Prototyping
with VeroCAD (Please read Prototyping first)
If you have ever built a circuit board
using Veroboard or other similar prototyping boards you will have
experienced the woes of electronic prototyping. When fellow builders
say “Just build it on Veroboard” it sounds easy, but reality soon hits.
What you thought would be ten minutes turned into three hours or more.
Here is a tool to help reduce the time to design a Veroboard project,
VeroCAD lets you see the board as you place and move components. When
the design is complete, simply print a placement label and apply it to
the perforated board, now each component can be accurately placed on
the board.
Circuit board design software is based
on the placement of pads or holes to the required position of the
component pins. In the case of perforated circuit boards the holes are
fixed, this makes the designer bend component leads to fit the
available holes. Now it becomes possible to position the component body
anywhere between the connection points. For two pin components VeroCAD
allows the designer to “SLIDE” the component body between the
connection points.
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).
If you would like to follow a step-by-step guide of how to place and connect componenets read the manual for Kit#1. (Due to the lack of parts the Kit#1 is now obsolete).
To better understand prototyping with VeroCAD download the free version of VeroCAD V3.42.268 from download.com or by donating to receive the latest version. Your email address will be used for updates only.
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).
If you would like to follow a step-by-step guide of how to place and connect componenets read the manual for Kit#1. (Due to the lack of parts the Kit#1 is now obsolete).
To better understand prototyping with VeroCAD download the free version of VeroCAD V3.42.268 from download.com or by donating to receive the latest version. Your email address will be used for updates only.