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Decent source of Prototyping board? — Parallax Forums

Decent source of Prototyping board?

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
edited 2007-10-01 15:52 in General Discussion
I've been hunting high and low for some prototyping board with copper rings on *both* sides.

Does anyone have a decent source from here in the states?

Thanks
Oldbitcollector

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Buttons . . . check. Dials . . . check. Switches . . . check. Little colored lights . . . check.

— Calvin, of 'Calvin and Hobbes.

Comments

  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2007-09-28 05:17
    It's available at Fry's, various sizes, here's one (4x5 in) --http://shop2.outpost.com/product/1632974?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2007-09-28 17:00
    $12.oo USD! Thank heavens I live in Taiwan. I think I pay about half of that price. What exactly do you need? PJ Allen pointed to a board that is really for wire-wrap. It doesn't allow one to solder and use a few jumpers to complete the circuitry.

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    "Everything in the world is purchased by labour; and our passions are the only causes of labor." -- David·Hume (1711-76)········
    ···················· Tropically,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2007-09-28 17:25
    Huh? It has plated through holes with copper pads on each side, seems perfect for soldering. There are actually several other varieties:

    www.mouser.com/catalog/631/1922.pdf

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    - Rick
  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2007-09-28 18:24
    Thanks for that Assist, Rick.·

    Kramer, it's exactly what the man asked for and it's primo prototyping board.· It's what the Pros use -- and I am a Pro.· It's definitely NOT for the dilettantes.· What I like better/best is the sort with the ground-plane between the holes (on one side.)

    Wire-wrap?· Beyond comment.

    ·
  • pwillardpwillard Posts: 321
    edited 2007-09-28 20:07
    Fry's *is* a bad example for hobbyist.·· They seem to only carry Twin-Industries PRO boards and Twin-Industries are very proud of their work.· The boards ARE well made.

    Check out MOUSER.· They have double-sided plated through hole boards for less.

    http://www.mouser.com/catalog/631/1919.pdf

    The real issue here is that there are very few vendors that carry .100 plated though hole Perf. boards.· It's really easy to find a vendor like AllElectronics, BGMICRO, Sparkfun, etc that carry the Single Sided board (just like the ones Radio Shack almost continues to carry) that will not allow for multiple prototyping projects.· The copper will lift from the board if you look at it wrong.

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    There's nothing like a new idea and a warm soldering iron.
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2007-09-29 05:24
    How about we go in on 100 boards from PCBCART full fr4 plated through holes solder mask both sides, hot air solder leveling, the works with shipping 100 boards are $244.00 and 500 boards are just 1.21 each one time $40.00 setup. 2 weeks delivery You don't have to live in China to buy from China nowdays.

    Get a board layout you like with some busses and a few sot233 spots for voltage regulators or whatever. I thought about doing this for a while just for myself.

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    Think Inside the box first and if that doesn't work..
    Re-arrange what's inside the box then...
    Think outside the BOX!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2007-09-29 08:11
    I hardly ever use perfboard any more. It's easier, and certainly less time-consuming, just to lay out a PCB and have one of the proto houses fab it for me — especially when SMD parts are involved. I've even done this for one-off projects. By the time the parts for them arrive from DigiKey*, the boards are in hand.

    If I need to proof a circuit first, I'll do in on solderless breadboard. The BOE is really handy for this, since the power is already there, and I can use the Stamp to stimulate the circuit or obtain a response. To this end, I've occasionally had to solder teeny wires to SOTs and SOICs when no through-hole equivalents were available. And after the PCBs arrive, a Dremel tool and wirewrap wire come in handy for mistakes discovered then. A bottle of clear nail polish to tack down the wirewrap wire dries quickly and keeps it from flexing.

    The PCB fab route can entail more cash outlay for certain, but I've usually found that the time savings and finished-product neatness more than offset the out-of-pocket expense. Plus, if you can combine several projects in one order and cut them out yourself, it's not that expensive.

    -Phil

    *A hint to West-coasters — well, fellow Washingtonians, at least: Three day UPS shipping from DigiKey can nearly always be counted on to arrive in two days.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2007-09-29 10:21
    Well, in wire-wrap, one still has to solder all the sockets, capacitors, and resistors·to the board. Though I suppose you could 'glue' themto empty perf board or let them hang loose. I've never tried.

    I hadn't considered the internal ground plane, but that does add a bit·to the production cost.

    I use a similar sized board that is also double-sided, but is set up with power distribution and allows you to use 22 gauge wire for your connection to holes adjacent each DIP pin.· The double-sided fiberglass boards with through hole plating do hold up a lot better than the single-side boards that tend to 'peel' if stressed.

    It really doesn't surprise me that U.S. prices are twice as expensive.· Taiwan is the source·of so much of the generic components these days.·The little cheap boards I use cost less than $1 and are one sided pheonylic paper. They say 'Radio Shack' on them, but we don't have any Radio Shack outlets in Taiwan.

    Proto boards are expensive in general.· With inexpensive short production runs, you can easily design a double-sided·board in Eagle for a specific application and have it cost less than $12 per unit.· Spark Fun has a good jobber for short runs.· I use another one in China that will do 5 to 10 boards, takes PayPal and ships world-wide.


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    "Everything in the world is purchased by labour; and our passions are the only causes of labor." -- David·Hume (1711-76)········
    ···················· Tropically,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

    Post Edited (Kramer) : 9/29/2007 10:38:16 AM GMT
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2007-10-01 15:52
    I use another one in China that will do 5 to 10 boards, takes PayPal and ships world-wide.

    Do they have a web site?

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Think Inside the box first and if that doesn't work..
    Re-arrange what's inside the box then...
    Think outside the BOX!
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