Author Topic: RF stripboard techniques.  (Read 6748 times)

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Offline djsbTopic starter

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RF stripboard techniques.
« on: March 06, 2010, 01:14:11 pm »
Hi,
Does anyone have any special techniques for building RF circuits on stripboard? I need to build a VCO that runs at approx 10MHz. The circuit uses 3 transistors, 1 coil and a varicap/varactor diode as well as other supporting components.
I need to minimise long wireing and utilise some kind of ground plane if possible.
I saw a technique on Dave's video's but can't remember the specifics apart from it being called dead bug or something.
I will mainly be using through hole components as this is a proof of concept test build/prototype.
Anyone have any tips or methods specific to RF.
Thanks.

David.

London,UK
« Last Edit: March 06, 2010, 01:17:58 pm by djsb »
David
Hertfordshire,UK
University Electronics Technician, London PIC,CCS C,Arduino,Kicad, Altium Designer,LPKF S103,S62 Operator, Electronics instructor. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Credited Kicad French to English translator.
 

Offline djsbTopic starter

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Re: RF stripboard techniques.
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2010, 01:42:31 pm »
Hi,
In answer to my own question I found this link.

http://www.piclist.com/techref/pcb/manhattan.htm

and this

http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~pharden/hobby/Hobby.shtml

Any thoughts?

David.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2010, 03:12:05 pm by djsb »
David
Hertfordshire,UK
University Electronics Technician, London PIC,CCS C,Arduino,Kicad, Altium Designer,LPKF S103,S62 Operator, Electronics instructor. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Credited Kicad French to English translator.
 

Offline joelby

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Re: RF stripboard techniques.
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2010, 12:46:59 pm »
Dead bug is easy to do with through-hole components. Get some blank (copper-clad) PCB, glue ICs upside down (with their legs in the air), and solder things together directly. The PCB acts as a large ground plane and this works quite well for RF.

The Manhattan technique in the links you provided looks very tidy but also like a heck of a lot of work! Making a PCB really does not take very long, allows you to very easily use SMT components, which may be important if you're using ICs that don't come in DIP packages, makes a design completely repeatable, and looks a lot more professional. I admire people who build everything using these methods, but it's slow and fiddly.
 

Offline jimmc

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Re: RF stripboard techniques.
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2010, 01:01:07 pm »
If you really want to use something like stripboard then there are boards with a colander ground plane on one side and either strips or pads on the other.
See http://www.verodirect.com/images/PDF/Veroboard%20Board%203.pdf

Pricey but works well at RF, especially the pad version when used with 0805 SMD components.

Jim
 


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