# Speedwire

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**Speedwire** is a solderless [prototyping](/source/Prototyping) system manufactured by [BICC](/source/British_Insulated_Callender's_Cables)-[Vero](/source/Vero_Technologies_Ltd) for constructing electronic [circuit boards](/source/Circuit_board).[1] The system is based on a circuit board pre-drilled with holes in a regular 0.1-inch (2.54 mm) square grid. The boards are available in standard sizes such as [Eurocard](/source/Eurocard_(printed_circuit_board)) modules. Some of the holes are through-plated and interconnected with copper strips to form power and ground rails.

Special terminals are provided, which are inserted, using a special tool, into the holes in the prototyping board where components are to be fitted. Some boards are also available pre-populated with terminals. Each terminal is a metal tube with a component socket at one end and an [insulation-displacement](/source/Insulation-displacement_connector) fork at the other. The component socket accepts a wire lead, such as the lead of a [resistor](/source/Resistor) or [capacitor](/source/Capacitor), or the leg of a 0.1-inch-pitch [DIL package](/source/DIL_package). The insulation-displacement fork accepts an insulated wire specially manufactured for the Speedwire system. The wire is pressed between the forks using a special tool. The forks cut through the insulation and grip the wire, making a gas-tight contact. The wire can then be cut off, or continued to another terminal. Wires can be pulled out of terminals and re-routed.

## References

1. Rambold, W.N. and Stilburn, J.R., [*An Intensified Television System for Telescope Guiding*](http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1988PASP..100..393R&db_key=AST&page_ind=0&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_VIEW&classic=YES), Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Canada, 1987, accessed 2010-04-27

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Speedwire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedwire) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedwire?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.