What Happened to Cordwood Construction? The Dense Wiring Method Used Before Printed Circuit Boards

Before printed circuit boards and integrated circuits transformed electronics, engineers used an unusual construction method called cordwood. Instead of laying components flat, resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors were packed vertically between boards, creating extremely dense electronic modules that looked like stacked firewood. Cordwood construction became an important part of Cold War and space-age electronics. It appeared in Polaris missile guidance systems, parts of the Apollo Guidance Computer, and the legendary CDC 6600 supercomputer designed by Seymour Cray. This video explores how cordwood construction worked, why engineers trusted it in missiles, spacecraft, and high-performance computers, and why the same density that made it powerful also created problems with heat, maintenance, manufacturing, and repair. As integrated circuits and modern printed circuit boards became smaller, cheaper, and easier to manufacture, cordwood gradually disappeared. It was not a failed technology. It was one of the most advanced ways to build electronics before the chip changed the rules. #CordwoodConstruction #VintageElectronics #ApolloGuidanceComputer #ComputerHistory #ElectronicsHistory