PCB layout / Simple question

Can someone supply or refer me to information regarding the layout and
maybe some use guidelines of general-purpose component pc boards, such as
those available from Radio Shack? Basically, I am quite new to hardware
design and I would like to know the basics of how to use a generic component
pcb.

 

I understand that the rows are actually tracks but my pc board (strip
board?) has white grid lines drawn on it. What significance do these have? I
realize this is very very obvious to most, but the question is so simple
that i'm having trouble finding the answer.

 

Why not use the stripboard as a start?

http://www.geocities.com/stripboarddesigner/

Allen

 

Thanks for replying. I found a strip board at radio shack but i made
the mistake of buying one with grids on it; I was wondering what the heck
these grid lines meant. Basically a 3x5 array of white paint ensquared hole
groupings. It is supposed to be obvious for me to know what is connected to
what, but i dont think this uses tracks across the whole board like normal
stripboards. it looks like this...


--O--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--
| | | |
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
| | | |
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
| | | |
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
| | | |
o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o
| |
...

and so on

any help for my idiotic self would be greatly appreciated.

 

You might want to refer to my page at
<www.daqarta.com/lptxh>
for in-depth tips on basic hand-drawn PCB
techniques.

Hope it helps!


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

 

If it's just paint and not copper traces then they are just there to
make it easier to lay things out in nice, straight lines.

The copper donuts on the solder-side are there to help "tack" components
to the board. Wiring is all point-to-point.

However, if you're just experimenting (and don't intend to keep the
result permanently) then a "solderless breadboard" may be the way to go.

 

Thankyou, that is helpful. They are just paint. Just one more question
(and i HAVE tried to find information before asking here, this stuff is just
so basic... on the component side, the white paint also encircles the top
left most hole and the bottom right most hole, as well as a hole offset two
to the left of the bottom right most hole. What does that mean? Are they
just telling me a specific spot to put my ground and power source?

 

If a board has been designed for a specific design, the white lines on the
component side use to show the outlines of the components. On a general
purpose experimenters board the lines use to tell something about the
insulation between the coperclads on the copper side. Most of the times I
saw the holes within a white outline connected together. Sometimes however
it's only a design feature for component placing.

petrus

 

AFAIK, those would just be for orientation. It's possible that RS has or
had some project kits that used a particular layout. Unless there are
heavier traces or interconnects on the solder side, though, you can just
treat the extra paint circles as decorations.

 

It certainly is!

They're there for reference, is all.

As far as actually using one, well, there are several different types,
and they all have their uses. I guess I'd pick the one that's most
amenable to whatever I'm trying to build. Like, if I have a little
circuit with about a dozen DIP IC's, I'll get a board that has
DIP layouts with maybe a little short trace per pin, maybe 4-5 holes.
For stuff with more discretes, I use pad-per-hole and wire point-to-
point. I've done this with microprocessor stuff to, but it's too
much of a PITA to want to do it on a hobbyist level, at least as
my age.

I also like the ones that have a ground plane on the component side.
That can be handier than a rat!

HTH!
Rich