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Does pre-drilled copper clad board exist? — Parallax Forums

Does pre-drilled copper clad board exist?

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
edited 2011-11-03 01:03 in General Discussion
Brainstorming this morning on ways to make home pcb fabrication quicker and easier.

Has anyone ever seen pre-drilled copper clad pcb? The difference would be that ALL the copper holes would be connected together until it was prepared for use in a project.

Edit: A little more searching turned up this photo. Never seen this stuff. Anyone got a source?

686px-CopperCladPerfboard_2.png


OBC
686px-CopperCladPerfboard_2.png
686 x 599 - 890K

Comments

  • Bobb FwedBobb Fwed Posts: 1,119
    edited 2011-11-02 10:17
    What would you do with a board like that? Do you etch (or something) the copper when you've determined a wiring scheme?
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-11-02 10:24
    Nods...

    Could remove the secondary process of drilling after you are done etching a board.

    IIRC, a permanent marker can also be used to "draw" the circuit before etching.

    It looks like Digikey carries a product like this, but I am unable to confirm it.

    OBC
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-11-02 10:28
    OBC,

    The holes on the board in the photo aren't connected together -- or to anything. That's just a groundplane. What you really want is a board with plated holes, right?

    -Phil
  • Bobb FwedBobb Fwed Posts: 1,119
    edited 2011-11-02 10:32
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    OBC,

    The holes on the board in the photo aren't connected together -- or to anything. That's just a groundplane. What you really want is a board with plated holes, right?

    -Phil
    Oh yeah, I didn't catch that at first look. That's not very useful.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-11-02 10:37
    I'm looking for copper clad board that HAS all holes connected together. So it would be copper clad with holes drilled.
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    OBC,

    The holes on the board in the photo aren't connected together -- or to anything. That's just a groundplane. What you really want is a board with plated holes, right?

    -Phil
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-11-02 10:49
    Vero used to sell it (special order), but had a £250 minimum order charge for it.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2011-11-02 10:49
    Jeff, So you're wanting a stripboard, but connections both X and Y. To build the circuit you'll remove the cladding where connectivity is to be broken (the same way you cut a stripboard).

    What you're looking for are boards for RF applications, so I'd look at sources selling protoboards for hams and other radio jocks. Vector is still a good source for these, but you probably already know their stuff is anything but cheap. Both Digikey and Mouser carry a good selection of the Vector prototyping boards.

    -- Gordon
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2011-11-02 11:01
    While on the subject of "quick and easy" PCB prototypes, I wonder how much it would take to set up a small CNC for PCB isolation routing. Having my own larger CNC for cutting material, I know a big cost comes in scaling the thing. If cost is 1X for (say) a 10" by 10" bed, it can be 4X (if not more) for 20"x20". Double the dimensions gets you 4X the surface area, but at least 4X the cost. Everything has to be bigger and stronger to support the larger mechanism.

    As long as you're not producing multi-panel boards 20"x30", a little 5"x7" CNC should suffice. And since you're only routing off a thin layer of clad, the steppers don't need a lot of horsepower. Standard size 17 motors should do, and with microstepping they ought to provide good resolution. For that matter, the same machine could automate isolating the clad in these groundplane clad boards OBC is looking for.

    There are some plans out there, but I've never really looked into it.

    -- Gordon
  • David BDavid B Posts: 592
    edited 2011-11-02 11:01
    How about Radio Shack's board?
    predrilled.jpg
    345 x 235 - 10K
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-11-02 11:11
    Nope, all the copper on the reverse side is not connected.
    David B wrote: »
    How about Radio Shack's board?
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-11-02 11:13
    Yeah.. that's the ticket! Now that I know it exists, got to find a reasonable source.
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    Jeff, So you're wanting a stripboard, but connections both X and Y. To build the circuit you'll remove the cladding where connectivity is to be broken (the same way you cut a stripboard).


    -- Gordon
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-11-02 11:28
    Got it:

    One of the reviewers' comments, though, pretty much dovetails with my thinking:
    I like the idea, but I used this board for a project and the process of cutting the traces was extremely time consuming. I have to say that, based on my experience, running wire is faster than going through the trouble to cut all the traces.

    -Phil
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2011-11-02 11:31
    Drilling before etching tends to under-cutting, where the etchant gets under the "mask" leaving a ring etched around the previously drilled hole.

    http://www.twinind.com/subcategory/Plated-Through-Holes

    http://www.twinind.com/subcategory/plated-through-Holes-single-power

    http://www.twinind.com/subcategory/plated-through-holes-dual-power
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2011-11-02 11:40
    Digikey carries pre-drilled copper clad PCB boards (no solder mask, no traces, just copper cladding and drilled holes). A bit pricey, though, in larger sizes:

    http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/B3426D/B3426D-ND/354320
    http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/B3429AD/B3429AD-ND/354324
    etc

    attachment.php?attachmentid=86545&d=1320259215
    Picture 1.jpg
    1024 x 425 - 92K
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2011-11-02 14:11
    Don't use a knife to cut the traces, as suggested in the SparkFun forum. Bad advice. There are tools specially made for Veroboard cutting, or you can use a sharp drill bit. Using just a knife blade is bound to give you problems unless you physically remove a chunk of the trace. Otherwise what happens is that the trace may be initially broken, but flexing the board can re-establish momentary connectivity.

    Look for 'stripboard cutter' for ideas. There's also the chisel type, described here in Ron ("Mr. Stripboard") Hackett's Web site

    http://www.jrhackett.net/tools.shtml

    -- Gordon
  • wasswass Posts: 151
    edited 2011-11-02 17:15
    I use a similar tool on Vero-like board with traces connection every hole in a row. While this works very well, the problem is that you waste a hole every time you want to break the trace. The neat thing about the Sparkfun board is that there are no wasted holes, but it's probably harder to cut the trace and less certainty that it's a good cut.

    -Katie
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-11-02 17:23
    A Dremel or Fordham tool with a tiny burr is quicker and more reliable for cutting traces than any manual tool would be. At least that's been my experience. (Of course, if good cuts can be made quickly, so can bad cuts. So you do have to pay attention to what you're doing.)

    -Phil
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2011-11-03 00:49
    OBC, that board is normally used for high frequency applications, and yes they tend to be pricy in comparison with "normal" boards, i.e. copper just on one side.
    Depending on the number you need, you can make them yourself, specially if no plated holes are needed, just look for someone who does 2 side boards without PTH :). I bought once one here in Germany, I can't remember where :(
  • walken.chriswalken.chris Posts: 3
    edited 2011-11-03 01:03
    Thanks for sharing this information, it is helpful for me
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