LARGE Sheets of Perfboard/Vectorboard/Veroboard - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 12:17:00 pm
content: I am looking for two LARGE sheets of perfboard / Vectorboard / Veroboard. Specification is as follows:Minimum size 30cm x 30cm usable area, 36cm x 36cm or larger would be betterSquare or round pads on one sideEither single sided or (even better) copper groundplane on the other side to the padsFR4 material, although alternatives will be considered.I've tried all of the usual distributors such as Mouser, Farnell, Digikey and RS and I have also tried contacting Vero and Vectorboard directly but none of them can help. Unless I can find a source of this large material I may end up joining smaller sheets, an approach which has certain mechanical disadvantages.Can anyone assist?

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 01:06:27 pm
content: I like a perfboard that has copper on both sides and non-plated through holes. One use is for RLC filters, but of course, there are many uses. I use one side for ground and the other for interconnections. It seems you may have a similar need. In the US, they are somewhat hard to find or very expensive. Injectorall is a brand that makes them, but that company seems to be withdrawing from the level of activity it had 20 years ago. DigiKey had one at an outrageous price. I do not like the single pads version. I simply run the board over a carbide saw (narrow kerf) to outline the areas on the side where I make connections. A small drill (#30, about 3 mm) removes the copper from the ground side to prevent shorts, and visa versa for through-hole components. For SMD 1206-size, the 0.1" spacing is good.I shopped for some on eBay and got this piece:http://www.ebay.com/itm/152407592292?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITIt is 12" x 17", which is not quite 36 cm on a side, but close (30 cm x 43 cm).Seller accepted my offer and the packing for shipping was excellent. My suggestion is to keep an eye on the eBay listings.John

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 01:53:40 pm
content: I would make your own using a PCB , use Eagle by Cadsoft is very good...loads of tutorials on the web for it.It sounds much cheaper and easier than joining them up.With the size of board you will have to pay for the eagle, but it is well worth it....Eagle has the easiest learning curve of all pcb layoutpackages in my opinion.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 02:15:08 pm
content: It won't be difficult to draw one and get it manufactured these days. Who knows, it might be cheaper to do it that way than buying a 'special' size through a major distributor.Joining smaller boards is easy, too. Put a narrow strip of perf board along the join and solder some pins through. It can be quite tidy if you cut the boards to be joined along a row of holes and put the joining board underneath.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 02:35:24 pm
content: Yes, may well be cheaper to just get some made,a nd you get plated holes, resiste and a groundplane for little if any extra cost - find a PCB supplier that doesn't have a limit on hole numbers. Get a load more than you need to reduce the unit cost & sell the extras - you may end up getting what you need for free - this is how my protoboards worked out.I don't think I've ever seen 'normal' veroboard bigger than about 150x400mm.QuoteBut it has size limits - maybe designspark or something else with a free version.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 03:09:15 pm
content: Just for the record, I can't speak for Vector Board but when Vero Electronics make their boards they punch the holes, through the copper then the phenolic. The copper gaps are then milled out. How do I know this? I once ordered a run of Veroboard without the holes and sold them for use in Manhattan construction.Drilling a board that size would be an interesting exercise in machine reliability, I wonder how long the drill bits would last?

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 03:47:34 pm
content: you won't have any size limit with kicad. easy to do as it is the same pattern repeating.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 04:17:52 pm
content: Quote from: treez on June 18, 2017, 01:53:40 pmI don't think it's worth buying a license for something as simple as making perfboard, not when there's free alternatives.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2017, 04:24:25 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on June 18, 2017, 03:09:15 pmI suspect they punch it because it's faster.Milling the gaps is faster and cheaper than etching? That's surprising.Quote from: German_EE on June 18, 2017, 03:09:15 pmTungsten carbide? I'm sure there's a suitable drill bit for that.(and you'd probably drillmanyholes in parallel for speed so that would make them last longer)