conductive ink pen for testing schematics/circuits?

[poppyman]

Hello,

I just saw this video on the internet. It doesn't seem to be out yet but it looks like a pretty interesting tool to draw and test circuits.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17idjj_circuit-scribe_tech

Maybe it could be an alternative to breadboard (I'm not very familiar with them). I don't know how hard it could be to actually use non smd-components with it, it seems like they use so little "pads" to hold them.

Maybe a similar tool already exists? *EDIT* I just found similar products online, somehow I was convinced that it was just made to fix PCB fautly connections or so, and not something that could be used on plain paper.

Does anyone use similar pens to tested their projects?

N.B.:
I want to mention that I'm not advertising this product and I'm involved in the developement of the product etc....

[R.G.]

It's interesting. The quest for a good really-printed circuit board has been going on for at least 60 years. I believe that the first printed circuit boards were really printed, conductive inks on insulating substrate. But the technology was really limited in how well it stuck to parts and how well it held to the board, and particularly in how well it conducted current. There was a shift to copper sheets glued to board material pretty quickly.

There have been several versions. The last ones I saw were silver or aluminum fibers dispersed in epoxy. That worked, but still had the high resistance issue and could not be reworked. UN printing was much more difficult than unsoldering.

For an experimenter, I'd advise not getting off into this. Get to know the old technology that has a solid base of support and lots of people to offer help. Go learn breadboards.

[armdnrdy]

To err is human....to erase divine!

I'll invent the circuit scribe eraser and make a bundle!