Circuit Board Prototyping Tips and Tricks 

Great tip!

You're welcome ... glad it helped. Thanks for the visit and the feedback.

Glad I could help!

Thanks for the feedback. The company that made those breadboards ( Continental Specialties ) is no longer in business but if you check eBay you might find them there.

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for the feedback!

You're welcome.

Matrix board is another option.

You're welcome!

The first microprocessor I wrote code on ... kind of miss those days.

Thanks for the feedback.

And that was on 24th Dec - even more appreciated. 'Going to move my thesis project from a breadboard to a veroboard right now, thanks!

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Veroboard also make good heating elements. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WT9xWyLK-Ic.html

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I use 22 or 24 solid gauge wire and bend then down after soldering and they will hug the board.

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Welcome to the channel!

Yes .. you could use a small drill or you can buy a boring tool made for the Vero strip boards. Here is a link: www.rpelectronics.com/r22-0239g-veroboard-cutting-tool.html

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Thanks for the feedback!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for the feedback!

It gets easier with practice. Mount all your components on a piece of Vero stripboard similar to your breadboard layout. Use the boring tool to make isolation channels as necessary. Finish off with jumpers installed from the top.

62 students get all subjects A grade the following year. 1996+1 His daughter, my classmate went to MRSM|PC.

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You're welcome!

The PC card was used in a Fire/Ambulance dispatch system. The dispatcher could select each fire hall from the computer console and also bring up VHF radios throughout the city for communications. The board was the communication link to all locations using dedicated phone lines. The code was written in LMI Winforth.

Here is a link: www.rpelectronics.com/r22-0239g-veroboard-cutting-tool.html

The part number for the Vero stripboard is: Vero 01-0021. Many large electronic supply companies should carry it. www.newark.com/vero/01-0021h/veroboard-121-92x101-6mm/dp/95M0362

You can find them in various places online: www.rpelectronics.com/r22-0239g-veroboard-cutting-tool.html

I use an Xacto knife and a straight edge and cut out a narrow strip between the rows. If I am using a lot of two-row headers I get the ones that straddle a strip and then use my boring tool. www.adafruit.com/product/2102

24 AWG

The Manhattan technique is basically a do it yourself project. You cut out your own islands from a bare copper clad PCB and glue them to the main board. This allows you to become very creative and your final product can look like art.

I normally install wire loops on the board to hook up scope probes for testing but in this case the wire loop is the Vcc ( 5 volts ) power connection and the other wire loop connected to pin 8 of the IC on the right is the ground connection.

@@0033mer Thanks for the answer. That is actually very useful :)

They were bought that color at a local electronics supply store.

@@0033mer 👍

Cut a narrow isolation channel using a Xacto knife. It takes a bit of practice. If you cannot make that work you can buy 10 pin headers that will straddle the Vero strip. store.qkits.com/technological-arts/idc-ribbon-cable-to-breadboard-adaptor-10-pin-adidc10-m.html

They are harder to come by as PCB prototyping has become inexpensive with fast turnaround time. You can check with Vero Technologies or Vector Electronics. www.verotl.com/circuitboards/protoboards

Here is a link: www.rpelectronics.com/r22-0239g-veroboard-cutting-tool.html

You can also use a Stanley knife or similar for making the isolation channels. Tip is to plan your isolation channels first and cut them before soldering any components to the board.

They are made by Hammond. Any local electronics supply store should carry them. www.hammfg.com/electronics/small-case/plastic/1591t

You can buy pre-cut vero/vectorboard that fit into standard enclosures or you can cut your own to fit. Score the top and bottom with a razor knife, put the score on the edge of your work-table and snap it off. www.rpelectronics.com/881-420306.html

@@0033mer thank you so much...

Get some bare perfboard, wire wrap sockets, wire wrap tool with 30 gauge wire to get started. www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/wire_wrap_is_alive_and_well Your local electronic supply store should have these items. www.leeselectronic.com

0033mer awesome , thanks for the great resources, I’m giving it a go!!!

Using a straight edge score both sides along a row of holes with a razor knife to get the desired size. Put the scored row along the edge of a table and push down to snap off the board.

The Experimenter 600 is no longer available, so your best bet is to check on Ebay. You can also remove the power bus strips from two boards and straddle microcontrollers between the two.

@@0033mer Thanks for the reply, it is not the same trying to piece together a board...lol. Not sure why they would stop production of a board that has unique value.

The large semiconductor companies are cutting back on DIP packages because of the cost as compared to surface mount (SMD) devices. NXP is the only company that makes an ARM microcontroller in a DIP package and that might soon disappear. One day we might not see microcontrollers in DIP packages which is sad for students who want to breadboard them.

To lower the resistance of the copper strips for larger current applications you can parallel the copper strips and add a layer of solder on the larger current circuits to cut down on strip heating. The strip board can handle 2 Amps but there will be some heating. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WT9xWyLK-Ic.html

@@0033mer great 👍

The company that makes them is no longer in business.

That particular board was originally from Radio Shack (Archer) back in the day. Proto boards like that are hard to find as chip manufacturers are dropping the DIP package and going surface mount. The best place to look is Vector Electronics: www.vectorelect.com/prototyping-boards.html Digi- Key is a distributor. Be aware, they will be pricey.

Thanks for the link, I've been trying to find a nice Eurocard board. In case you're still curious, these guys also sell a bunch of specialized protoboards, including one with an XT card edge connector like at 45s www.circuitspecialists.com/xt--bus-prototyping-boards

Yes, they are .1 inch spacing so they will fit.

@@0033mer thank you 😁

The board is actually called "Veroboard" or the generic name "Stripboard". I have a habit of calling all boards Vector boards. The two main companies making protoboards are Vector (USA) and Vero (UK). The board shown is 8X12 inch 78 strips, a size which is hard to find. I got it here: www.rpelectronics.com/prototyping/circuit-boards-busboard/thru-hole-boards They do not stock that size but if you look online you probably can find some with more than 40 strips.

Vector board == Veroboard?

Here is a link: www.rpelectronics.com/r22-0239g-veroboard-cutting-tool.html

Thank you

It is called a "spot face cutter"

Hammond Manufacturing: www.hammfg.com/electronics/small-case

Almost every video on my channel is a "prototype" project, so look around, you might find something of interest. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-U9_1AWc7e2c.html

That is a complex subject and would require a complex answer. IC manufacturers copyright their "mask works" used in the production of an Integrated Circuit.. A PCB is a different story with a lot of gray areas. Each individual case outcome would vary in a court of law.

0033mer Just curios, Thanks for answering. I have one more question: I’m 39, do you think it would be wise for me to get into electronics tech working for myself? I’ve been self employed for the last 10 years and couldn’t imagine working for anyone else.

I am retired and still do industrial electronic repairs and consulting. There are lots of opportunities out there if you are determined and willing to put in the time and effort. Check out my video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6MWVAh1V1c4.html

You are correct .. I am canadian. What gave it away? :o)

the o in breadboard. Grew up in new brunswick

The word "solder" comes from the french word "soudure" which we get the verb "souder" I am Canadian with french heritage so the "l" is silent like in the word "salmon" The word can be pronounced both ways depending if you live in the UK or North America. dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/solder I am certified in soldering by Pace who are involved in university training and companies like NASA. Pace and the manufacture Kester pronounce solder with a silent "l". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vIT4ra6Mo0s.html I am sure the viewers understand both pronunciations.

In my personal opinion, it isn't really important how you pronounce that word, this isn't an english class after all! ;) What *IS* important is getting the info about the electronics across to the viewer, in which you succeed very well. Greetings from Denmark.

If you must be pedantic then you should know it is an error in pronunciation, not an error in grammar! "Please respect the English language better."