D