Editing Breadboard (section)

== History ==
[[File:Wooden Breadboard Circuits.jpg|thumb|Educational circuits on blocks of wood]]

In the early days of radio, amateurs nailed bare copper wires or terminal strips to a wooden board (often literally a bread [[cutting board]]) and soldered electronic components to them.<ref>[http://tangentsoft.net/elec/breadboard.html Description of the term breadboard] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220555/http://tangentsoft.net/elec/breadboard.html |date=2007-09-27 }}</ref> Sometimes a paper [[schematic diagram]] was first glued to the board as a guide to placing terminals, then components and wires were installed over their symbols on the schematic. Using [[thumbtack]]s or small nails as mounting posts was also common.

Breadboards have evolved over time with the term now being used for all kinds of prototype electronic devices.  For example, US Patent 3,145,483,<ref name="Patent_US3145483"/> was filed in 1961 and describes a wooden plate breadboard with mounted springs and other facilities.  US Patent 3,496,419,<ref name="Patent_US3496419"/> was filed in 1967 and refers to a particular [[printed circuit board]] layout as a ''Printed Circuit Breadboard''.  Both examples refer to and describe other types of breadboards as [[prior art]]. 

In 1960, Orville Thompson of [[DeVry Technical Institute]] patented a solderless breadboard connecting rows of holes together with spring metal.<ref name="Patent_US3085177"/>  In 1971, Ronald Portugal of E&L Instruments patented a similar concept with holes in {{convert|0.1|in|mm|2}} spacings, the same as [[Dual in-line package|DIP]] IC packages, which became the basis of the modern solderless breadboard that is commonly used today.<ref name="Patent_USD228136"/>  

===Prior art===
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* US [[Patent]] 231708, filed in 1880, "''Electrical switch board''".<ref name="Patent_US231708">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US231708A U.S. Patent 231708.] "Electrical switch board", filed 31 Aug 1880, retrieved 4 August 2019.</ref>
* US Patent 2477653, filed in 1943, "''Primary electrical training test board apparatus''".<ref name="Patent_US2477653">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2477653A U.S. Patent 2477653.] : "Primary electrical training test board apparatus", filed 10 Apr 1943, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 2592552, filed in 1944, "''Electrical instruction board''".<ref name="Patent_US2592552">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2592552A/en U.S. Patent 2592552.] "Electrical instruction board", filed 4 Oct 1944, retrieved 23 Oct 2022.</ref>
* US Patent 2568535, filed in 1945, "''Board for demonstrating electric circuits''".<ref name="Patent_US2568535">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2568535A U.S. Patent 2568535.] : "Board for demonstrating electric circuits", filed 10 Apr 1945, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 2885602, filed in 1955, "''Modular circuit fabrication''", [[NCR Corporation|National Cash Register (NCR)]].<ref name="Patent_US2885602">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2885602A U.S. Patent 2885602.]: "Modular circuit fabrication", filed 4 Apr 1955, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3062991, filed in 1958, "''Quick attaching and detaching circuit system''".<ref name="Patent_US3062991">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3062991A U.S. Patent 3062991.] : "Quick attaching and detaching circuit system", filed 8 Sep 1958, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 2983892, filed in 1958, "''Mounting assemblage for electrical circuits''".<ref name="Patent_US2983892">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2983892A U.S. Patent 2983892.] : "Mounting assemblage for electrical circuits", filed 14 Nov 1958, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3085177, filed in 1960, "''Device for facilitating construction of electrical apparatus''", [[DeVry Technical Institute]].<ref name="Patent_US3085177">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3085177A U.S. Patent 3085177.] : "Device for facilitating construction of electrical apparatus", filed 7 Jul 1960, retrieved 14 Jan 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3078596, filed in 1960, "''Circuit assembly board''".<ref name="Patent_US3078596">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3078596A U.S. Patent 3078596.] : "Circuit assembly board", filed 21 Nov 1960, retrieved 14 Jan 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3145483, filed in 1961, "''Test board for electronic circuits''".<ref name="Patent_US3145483">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3145483A U.S. Patent 3145483.] : "Test board for electronic circuits", filed 4 May 1961, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3277589, filed in 1964, "''Electrical experiment kit''".<ref name="Patent_US3277589">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3277589A U.S. Patent 3277589.] : "Electrical experiment kit", filed 5 Nov 1964, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3447249, filed in 1966, "''Electronic building set''".<ref name="Patent_US3447249">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3447249A U.S. Patent 3447249.]: "Electronic building set", filed 5 May 1966, retrieved 14 Jan 2017.</ref>  See [[Raytheon Lectron|Lectron]] blocks / dominoes.
* US Patent 3496419, filed in 1967, "''Printed circuit breadboard''".<ref name="Patent_US3496419">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3496419A U.S. Patent 3496419.] : "Printed circuit breadboard", filed 25 Apr 1967, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3540135, filed in 1968, "''Educational training aids''".<ref name="Patent_US3540135">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3540135A U.S. Patent 3540135.]: "Educational training aids", filed 11 Oct 1968, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref>
* US Patent 3733574, filed in 1971, "''Miniature tandem spring clips''", Vector Electronics.<ref name="Patent_US3733574">[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3733574A U.S. Patent 3733574.]: "Miniature tandem spring clips", filed 23 Jun 1971, retrieved 14 Jan 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.vectorelect.com/ Vector Electronics and Technology; Company Website.]</ref>
* US Patent D228136, filed in 1971, "''Breadboard for electronic components or the like''", E&L Instruments.<ref name="Patent_USD228136">[https://patents.google.com/patent/USD228136S/en U.S. Patent D228136.]: "Breadboard for electronic components or the like", filed 1 Dec 1971, retrieved 14 July 2017.</ref><ref>[https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_de/747211 E&L Instruments in Open Database Of The Corporate World.]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=wire stripper |url=https://portable-wirestripper.myshopify.com/ |access-date=14 April 2023}}</ref>  This is the modern solderless breadboard.
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