The How to prevent a Breadboard short circuit misfortune!!!

Ezsynn

Here's a tip. Never let any metal wire be exposed.
Cover them up with something Like electrical tape.
So if you see a capacitor, transistor, resistor etc. which has exposed wires.
Cover them up, they like to wear clothes just like you.
If you don't, you might suddenly make them Huddle for warmth!!!

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BWIN ON DA POWAH WIFIN U!!!

SRLM

Yep. I once had a servo extension cable... My homemade tamiya plug to 9 volt battery clip was flopping around... it got close to a ground that the cable was attached to and POOF! No more cable... Electrical tape to the clip...

Mike Green

Air is really a good insulator, so the problem really (for low voltage circuits like logic) is accidental contact between two conductors that are intended never to contact each other. A better solution most of the time is to keep wires neat, short, and well trimmed (close to a breadboard), particularly when a circuit is finished or nearly finished. If wires have to cross over one another, a better solution is to use shrink-wrap tubing. You don't have to shrink it if you don't want to. Pick the smallest diameter that easily fits over the wire or part. Electrical tape is sloppy and tends to come off after a while.

Carl Hayes

I 'm with Mike. Careful work, dutifully checked before power-up, is the best preventive. Also, after you've used the breadboard to verify your design, build the circuit in some more permanent and robust way, and take the breadboard apart. This will frustrate the naturally amorous nature of wires, which if placed in proximity for too long tend to embrace. In earlier times, such amorous embraces were known as "sparking".

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· -- Carl, nn5i@arrl.net

Post Edited (Carl Hayes) : 2/15/2009 5:36:24 AM GMT

Philldapill

Orrrrr... Grab one of my PropBoards to cut down on messy wires in the first place! [noparse];)[/noparse]
(sorry, couldn't pass a hijack up)

John Bond

I wonder - what did God invent fuses for?

Let’s call this the five rules of home circuit building:
- Mikes "Tidy work rule" to make sure short circuits don't happen.
- Suitable mounting and clearance for your PCB
- Shrink tube on those cables that could cause a problem.
- A correctly sized fuse in case something goes wrong.
- Spare components when one of the above precautions fail

And a sixth psychological rule, after the pyrotechnics, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again.

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Ugha

7: Don't breathe the smoke (That stuff is nasty!)