SMD breakout board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2016, 11:46:05 pm
content: I have been somewhat frustrated by gradual disappearance of PTH components and consequent need for SMD prototyping solutions.To this end I have decided to make an SMD break out board(s).I do not intend to go crazy with various SMD footprints. I think a collection of various 0.8mm and 0.5mm pitch components would be sufficient; say some 32,44,64 and 100 pin thin quad flat packs and some 14,16, 20 ... SOIC and SOPs.Comments and recomendations ( i'druthers )welcome while there is plenty of time.I am also thinking of including a USB to serial ( TTL) and 3.3Vregulator as a part of the base design.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:31:53 am
content: I think the key to this question is the word 'prototyping'.SMD's aren't known for their ease of use on a breadboard.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:44:00 am
content: The SOIC and SSOP pavckages etc. can be broken out to DIL without any real problems, but the long skinny power traces and lack of decoupling right next to the chip tends to cause problems with faster devices in TQFP packages so generic breakout boards rarely work well.You'll find a wide selection of breakout boards on EBAY, e.g.http://www.ebay.com/bhp/soic-to-dip

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:53:28 am
content: I haven't used this myself, but you might want to check outhttp://schmartboard.com/

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 01:27:44 am
content: Quote from: MarkS on January 14, 2016, 12:53:28 amThose are rather nice to use IME (grabbed a bunch from a RadioShack that closed near me).

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 02:04:59 am
content: I make 'em as I need 'em. (Until then it's just junk that makes my life harder and 90% chance it eventually ends up in the trash can rather than needed.) Toner or credit card. Made one, today, for a uC.Having just made one, here are a couple of things I did:ICSP header, obviously.Integral decoupling cap pad, check.Add some extra prototyping area in empty space.Add a SOLDER pad for every pin, because you never know.For the micro, I added one LED+resistor on the breakout not attached to anything. Just two extra pins/pads. Can jump or wirewrap to w/e pin I care.Similarly added pads for an SMD PFET, sourced to VDD, with pullup pad, gate resistor pad, and a series pad on the drain for increasing the output impedance if necessary. Drain and gate attached to floating pads/pins.Might want to add an LED for power verification. I shoulda done that.Use long breadboarding pins that go into the breadboard AND extend out the top for wire wrap.

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 06:50:55 am
content: The idea is to make up a prototyping board capable of handling fine pitch ICs and marry them to PTH components .Individual break out boards are OK for temporary construction.If however a more permanent assembly is needed or a one of kind of thing is needed then conventional break out boards without a development area are a bit unfriendly.Just started to play with some graphics ideas..Seems the pdf is too large...so a low res BMP.. no BMP.. lets see...png

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 07:25:39 am
content: Good question, well asked.It is one of those issues which will need carefull consideration.Decoupling and crystal location...this will have to be a universal solution ... insensitive to chip pinouts

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 12:44:33 pm
content: If you have one SMD component, you probably have several others - for decoupling if nothing else. Hence tradtional breakout boards are not that useful.Have look athttp://www.jameco.com/1/1/46246-smt-100-unique-universal-smt-prototype-board-all-footprints-2x3.htmlI haven't used them, but the concept seems sound. I'm tempted to throw together my own variant and get 5cm*5cm boards fabbed for ~$1.50 each.

author: rich
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 03:53:00 pm
content: Last time I went searching for prototyping boards, I stumbled across these curious boards. I have yet to try them out myself, but could be worth a look as an interesting innovation. Anyone tried them out already?More info here:http://www.elecfreaks.com/wiki/index.php?title=Flower_ProtoBoard-MEGA_shield#Version_4

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 12:35:03 am
content: Here's a toner transfer veroboard for SOIC and SOT parts. It's just veroboard with 0.038" square pads and 0.05" spacing.It's a total pain to use without a microscope. Even then, I usually only use it to mount a few small parts and then glue the piece of board to a larger circuit board.When using 0.1" SIP/DIP parts, I sometimes plant the lead in the corner between four of these pads. I think that's the idea of those diamond pads in the previous post. Where the "hole" is at the point where 8 pads meet to make a diamond, imagine putting the tip of DIP leads there so they line up over every other hole. You would be able to glob all eight pads of the diamond together around each lead.It woud be interesting if you could do SSOP on that board by turning them diagonally? I can't quite wrap my head around the origami.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 12:53:45 am
content: Quote from: MarkS on January 14, 2016, 12:53:28 amI use these extensively. While the soldering process I don't find any better than on a normal solder masked PCB, key to these boards is that they allow you to place 0603 decoupling caps and zero ohm links for power and ground on every pin close to the device on the underside of the boards very close to the chip. They also have a ground plane flooded throughout the bottom. Although pretty useless for real RF sensitivity testing and controlled impedances at higher frequencies, you can do proofs of concepts at RF with them. They are simply miles better than breaking out directly to DIP and adding wire ended caps instead of placing them close to the device. A half way house between a purpose made PCB and breadboarding if you like.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 02:23:23 am
content: I've been using a few of these SMT Breakout boards from Adafruit (one side is SOIC and the other is TSSOP):SOIC-16 or TSSOP-16 - 3 PackSOIC-20 or TSSOP-20 - 3 PackSOIC-28 or TSSOP-28 - 3 Pack

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 08:16:38 am
content: Quote from: MarkF on January 15, 2016, 02:23:23 amFor these, also eBay is a good place to go if you want to keep a reasonable stock of various sizes and pitches, generally a bit cheaper too. I use them like consumables. The same applies to header strips, both normal and machined pin. I prefer machined round pin headers to normal square cross section turrets for these, they're less likely to ruin your breadboard as they're thinner. Buying the machined pin strips off eBay or Amazon is about 20% of the price from the usual electronics distributors.

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 01:19:07 pm
content: I love breadboards. I've gotten some adapters from Futurlec (they aren't the fastest to ship):http://futurlec.com/SMD_Adapters.shtmlYou can't go wrong with Protoadvantage (they arent' as cheap):http://protoadvantage.com/I've got a tqfp 64 to dip adapter coming to save me from what I had to do here (see bottom of picture):

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 03:38:10 pm
content: Quote from: alank2 on January 15, 2016, 01:19:07 pmThat does look rather tedious.Overall, nice looking work BTW.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2016, 06:14:28 pm
content: Don't forget about Mike's boards:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/universal-through-hole-smd-prototyping-board/I have not got one since I dont have the need for it, yet.But they do look very nice.