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Protoboard Wiring best practices — Parallax Forums

Protoboard Wiring best practices

Chip CoxChip Cox Posts: 73
edited 2010-03-01 04:42 in Propeller 1
I just got my first Prop Proto USB board.· Very Impressive.· I haven't done board level work in a long time so here is my question·and it's kind of an open ended one.· What are the best practices / standards for developing using the protoboard?· Specifically, are there preferred methods for extending the built in buss lines ( 5V, 3.3V/VDD )?· Considering the number of VSS terminations, I don't think I'll run out of connection points there anytime soonyeah.gif

Comments

  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2010-02-28 22:18
    I just run wires back to the nearest Vdd point, and use a decoupling capacitor so the length doesn't matter. I solder them on the underside, so that they may easily be removed.

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    Leon Heller
    Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2010-03-01 00:39
    Chip - when I work with Prop Proto boards I usually diagram the layout first. It doesn't have to be a full blown schematic, but more of a paper dolls sort of game showing where I want to put devices on the Prop Proto board. I then use that to think through the connections and the orientation. Most of the time when I am working on a Prop Proto board it is for a prototype and I like my prototypes to come together quickly and I want them to be very clean looking so some though up front helps me to decide on the routing and connection scheme.

    If you plane to use your Prop Proto Board as more of an exercise board instead of dedicated to one project I have seen other members on the forum add header sockets to the I/O around the Propeller so they could use pieces of wires to connect to a breadboard.

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    Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
    www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT
    www.tdswieter.com
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2010-03-01 00:51
    I've stuffed several protoboards all in a pretty ad hoc way, including one with an daughterboard with an instrumentation amp for ADC and a 555-based -5V inverter breadboarded on the protoboard, remote interface for IIC parallel I/O, SD cards, and phono plug for video out mounted where the VGA connector is supposed to go. It's a very forgiving unit, mostly because all of the high frequencies associated with running an 80 MHz processor stay on the CPU die unless you deliberately let them out.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2010-03-01 00:53
    The magic of a blank Propeller Protoboard... love it!

    Here's a ink that will give you some ideas.
    ucontroller.com/Propeller%20Protoboard%20Designs%20for%20the%20Beginner.pdf

    OBC

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    Visit the: The Propeller Pages @ Warranty Void.
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2010-03-01 01:12
    Here is a snap of a board I did in the middle of last year. I used small guage wire wrap wire as it is easy to work with and to route. On the right side of the board I laid down a think blob of solder because of current requirements for the voltage and ground.

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    Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
    www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT
    www.tdswieter.com
    IMG_1794.JPG
    1024 x 768 - 193K
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2010-03-01 03:52
    I tried a couple of ideas from the forum and ended up surrounding the prop with four 2x8 rows of pins to pick up +5, +3.3, ground, and a block of 8 I/O pins as per the attached jpg. I build my circuit on another prototyping board and use short pieces of ribbon cable with 16 pin female headers to pick up I/O and power from the prop board.

    Works well and allows me to use one protoboard for many circuit prototype designs.
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2010-03-01 04:13
    Very nice job Timothy.

    I have a tip for you, if you make longer runs. I got this wire with a hot melt glue coating from http://www.preleg.com/. It really works great to tack down your wire for larger mods. I also use it to position my 32guage wire just right to solder onto the side of a .01" pich chip. We're talking at least twice the pins/inch of the qfp propeller. It is quite handy.
    I don't know if it is necessary for short runs on a protoboard, but it might be handy sometimes.

    Doug
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2010-03-01 04:42
    I like using a 1x10 pin stakes (or header) around the proto board to plug other devices into. It give you access to VDD & VSS without wires.

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