DIY Prototyping Board Considerations - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: t1d
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 02:29:16 am
content: I have some spare room on a PCB panel that I am preparing to order. So, I thought I would include some DIY Prototyping Boards. I laid out one board as a traditional Vero/Strip board and another as if it were a breadboard. (I use KiCad.)I have used breadboards and perf board, but I have never used Vero/Strip board, or a PCB board set up as a breadboard. Are there any layout, or use, tips that I should know?For Vero/Strip board, there are parallel tracks, on one side, and no tracks on the other. I understand that the top tracks are made with wires running perpendicularly to the bottom tracks. I am wondering why the top tracks that are to be made with wire can't be copper traces, as on the bottom, but still run perpendicularly. The unused portions would be cut away, as on the bottom. What do you think?Are there any other board types that I should consider? (I already have plenty of good quality perf board.) Please and thank you!This is what I have on this panel, so far... The parallel traces on the bottom of the Vero/Strip board do not show so well, but they are there. And, I did remove the solder mask from over the traces, to make cutting them easier. I saw that tip online.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 02:44:39 am
content: For strip board, think about how you would use it in practice. For instance, if you wanted to place a 14-pin DIP IC, you'd place it across the strips on one side and do a long cut across the 7 lines between the two rows of pins. Then, if there were perpendicular strips on the other side, you'd have to make at least 12 small cuts just to isolate the pins from each other,which would have to be done before placing the component. Which is harder than just adding wires where needed.But that doesn't mean the idea isn't useful if it was limited to a few cross bus strips in convenient places. But since you'd likely want to break the strips in those spots, those too could all be on one side.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 03:23:06 am
content: I do not like strip board. cutting all those connections I do not need, then forgetting some and debugging is a substantial horror to me.There are several versions of DIY matrix board.I've seen different designs on the 'net, including some that fit both THT and SMT. One of the most intriguing was on one of the crowd funding sites that had individual pads, but horizontal tracks on the "top" side and vertical tracks on the "bottom" side in between the pads, with very narrow open slots which can be bridged easily with solder. It also has some software with helping in designing a circuit with that board.But I like simple, and usually use the single pad matrix boards.The limitations added by the breadboard like layout are just a limitation to me.But if you want, then at least fill the center of the layout with long tracks which can be used for applying power to the IC's. I've seen (and bought, long ago) 100x160mm experimenter PCB's with this layout, but the "side tracks" were 3 pads long instead of 5.In the TTL days I made some boards with lots of GND and 5V everywhere.For me, the most useful matrix board would probably have small pads, and the excess area filled with a copper pour that sneaks in between all pads.One of the planes is then used as a GND plane, and the other for power.Normally the planes are completely covered with solder mask. If you want to make a connection, you have to scrape of the soldermask first.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 03:55:56 am
content: Quote from: t1d on August 29, 2020, 02:29:16 amBecause you'd have to cut loads of traces to do anything. I guess if the holes were non-plated and there was plenty of space between the hole and the pad then you could solder on top to go one direction and solder on bottom to go another direction, but that just seems like it would be really really confusing to me.

author: t1d
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 05:37:28 pm
content: Thanks to everyone, for your replies and suggestions.Yes, I did remember to remove the solder mask, on the Vero/Strip Board traces.I will be using the two boards, shown above, to finish this board order. If I find that I want to make changes, I will do that on the next order.