Why are there gaps in breadboard bus strips? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: JacobP
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 12:58:06 am
content: As I'm learning, I've been working on low-complexity projects on breadboards. On every breadboard I have, there are periodic breaks in the bus strips. For example, on the one in front of me right now, there are 5 holes, then a bit of solid breadboard one-row wide, then another 5 holes, etc.Is there a reason they are designed like this?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:10:04 am
content: Like this?:I don't know.I am guessing it might have something to do with the tooling for producing the contacts (underneath) in groups of 5.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:13:01 am
content: Then again, maybe not....

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:14:58 am
content: Or maybe it is...This reflects my original thought - that all the connections are made as bus strips, with the shorter 5 pin strips just cut from that.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:15:53 am
content: Let's see, you have two buss strips on both sides with breaks in the middle. That makes 8 buses in total. That gives you a bus for +V, -V, GND, and something else on each side. I never worried about it. I just connect the strips in series for +V and GND, and treat the -V as a separate, on board entity.I guess you could have different buss voltages, say +/-5V and +/-12V plus GND. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Relish your options.John

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:19:59 am
content: Quote from: jpanhalt on February 19, 2017, 01:15:53 amNeither do I.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 01:23:04 am
content: Vestigial aspects aside, I suppose it would help keep the contacts in place: each group of five is secured by a wall, so it can't shift around. If it were one continuous strip, it could get bent and springs wouldn't line up with their holes.Tim

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 03:14:20 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on February 19, 2017, 02:42:16 amFeature-bug.It's sometimes nice having local rails, e.g. 5V for a digital bit and +/-12V for the analog bit. Having four of them helps too.Other times, it's just wasting a jumper (or worse if you're not expecting to need it).Tim

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 03:29:57 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on February 19, 2017, 03:14:20 amWisher breadboardshave this as a feature. It's the reason I recently purchased one.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 03:33:54 am
content: That is how the strips are manufacturered. In long strips of five sections with five points each. They chop the sections into individual lengths for the major section in the middle, and use the complete section of 25 points for the power busses along the edge.Note that there are longer breadboards which have longer power busses where there is a break, typically in the middle of the length. That is because the manufacturered strips aren't long enough to make a continuous strip for the entire length of the breadboard. There are many cases of new players coming to forums like this asking why their circuit doesn't work only to discover that the power busses are not contiguous.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 07:29:09 am
content: Very simpleThey have only 1 tool with 5 contact spaces and use the same tool for rows and columns

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 07:43:51 am
content: I have an A.C.E. breadboard from the 1980's and the buses are NOT divided as new boards are.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 08:21:37 am
content: I have a... well, whoever the hell put this one together, but anyway it's not segmented buses:https://www.seventransistorlabs.com/Images/Z80_Timer2.jpgI have a very old RadioShack board (a single piece, not like the array of pieces glued to a plate, above) that also has complete buses (only two, one above and one below the work area). I have a not-quite-as-old RadioShack board (single, on base plate) that does have the segments.So if two similar yet different products from one company alone (Tandy, et al.) isn't enough to boggle your mind...Tim

author: MrBungle
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 11:14:25 am
content: Quote from: MarkF on February 19, 2017, 07:43:51 amAnd yet your photo shows that they are?

author: NottheDan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 11:27:10 am
content: Quote from: MrBungle on February 19, 2017, 11:14:25 amActually, they are divided into groups of four, not five. So technically he is correct.And as everybody knows, technically correct is the best correct.

author: MrBungle
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 12:37:48 pm
content: Quote from: NottheDan on February 19, 2017, 11:27:10 amSo they are! Very interesting.QuoteConsidering the thread title.... Nope

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 03:55:31 pm
content: Not all are like that, but most are now a days due to increased lowering of cost. Someone figured out early on that its cheaper to make a long strips of groups of 5 than to make a bunch of groups of 5 and then long strips, i.e. one part instead of two.

author: shteii01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 05:31:42 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on February 19, 2017, 03:33:54 amExactly what happened to me in lab for digital logic class. I had cheap breadboard from radio shack. Never used one before. Build a circuit using three or four ICs. Power everything up and there is nothing. Almost got to the point of tearing my hair out. I now have middle breaks connected by jumpers, I never ever ever take those jumpers out.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2017, 05:40:00 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on February 19, 2017, 04:54:04 amI like that about it. That way I won't forget that it has multiple power rails and I won't mix it up with my other traditional breadboards.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2017, 04:27:06 am
content: On my board all 9 groups of 4 are connected. For example, I have 2 vertical buses on the left side of the board. Vertically all points are connected from top to bottom. No break half way down as the new boards are. Two buses on the left side instead of four.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2017, 12:40:56 am
content: I have anElenco 9440that has two vertical bars and no gaps on the power lines. It is pretty sturdy for what I have thrown at it - I can't complain.