Vero Design Tutorial

[jordya]

Ok, I just finished my first pedal...the Colorsound One Knob Fuzz by Dragonfly. BTW, it sounds great.

My question is can someone post a tutorial or more simply put, post the process of transfering a schematic to a veroboard layout. I have been trying to teach myself by finding a schematic and vero layout, reading the schematic and laying it out...then comparing my result with the vero layout posted online. It never seems to be anywhere close to what they lay out.

So, if someone would be so kind as to describe their process of reading the schematic and then laying it out on a vero layout, that would be most appreciated. I'm so excited to build other pedals, I just would like to design my own vero layout if possible.

Thanks for the help.

jordy a.

[Ge_Whiz]

Gosh, that's a tall order. I can do it - but can I explain how I do it? Tricky.

It helps to recognize that there are an infinite number of ways to lay out any circuit on veroboard, so the chances of your layout looking like anyone else's is remote. Personally, I always design my layouts to resemble the schematic as much as possible, as this makes debugging much easier. The downside is that the layouts become quite large, but that doesn't bother me unduly, unless I have enforced space constraints. I also try not to have vertical resistors or components running diagonally across the board. However, exceptions are resistors between adjacent pins of ICs or adjacent transistor leads, e.g. base-collector resistors.

I try not to stretch transistor leads, but keep them occupying three consecutive strips, as they're easier to fit that way. I allow five holes minimum width for resistors, and then two for film capacitors, one or two for ceramics, one for small radial electrolytics and so on. Have your components to hand BEFORE you design the layout - it's much easier that way.

All this leads to circuits that are easier to debug. A simple veroboard layout package would adopt a much more space-saving topology and waste less veroboard, but it's harder to relate it to the schematic.

Start with simple layouts and practice. Buy a pad of 5mm squared paper to design on. Use a pencil, rub out mistakes and be prepared to start over. Practice. Remember that when you are building a pedal, the veroboard and electronic components are relatively cheap. There may be times when you have to kick yourself and throw away a dollar's worth of parts in order to finish that $25 pedal. Often, layouts can be rescued (see MartyMart's recent design with 'daughterboard' attached); sometimes, it's easier to start again.

Oh, did I say practice?

[col]

As someone with no trianing all the pedals I have built have been on stripboard. I do most of my layouts myself, basically all you have to remember is that connections in the schematic have to be connected on the stripboard and not to anything else. Since you are srestricted with the stips your board will probably not be the same size as the original or an etched board (usually bigger). It also has a major advantage as you can design to use whatever components you have available such as capacitors in particular, I bought a big bag of mixed caps off e-bay which are very odd size and wouldn't fit any of the etched boards available. This can also help as you may be able to easily fit a huge cap in the strip layout.
There is no right or wrong stripboard layout. If 10 people did one you'd probably have 10 different. All theones I'd done were different to those Torchy posted in the past. Some were more compact than mine, some were less, but they all worked! There are some different layouts in the gallery for the same circuit.
I created a format in paintbrush that I can print off with the strips and holes so I can draw the components, links and cuts on them. If you pm me with your e-mail I can send you a copy but it would probably be as easy to do one yourself. It isn't fabulous but it works. It's at times like this that I miss my CAD station from where I used to work!

Col

[jordya]

Yeah, it would be great if you could send that Paintbrush file. That could really help. I'm sending my email right now...

Ok, the one issue that I haven't been able to crack deals with trace cuts on the vero board. If you use enough lines, you probably don't need to use a trace cut since there is nothing on that line that shouldn't be there. However, if you want to shorten your board, then you start using trace cuts to seperate the components on the same strip. Is that a correct assumption?

Also, how do you know when a resistor is a vertical resistor versus a laydown resistor?

Thanks again for the help...

[jordya]

oh, do any of you have an example of a veroboard you did from a schematic that I can compare and contrast? I'd like to look at the schematic, try and make a vero, then compare it with yours. I understand that everyones is different, but I'm just looking for all the examples I can find.

thanks...

[aron]

I tried doing veroboard layouts via computer but it's too darn hard!

I don't understand how you guys make your vero so quickly. I found it frustrating.

I just use paper.  :cry:

[spudulike]

Here's a complete tutorial for using MSPaint. Also templates for download :

http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/Prac/vero/vero.html

[MartyMart]

I've probably done around 100 vero-layouts now and can STILL get things wrong !! ( thanks for pointing that out Ge Wizz !! )
With simple circuits like a "Fuzz" or "Dist+" you can more or less just
follow the schem from right to left ( input to output ) and your layout will
resemble the schem quite closely.
Larger builds with more components need some more "thought" as to
where components "connect" to each other or "nodes" as I call them.
I try to keep +9v and ground as far apart as possible and also try to
use "space" on vero tracks for other uses/components by using track
"cuts" quite a bit.
Have a look at some in the gallery, I don't post up the schematic, but
usually state where it comes from.

Marty.

[Peter Snowberg]

Ok, the one issue that I haven't been able to crack deals with trace cuts on the vero board. If you use enough lines, you probably don't need to use a trace cut since there is nothing on that line that shouldn't be there. However, if you want to shorten your board, then you start using trace cuts to separate the components on the same strip. Is that a correct assumption?...

The easiest way to cut traces is to use a drill bit. Just select a hole to have the break happen at, select a drill bit that's just a little wider than the trace you want to cut, and give it a few twists by hand. There you go!

Also, how do you know when a resistor is a vertical resistor versus a laydown resistor?

There is no difference in operation, if you can fit a layout better by making a resistor or any other axial lead device vertical, go for it! All those early transistor radios go to be as small as they were because the components were vertically mounted.

I also find the speed you vero layout experts crank designs out at to be inspiring. Vero has introduced a LOT of people to circuits they would not have otherwise built.

[TheBigMan]

There's an article here as well.
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/richardo/perfboard/index.html

I printed off the vero template from there and do most of my designs on paper with an ordinary pencil and a red one for trace cuts, unless it's a really simple circuit in which case it goes directly into Paint.  I frequently make silly mistakes, but less often the more layouts I do.

The "standard" vero components that most of us use shows resistors on end if that's the way they are fitted.

If you go into the Layouts gallery pretty much everyone will have a link to where the original schematic can be found.  I'm a bit more haphazard than some of the guys, my layouts don't always look much like the schematic.  I usually try to make them as compact as possible do they'll fit in the ridiculously small enclosures that I use.  :lol:

[aron]

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