Standard threads are M6 and 1/4“-20 the latter means 1/4 inch major diameter and 20 threads per inch according to the Unified Thread Standard.įor effective vibration control, an optical breadboard should be equipped with suitable damping mounts.

There are ultra-lightweight constructions for special applications.īoards with metric or imperial grid spacing are available common spacings are one inch (25.4 mm, imperial units) and 25 mm (metric), or one half of those values. While solid breadboards tend to be quite heavy particularly when consisting of steel, honeycomb structures allow for more lightweight constructions which are still quite stable. Industrial grade breadboards are intermediate in terms of quality and can be used for not particularly critical experiments. rigidity and vibration control) they are suitable for simple demonstrations, but normally not for lasers or interferometers.įor those, one should chose a scientific grade or precision grade board. There are also solid aluminum or steel plates with a grid of holes, which are substantially cheaper, but are inferior in various respects (e.g. Note that it is essential for many applications that such a breadboard is very stiff.īy using a dense plate material with a high velocity of sound, one obtains high resonance frequencies.Ī breadboard should also exhibit well damped mechanical resonances – ideally, with critical damping for a wide range of resonances.įor that purpose, additional polymer materials may be used as dampers – also for sealing the holes, such that a small part falling into a hole is not lost.

The core usually consists of a honeycomb lattice, often made of steel, which can be highly stable without being enormously heavy. It should exhibit a high degree of flatness, e.g. The top plate, containing the threads, usually consists either of stainless steel (ferromagnetic, suitable for magnetic clamps) or of aluminum and has a thickness around 3 to 5 mm. Optical breadboards are flat platforms which usually contain a regular grid of threaded mounting holes for fixing various types of optical mounts or posts.Ĭompared with optical tables, they are smaller in terms of area and particularly in terms of thickness. How to cite the article suggest additional literature Using our ad package, you can display your logo and further below your product description.ĭefinition: portable platforms for optical prototyping and for mounting modules on optical tables

Breadboard explained