Making the transistion

[9Lives]

I would like to attempt to make a circuit on a perfboard. I've only used premade boards so far but had pretty good success. I'm not talking about etching yet, just simple twist leads under the board style. Got any pointers? What's the best way to lay out a circuit from schem?

[jkokura]

I hate perf, but here's what I know.

PLAN PLAN PLAN. It's easy to make a mistake with this stuff that will be impossible to find and fix. The more planning you can do the better.

Lots of Room. Do not try and make a super compact layout because you likely don't need it and probably won't succeed. Leaving room makes for a higher rate of success.

Sockets. If you can, socket everything that's important to the circuit. Transistors, IC's, and diodes primarily. The reason for this is because if you have a fundamental error, you'll want to use those parts again on your second try. Desoldering on perf is ridiculous, and you'll loose a lot of your parts if you make a mistake, or at least wreck them trying to get them off the board.

Connections. Use some sort of wire or even cutoff leads to make your connections. If you try and bend and contort the various part leads to connect to each other (like I did) you can make it work, but then if you have a mistake or error it's impossible to fix it. It's much easier to solder all the parts into the pads in the layout you created, cut off the leads, then use the leads to make the connections you need to. Then you can salvage parts if it doesn't work.

Making a Layout. I recommend you learn Eagle and then create your own layouts. Using some sort of digital layout creator makes life much easier because you will want to rearrange things many times before you're through. I like eagle because you can build the schematic then manipulate the parts to the size/layout you want very easily. The only difference when you make a perf layout is that you'll make the connections yourself on the bottom of the board rather than using an etched or manufactured type.

Keep it simple. Big complicated circuits do not make an easy layout. Start small with a simple transistor fuzz or boost. Move up to a two or three knob type of pedal. Do not go for a delay or compressor, at least not until you're an expert. Keep you part total down below 10 before moving up to a 15 then 20-25 part types. Really, I'm not making this up out of inexperience.

Hope that helps. Also, Vero is easier and generally more helpful for beginners.

Jacob