Beyond Breadboarding

[Lawsen]

Once I got the TTL 7400 series circuits digital chime and display working on a breadboard, then a printed circuit board with through the hole single sided soldering?  How does one go from a breadboard to a printed circuit board or just leave it as a breadboard? 

Lawsen

[Mechatrommer]

do pcb if you want permanent circuit. breadboard is not "tidy".

[EEVblog]

Vero (strip) board is most certainly an option.

Dave.

[Psi]

yeah veroboard is quite good.

I only use breadboard to design and test small sections of my main circuit. Once i'm confident all sections are working the whole project gets built on veroboard, or sometimes i just make a prototype pcb using the laser printer method.

The problem with breadboard is that it can get quite messy with large circuits, and you sometimes get bad connections that can be annoying to track down. Also in tracking down bad connections you sometimes disturb other sections which then stop working.

[vk6zgo]

Yeah,I've never liked breadboarding--it's so easy to lose a connection,especially if the wires you are using are not  ideal for the job, when they can pop out or snap off.
I usually build from scratch on stripboard.
There are a number of other techniques which can be used,such as using very high value resistors soldered to a ground plane,or pieces of PCB glued to boards,as tie points.

VK6ZGO

[sacherjj]

You can buy a solderable breadboard like this one: http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/SB-800/800-POINT-SOLDERABLE-BREADBOARD/1.html



This allows you to move the circuit from the breadboard to the perf board and solder.  Then you have a project that should be good to go.  Great way to go for quick 1-of projects.

[sacherjj]

There are a number of other techniques which can be used,such as using very high value resistors soldered to a ground plane,or pieces of PCB glued to boards,as tie points.

VK6ZGO

Sounds like how a HAM would do it. 

The on change I have seen and need to adopt is using a drill bit with a pointed tip and cutter edges.  This can be turned by hand and makes a copper island for tie points.  Quicker than doing true Manhattan style.

[Jon Chandler]

Why not a custom-made PCB board?  For just over the cost of the RadioShack perf board, you can order boards of up to 10cm x 10 cm for $33 for 10, delivered.

[sacherjj]

Why not a custom-made PCB board?  For just over the cost of the RadioShack perf board, you can order boards of up to 10cm x 10 cm for $33 for 10, delivered.

If you will only be making 1 and already have it breadboarded, then soldering it as is will take a few minutes.  Making a PCB pattern, sending off, waiting, then soldering takes much longer.  You have the advantage of easily making more, once you have the PCB files, but that is only useful if you want more than one.  That isn't always the case.

[Zero999]

Strip board is good but it's high frequency performance is poorer than a proper PCB.

[Simon]

well I've not done large complex stuff yet so i usually breadboard it or sections of and then when i'm happy make a prototype on a PCB, as physical layout and size also affects things this is important. For example I have one project with strict space constraints so I only breadboarded the principles, then stripboarded a small section and then PCBed the whole thing

[Kozmyk]

Hah Hah I've just bought my first breadboard after 40 odd years of electronics.
I always used to use veroboard or tag strips for experiments.
I've got some delving to to that'll involve juggling values in feedback loops so I thought I'd give it a go.
Strange, the things you see but never use.