Finding wire same size + What color coding do you use for breadboarding?

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DaneLon

Joined Jun 20, 2015
1
I have some black wire labeled

CSA TYPE AWM STYLE 1007 E209277 VS-1 80 degrees C 300 V 22 AWG

1. I may have had typos. The font is very small. It looks like standard breadboard size. How do you read the labeling, how do I get more wires the same standard breadboard size and in different colors?

2. What color coding do you use for your wires and what is your rationale?

At some point I think this guy mentions his color code but can't find where

3. Would your color coding matter what class you are taking / what you are doing?


I think the guy in the video at one point took this class. What would be some intelligent ways to color code? Maybe color code your gate drain sort for a FET?:
6.101 Introductory Analog Electronics Laboratory

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Prereq: 6.002 or 6.071
Units: 2-9-1

Introductory experimental laboratory explores the design, construction, and debugging of analog electronic circuits. Lectures and laboratory projects in the first half of the course investigate the performance characteristics of semiconductor devices (diodes, BJTs, and MOSFETs) and functional analog building blocks, including single-stage amplifiers, op amps, small audio amplifier, filters, converters, sensor circuits, and medical electronics (ECG, pulse-oximetry). Projects involve design, implementation, and presentation in an environment similar to that of industry engineering design teams. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication provided. Opportunity to simulate real-world problems and solutions that involve tradeoffs and the use of engineering judgment. Engineers from local companies help students with their design projects. 12 Engineering Design Points.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Arrrgh! Too many questions at once!
1) I read the labels with a 10x jewelers loupe.
2) Buy a foot or two of multi-pair cable with the right size conductors and strip it down.
3) The color coding I use is: What color do I have left that is long enough to reach that hole?

Breadboard is, by definition, temporary. If you want to devise a color code for your wires and take photos, that will make them seem permanent. :) Mostly, what goes on is, red is positive supply voltage, black is 0 volts, What am I going to use for the negative supply voltage?, I have some purple...that will fit for the input signal, feedback is a bit frightening, so I'll use yellow for that...You pieces should be grateful you aren't on your backs with bare wire soldered to your legs. :mad:

Anybody else have a color code for temporary experiments? Please speak up!
 

Randy 7140

Joined Jun 17, 2015
31
You only need to color code for positive(Red) and negative(Black) as a standard. You can use other colors to identify anything specific or if your project/class/teacher requires it(as long as the awg is big enough to handle the voltage and current). The wire you have is 22awg (Gauge) which should be a solid core if your inserting it into a bread board or stranded is fine if you tin the wire with solder.... The rest of the info on the wire are, manufacturer, model #, type, temp and voltage rating. Good luck
 

OBW0549

Joined Mar 2, 2015
3,566
I use solid 22 gauge (AWG 22) untinned copper wire for breadboards, in whatever color I feel like using. If I'm in a Goth mood I'll use black, otherwise its bright colors chosen at random...
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
I have some black wire labeled
I recommend that you buy a box of jumper wires for breadboards. They are color coded by length. There is no need to use red for power/ black for negative or any particular color for various signals. Just use one that is about the right length.

Don't get too anal about which color or what is right and wrong. Just build a circuit. If your circuit is so big that you can't remember what's what, then buy some spools of various color wire and cut to length as you build.
 

Hypatia's Protege

Joined Mar 1, 2015
3,228
A general comment (Re: the video): It is both vainly punctilious and counterproductive to embrace 'tidiness' (via lengthy conductors and dress favorable to increased inductance, crosstalk, etc...) at the expense of circuit performance... While 'haywiring' may be unaesthetic - compromised rise-times and noise immunity are always just plain bad!:rolleyes:

Best regards
HP
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
My colour coding is much the same as #12's; whatever comes to hand. However, I usually reserve red or some other bright colour for the +ve rail and black or some other dark colour for the -ve rail.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,846
I use #22 wire in several lengths. Color is whatever was on the spool I decided to use for making jumpers.

I never try to have wires lay on the board. IMO neatness doesn't matter that much. What really matters is if you can wire things correctly and have the ability to find any wiring mistakes. Being "messy" makes it easier to tear the circuit down.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
My BB has 3 terminals, Red, Blk, Blue +ve, 0v, -ve, and the corresponding plug in buss same colours, so this is the only colour I conform to when breadboarding, others are arbitrary.
Max.
 

paulktreg

Joined Jun 2, 2008
833
I'm with Max in so far as red for positive supply, black for 0V and blue, on the random occasion I use it for any negative supply, it's any other colour for anything else.

A general comment (Re: the video): It is both vainly punctilious and counterproductive to embrace 'tidiness' (via lengthy conductors and dress favorable to increased inductance, crosstalk, etc...) at the expense of circuit performance... While 'haywiring' may be unaesthetic - compromised rise-times and noise immunity are always just plain bad!:rolleyes:

Best regards
HP
I can't hold back any longer. ;)

HP. I struggle to understand what you are trying to say sometimes so please spare a thought for our none English speaking members!
 
HP. I struggle to understand what you are trying to say sometimes so please spare a thought for our none English speaking members!
While I sincerely appreciate your feedback, I'm bound to say the observation that aesthetics are (frequently) 'at odds with' functionality seems universal enough?:confused:

As always, maintaining an open mind:)
HP
 
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tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
I use red and black for power and ground; beyond that, it's sort of random. I have a large collection of pre-cut, pre-stripped jumpers in about five different lengths that I made, and I try to keep them short and direct, but not flat on the board. I try to use the actual component leads whenever possible.
 

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
I use solid 22 gauge (AWG 22) untinned copper wire for breadboards, in whatever color I feel like using. If I'm in a Goth mood I'll use black, otherwise its bright colors chosen at random...
I always try to use tinned 22 gauge to avoid corrosion, and I am curious why you use untinned.
 

KJ6EAD

Joined Apr 30, 2011
1,581
When laying out a large circuit using multiple voltages, I use a strict color coding regimen of black for ground, yellow for +12, blue for -12 and red for +5. These are the same color/voltage pairings used in computer power supplies. I mark the bus with a thin strip of matching colored striping tape from a hobby shop and use matching jumper wires for all connections to a bus. This may seem like a lot of trouble but it's worth it to avoid confusion and simplify troubleshooting on a busy breadboard.

I purchased 10 rolls (one of each color) of 22 gauge solid wire from Jameco many years ago and have been making my breadboard jumpers from it since. They usually have Consolidated brand (they call it Jameco Valuepro in their listings) which is also rebranded NTE in some retail spaces. It comes in 25' and 100' spools. The 100' spools are usually around $8.00. Here's a link to one color:

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_36792_-1
 
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ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
Solid #22 AWG wire is about the only thing a solderless breadboard can work with so it is best to stick with that.

My color convention is to use hot colors (red, yellow, etc) for positive voltages, and cool colors (blue, green, etc) for negative voltages. Ground (the negative) is black: Earth ground (if used) would be green always. Note that is a common convention for DC voltage: when working with AC power there is a completely different convention.

To connect a number of things the same color code used for resistors is used: Brown is one, Red is two, and so on. Yes, I really keep 10 different color wires in my box. At work we actually have colored wires that go to up to a large number, say maybe 30 or 40.

Personally I rarely find that the aesthetics are at odds with the functionality so I do make the effort to keep things tidy.
 
Personally I rarely find that the aesthetics are at odds with the functionality so I do make the effort to keep things tidy.
I've nothing against 'tidy' when it can be accomplished sans increased jumper length and/or enhanced inter-lead coupling:cool:

Otherwise -- I've yet to turn to stone at the sight of Medusa-esk 'tresses':D:D:D

TTFN
HP
 
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#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I've nothing against 'tidy' when it can be accomplished sans increased jumper length and/or enhanced inter-lead coupling:cool:

Otherwise -- I've yet to turn to stone at the sight of a Medusa-esk 'tresses':D:D:D

TTFN
HP
Methinks you protest too much...or at least misdirected. Those plug-in boards have so many stray picofarads that the wiring is only occasionally the cause of inter-coupling problems and signal loss to "common". I would not even try to run in the MHz range on a protoboard.
 
Those plug-in boards have so many stray picofarads
'tis principally the 'stray' nanohenries that shatter my confidence!:D

I would not even try to run in the MHz range on a protoboard.
Good plan!:) Bear in mind, however, that maintenance of decent transition times will require bandwidth accommodative of 5 (odd) harmonics 'above' fundamental (i.e. ~ 4.56 Octaves). Thus it is that optimal 'rendering' of even a 100 kHz rectangular function demands a response of ~1.1 MHz... --- Granted! In most cases one may get by with 'sloppier slopes', still... I think I made my point? --- To wit: Don't dread the dreads!:D:D:D

Best regards
HP
 
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