Ed has suggested (Pat too) that we consider updating our wire-wrap
board layout to a 4-layer design to improve grounding and reduce noise
problems. At the same time we could include pads for our standard power
and I/O connectors since the edge-connector technique is not currently used.

Please send your comments, pro and con, to me so I can put together as summary
which I would send back out to all.

If the concensus is in favor of this, I would plan to ask Rob Rowe to 
coordinate the layout with Art's group. 

How will these wire-wrap boards accomodate PGAs and PLCCs?

	Jed 

Here is the compilation of comments on a new improved wire wrap board.
I will ask Rob Rowe to proceed with project. There seems to be a need
for an updated wire-wrap board even if the 4-layer design turns out
to be unecessary.
						-Chris 
--------------------original query-------------------------------------------

From:	KIM::DOWNEND       4-DEC-1986 10:59
To:	@SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
Subj:	 Improving our wire-wrap board

Ed has suggested (Pat too) that we consider updating our wire-wrap
board layout to a 4-layer design to improve grounding and reduce noise
problems. At the same time we could include pads for our standard power
and I/O connectors since the edge-connector technique is not currently used.
Please send your comments, pro and con, to me so I can put together a summary
which I would send back out to all.
If the concensus is in favor of this, I would plan to ask Rob Rowe to 
coordinate the layout with Art's group. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::HOFF          4-DEC-1986 13:08
To:	KIM::DOWNEND
Subj:	RE:  Improving our wire-wrap board
	I think it would be worth while for someone to investigate improving our
standard wirewrap board and to me that means fielding positive and negative
comments about our current, standard board and looking at the products that are
commercially available as potential replacements and as a source of ideas if we
decide again to build our own. 
	It is not clear to me that a 4 layer board would be an improvement in 
a system with only two supply rails.  A 4 layer production board allocates 
two layers to signals and two to power.  The wirewarp board should be able to 
allocate two layers of a two layer board to power, there are no signal lines to 
compete for space. When I first read you message I though "Great, 4 layers 
means cleaner power and ground."  But that may not be true for a wirewrap. 
	An improvement that I would like to see is the ability to accept 
socketting for the PLCC packages.  This means a 0.1" center grid of unconnected
holes.  Currently there is a region from A1 to D16 connected in a way for
which I do not understand the benefit.  
	I hope that who ever takes on the task has a clear idea of why
he/she is making the changes and communicates the reasons to the rest of us
before charging on to film and fab.  With a little effort from a lot of people 
and moderate effort from a few we should be able to build/buy a better 
wirewrap board and avoid the pitfalls of a committee design.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::MCCARTHY      4-DEC-1986 11:18
To:	KIM::DOWNEND,MCCARTHY    
Subj:	RE:  Improving our wire-wrap board
As indicated I am in favor of the 4 layer wirewrap board. Care must be 
taken as to where the power and ground points surface for connection to 
ICs. The board must have provision for .156 headers, 60 way ribbon 
connectors, and the standard assortment of IC sockets. Some provision for 
pin grid arrays is also required.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::WIEBENSON     4-DEC-1986 12:09
To:	KIM::DOWNEND
Subj:	RE:  Improving our wire-wrap board
As with the previous one we should include a provision for .4" spacing
chips because some new RAM's still use that configuration.  And because
it's for RAM it should be a matrix, not just a row.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::MARGOLIN      4-DEC-1986 12:51
To:	DOWNEND,MARGOLIN    
Subj:	Wire-Wrap
How will these wire-wrap boards accomodate PGAs and PLCCs?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::SUTTLES       5-DEC-1986 10:11
To:	KIM::DOWNEND,SUTTLES     
Subj:	RE:  Improving our wire-wrap board
	It might be nice to have a (small) section set aside
for mounting molex pins on whatever grid they use, so that
as another connector is needed it can be added as desired.
That has been my biggest beef with the wire wrap boards.
sas

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:	KIM::MOORE         5-DEC-1986 12:11
To:	KIM::DOWNEND
Subj:	RE:  Improving our wire-wrap board
	Sounds like a damn good idea.  Is there any new type of prototyping
now available that we should look at ? Also, will a four layer wire-wrap
board be able to implement prototypes of the complexity of system 3D's ?
Rich


From:	KIM::DOWNEND       8-DEC-1986 13:12:08.82
To:	@SYS$MAIL:ENGINEER
CC:	
Subj:	Offical Video Copyright message

From:	KIM::WOOD          5-NOV-1986 12:54
To:	KIM::DOWNEND
Subj:	copyright

The copyright notice that should be used on the actual video should be 
c 19XX Atari Games.  I don't want to use the word "corporation" so as
to avoid as much as we can any association with Atari Corp.

Sorry I am behind in answering your request.

Regards
DW