[sdiy] ] Should I use REAL PCBS or ETCHED

[nicolas]

I am a veroboard fan and follow this approach of lots of small chunks.  I make just one cut of the tracks right across the width of the board, with about an inch of track either way.  So a typical chunk size for me is a piece of veroboard 50mm x 50mm which accomodates one or two chips aligned up the middle along that single cut.  Usually requires relatively few wire links.  I put wire links, resistors and caps topside if they can align at right angles to the tracks.  If there are things that really want to span across the chips (parallel to the tracks or on some kind of diagonal) I solder those to the underside smd style.

Small chunks for me means that a vco for example might get broken down into separate chunks for input-mixer-expo-converter, integrator-schmitt-trigger, waveshaper-output-buffer.  Makes development, tweaking and debugging easier I think (I don't bother with a breadboard phase).  Adds a little bit of extra wiring to connect them up.  I try and where possible use short solid copper wire (quite heavy) links that provide a physical as well as electrical connection.

Doing this allows easy tweaking of one-offs designs.  Adding an extra component or two never looks like a kludge when the board has a kludgy look to start with ;)

Quite reproducable if you want to make a couple, but I agree that if you have the design reasonably nailed down and want to make several identical copies a pcb makes sense.

Cheers,
Nicolas



--- On Fri, 15/8/08, Paul Perry <pfperry at melbpc.org.au> wrote:

> From: Paul Perry <pfperry at melbpc.org.au>
> Subject: [sdiy] ] Should I use REAL PCBS or ETCHED
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Received: Friday, 15 August, 2008, 7:41 PM
> Well, however you make the boards, here is some advice:
> Don't try to make just one big board.
> Break it into logical bits, eg the VCO part, the VCF part
> etc etc.
> 
> And if there already exist boards for some sections - 
> feel free to use them! ;D
> 
> paul perry Melbourne Australia
> 
> 
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