Building styles - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2013, 08:55:14 am
content: I've been trying many different ways of building, as I'm not quite ready for making boards, and my favourite way ,that I find the easiest with 100% success rate is the "Manhattan style", and I seem to be able to get quite complex circuits on the board, what's your favourite style I wonderPaul

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2013, 08:59:37 am
content: piggyback, similar to deadbug where components that share the same functions on at-least 1 chips pins you stack them, i've mounted tens of i2c eeproms this way, same for buffers and logic gates for increased current capacity, , when your using msop's or similar it can greatly get around the issues of board space on extremely dense hobby stuff,

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2013, 09:54:22 am
content: Vero board and point to point, are what I find easiest and best I tried board etching in the 1970's and found it so laborious and messy I never tried it again.

author: cthree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 02:36:11 am
content: I solder things together with wires and stuff.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 02:47:23 am
content: cthree, wow, I never would have thought of that. Tell me more.

author: ftransform
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 03:35:51 am
content: I like strip board and making my own PCB's.I bought some nice island board but I find it annoying, strip board is excellent if you plan things out, much less wires are needed... especially if you use thin tubing on parts legs.

author: vk3yedotcom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 04:22:27 am
content: Quote from: Telequipment on June 29, 2013, 08:55:14 amHorses for courses.You wouldn't use veroboard for high power RF circuits while Manhattan's no good if it's all ICs.Below is a scorecard based on the sorts of things you'd want in a construction method listed:a. Compactness / b. Suitability for RF / c. Suitability for ICs / d. Ease of changing parts / e. Ease of probing around / f. Reproducibility by beginners / g. Ease of commercial manufacture / h. Construction speed (including board design & etching if applicable)1 = bad, 2 = fair, 3 = goodPoint to Point / dead bug 2/3/1/3/2/1/1/3Manhattan style 1/3/1/3/3/2/1/3Matrix board 3/2/3/2/1/1/1/2Vero strip board 2/1/3/2/2/2/1/2PC board 3/3/3/1/2/3/3/1As one who wants to build experimental RF stuff quickly with mostly discrete parts, the first 2 or 3 are right for me. But others have different priorities.

author: millerb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 05:24:45 am
content: I don't know what this style would be called, but basically I use breadboards where ever I can get away with it, and for small parts I solder onto perfboard with just enough point to point wiring and circuitry to make a module and tie them all together with wires. I bolt down all the modules onto blocks of wood to keep them in place.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2013, 06:10:43 am
content: Thank you to all who replied to my post, when mounting IC's I tend to use these and insulate from the main board, I like the Manhattan style as it reminds me of the way old tube stuff is put together, bottom line I guess if it works for you and you're enjoying it, that's the best we can expect. I did have a go at making a board, but I found it messy, I suppose you could have boards made, "expensive", and then there's working out the designing software, so I'll stay with the method I like, it's just interesting to see what the rest of you do.Thanks againPaul