Page 455 - Robot Builder's Bonanza

424 MAKING CIRCUIT BOARDS

When you use the precut or prestripped packages, the work is already done for you. Buy
a selection of different lengths, and always try to use the shortest length possible. Precut and
prestripped can be expensive ($5 or more for a canister of 200 pieces), but it will save you a
great deal of time and effort.

Effective Use of Plug- in Headers

Nothing in life is certain but death, taxes, and robot circuit boards with too many wires on
them. You can take the easy route and just solder all the wires directly to the robot’s circuit
board, but a better approach is to take a cue from automobile manufacturers: use lots and lots
of connectors.
These three methods are the most popular:

Use male pin headers on the board, and attach female connectors to the
incoming wires. This works best when you already have wires with the
requisite connectors on them; otherwise, you need to make the connectors,
which requires a special crimping tool.

Use female pin headers on the board, and attach male connectors to the
incoming wires. With this method you can make all kinds of connectors for
plugging in just about anything.

Terminal blocks are specifically designed to carry more current than pin
headers. Solder the block to the board, then securely attach wires to the
block using the included screws. You can get blocks with one or more
terminals on them. Use these for attaching to large batteries, heavy- duty
motors, and any other component that requires the use of heavier- gauge
wires.

33-chapter-33.indd 424 4/21/11 11:56 AM