Using VeroBoard - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: glennx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 08:36:08 pm
content: Hi.I just joined this forum.I haven't made any electronics projects for a long time, but I am getting back into it now.When I last made small projects that I soldered, I did them on stripboard and I quite liked it; because of the strips you got the nice connection between the components.Now I cannot get stripboard where I live but I can get Veroboard - and I don't like it very much.To make the connection between the components, what is the best thing to do?I have tried laying a short wire between the two copper pads on the copper side, but that doesn't seem right.I tried bending the component leg over so it touched the next copper pad but when soldering it I tend to get a big solder bridge instead of two islands of solder and a connecting component leg - now I accept that my soldering technique is not what it was several years ago and this could be the problem.The other thing I liked about strip board was you could use strips as power rails. I find I still need a power rail but how do I make one using Veroboard?Any tips on using this Veroboard would be gratefully received. I know these must be very newbie questions.ThanksGlenn, Vancouver.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 08:44:39 pm
content: I always thought veroboard is just a brand of stripboard. Do you mean perfboard instead?

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 08:54:19 pm
content: I too have always understood Veroboard (in the UK) to be the ubiquitous brand of stripboard.However, in the USA stripboard cannot be found. What you find instead is "island board" where each hole has a separate copper island for soldering to.It always puzzled me how to use this board, but apparently the suggested way is to bend over the component legs to make a bridge between pads and then solder them down. The result tends to look like a bit of a mess underneath but it is functional.There are some other board patterns with "islands of three" arranged in different patterns, and that kind of board might be a bit more convenient. I saw some boards like that in Radio Shack.

author: glennx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 09:03:47 pm
content: Quote from: BoredAtWork on July 27, 2011, 08:44:39 pmYes, that's the stuff. 'Perfboard'. In my local electronics shop, the guy calls it Veroboard, but, yes, I think Veroboard is a brand name for strip board.

author: glennx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 09:05:53 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on July 27, 2011, 08:54:19 pmYes, that is the construction of it. A single copper island for each hole.thanks for your reply. I will look for the other patterns.

author: gregariz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 09:21:19 pm
content: Quote from: glennx on July 27, 2011, 09:05:53 pmIts my understanding that Perfboard has no copper landings. Perfboard is simply perforated FR4/paper.The boards with copper landings were sold as 'vectorboard' by vector electronics, in a similiar way that 'veroboard' was sold by vero.Radioshack used (still does I think) to sell an equivalent to 'vectorboard' that they called'matrix'? board.Stripboard is veroboard however, at least when I was a kid, veroboard was plain copper (no tin plating). The stripboard 'copies' that I used to by from other manufacturers however were often tin plated.There were others as well... some used to sell 'universal' and a bunch of other track arrangements.You can find stripboard in the US but its not common (www.electronics123.com) and you are as well just to order it online or through ebay. Walking in to Fry's they sell a mix of 'universal' and 'vectorboard' as does jameco, digikey etc.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2011, 10:07:21 pm
content: The way I use perf board that has copper islands but no tracks is to insert the components and bend the leads over, then solder to the island in the normal fashion. If the pads are adjacent and there are only a few pins per node, I just solder the bent pins together. It is a mess, but mostly works. The important thing is to get each pin soldered to its pad first as a mechanical support before making the electrical connection. If I have more than 3 or 4 pins I will take a section of solid wire or a resistor lead and use it as a track, soldering it to each pad in turn.Basically any kind of perfboard or stripboard is going to look ugly to some extent. The pads are not plated through holes, so the solder doesn't flow into the hole and make a joint there like it does with a PCB. The joint is between the pad surface and the pin which is not nearly as nice of a fit.

author: ModemHead
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 12:06:15 am
content: Quote from: glennx on July 27, 2011, 09:05:53 pmI always called it pad-per-hole perfboard, and it's my choice for small projects. I plan the routes ahead of time and make a drawing to follow. I solder in the components and clip the leads. Then I use 30ga wire-wrap wire (tinned, stripped) to make the connections, sewing it down to each pad along the way. It works well for me and it doesn't looktoobad.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 12:12:25 am
content: I was going to say that the pad-per-hole board is crap and not to use it, but that pic above proves that it can produce some really nice results when used properly.When i bought some of that stuff it was made of squares, (not circles as in that pic). I made tracks by lots of solder bridges and it worked but was quite annoying and wasted solder. So it put me off using that type of board again.Now that i see how you're supposed to use that stuff i do wonder if in fact it's better than strip board.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 12:40:19 am
content: Quote from: ModemHead on July 28, 2011, 12:06:15 amNice. I will try that. I used to do solder bridges without the wire when using square pads and the result was decent. Then the store started selling one with tiny round pads. My technique sucks on these things. Now I just have to get some fine gauge wire.

author: glennx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 01:05:10 am
content: Quote from: ModemHead on July 28, 2011, 12:06:15 amThank you. That makes sense. It looks very nice. I wont post a picture of the back of my current projectI will try that.Glenn

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 01:20:09 am
content: The nice thing about strip board if you can find it is you do less wiring. Just cut traces with a dremel. Also, when using either, I try to never bend the components over to make the traces. I use component cut leads. Otherwise, you have a hard time replacing them if you need to.

author: ModemHead
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 01:28:29 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on July 28, 2011, 12:40:19 amSome words to note: The plan-ahead part is essential. Once you have a drawing, the rest is just drudgery. (I actually use a vector-drawing app to make my sketches, that way I can lay out from the top and then make a mirror-image quickly for the bottom-side work.)A dental probe and/or a soldering aid tool (otherwise known as a sharp stick) is a big help for bending the wires around the 90-degree turns, and holding the wire down while the solder cools, etc. And of course for folks my age, a magnifying lamp is a must.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 04:25:31 am
content: Quote from: gregariz on July 27, 2011, 09:21:19 pmWeirdly,in Australia the plain perforated board you call "Perf Board" was always known as "Matrix Board".The main supplier of "Strip Board" was Vero,so the metallised strip type was commonly known as "VeroBoard".VK6ZGO

author: gregariz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 06:14:44 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 28, 2011, 04:25:31 amIts such a long time... I think you are right... the matrix was the perfboard (no pads). I never liked that one! I forget what we used to call the tandy version of vectorboard.... protoboard? gridboard?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 08:54:47 am
content: I remember building a 2kV voltage multiplier on Matrix board !:)It worked,too!Scary as hell in retrospect,though.VK6ZGO

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 12:32:43 pm
content: I think Veroboard or matrix board or whatever you call it is very useful for small one off's and the like, always depends on what you do, of course.I actually prefer the "single hole with pad around it" variety, they are more flexible to work with.You solder your parts on and then solder the "traces" down with thin wire, works like a charm.When you have gained some experience with this method (as seen in the pic someone posted earlier) small projects can be built in minutes, you get an eye for the best placement of parts.There is even a layout program for Veroboard projects:http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/lochmaster.htmlI've never really tried it but it might be good for the beginner.PS: Make sure never to use component leads as "trace" wire, it will look really nasty and it's a PITA to remove parts.

author: FreeThinker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 12:38:06 pm
content: Or you could try this onehttp://veecad.com/index.htmlworks fairly well

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2011, 05:09:55 pm
content: Or you could try this onehttp://www.eleinmec.com/downloads/sbps.pdfworks every time.

author: glennx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 29, 2011, 03:55:32 am
content: Thank you to everyone that posted a response to my questionI have some good tips on using this type of board now.ThanksGlennVancouver, Canada