An introduction to prototyping with perforated circuit boards

Perforated circuit board has pre-drilled holes that are usually 0.042” in diameter. Since only one component lead will fit into a hole, a separate hole for each connection must be used. This method creates a larger board compared to other methods; however, the resulting layout is easier to troubleshoot and allows for accurate translation into net list formats for PCB layout software.

General guidelines:
Place the devices with the greatest pin count first. Group the supporting devices around this component considering the connection distance. If for example there are six components with six connections to pins one and two, place all six component near pins one and two of the device. The appearance of all these parts my seem cluttered but as each component is placed and its connections completed
the circuit will evolve in to an organized well-designed board. As individual components are placed, attempt to arrange them such that the component is in the same direction as the destination connection.
After the components have been placed the next step is to interconnect the components according to the schematic. One method of keeping track of this is to use a highlighter and mark each connection as they are completed. Start by selecting a pin (usually pin 1) on the most complex device, note the proximity of this pin to the other devices that are connected to it. This is where components may need to be moved to simplify the layout. Continue to place, move and connect components until the optimum layout is achieved.

VeroCAD uses the “one hole per connection” method to layout a design. To connect two parallel traces a “Short” component is provided and to isolate a component on a trace use the “Cut” function.

Since VeroCAD allows horizontal and Vertical traces the designer must choose which orientation best suits the circuit to be laid out. When placing a DIP package VeroCAD will automatically orient the device to suit the trace direction. If the trace direction is horizontal then the device will be place vertically. If the trace direction is vertical the device will be place horizontally. If a DIP package is placed correctly, only one cut is required to isolate two pins Figure 1. The alternative is clearly more complex and leaves four pins with no holes for connections (Figure 2).

Cautions:
· Changing board size will destroy all of your work (Components will be deleted).
· Changing trace direction will destroy all of the “Cuts” (Components will remain).

To better understand prototyping with VeroCAD download the free version of VeroCAD V3.42.268 from download.com or by donating through the STORE to receive the latest version. Your email address will be used for updates only.