Converting schematic to stripboard?

[JanssonGuitars]

Hi!
I've built some pedals by now, however i've only used kits with ready made boards.
I've etched before but with kids around and a small apartment it doesn't feel safe. So I would like to learn to transfer a schematic to stripboard, but have no clue where to start 
The best thing would be a program that can translate it for me

Here's the schematic:


Any help is appreciated

[LucifersTrip]

when doing smaller circuits, it's far easier to do perfboard, since you can just place the components almost identical to the schematic!

for example, here's a 2 transistor fuzz...compare:

http://www.luciferstrip.com/fuzz/colorsound-oneknob-final.jpg
http://www.luciferstrip.com/fuzz/colorsound-oneknob-ge-perf.jpg

That, of course, also makes it insanely easy to troubleshoot.

[gcme93]

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/

Here's a great guide to doing it, step by step walk through. Should cover the basics at least. Past that I just find its a big jigsaw of pieces that you want to fit into the smallest space possible

Hope that guy helps, (he also has some great examples on his page. I spent ages designing a layout as small as possible, only to find it smaller on his page)

[Kesh]

Focus on nodes, not components.

[deadastronaut]

download diylc.
http://code.google.com/p/diy-layout-creator/

and have a go....as kesh says follow the 'nodes' (connections) and create cuts.

it will not convert a schematic to  stripboard....but with a little practice you'll get it. 

[~arph]

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/

Here's a great guide to doing it, step by step walk through. Should cover the basics at least. Past that I just find its a big jigsaw of pieces that you want to fit into the smallest space possible

Hope that guy helps, (he also has some great examples on his page. I spent ages designing a layout as small as possible, only to find it smaller on his page)

Good tutorial, but due to the size of the circuits and the restricted size of the boards (to fit the desired enclosure) I do tend to stand resistors on end.
I do follow the left to right rule and multiple rows if a single row is not possible.

Here is an example of a circuit I'm working on right now (it's not finished!) There is two rows, separated by the power rails in the center.
I've used traces to highlight rows of GND, 9V and Vref to help me during design. I also try not to have wires going to random places in the middle of the board.

[JanssonGuitars]

Thanks for all the answers.

I went with the perfboard, but now im getting smoke from the pot when i plug in the battery. Probably a short circuit somewhere but I cant find it. Can you see the error?



Could it be the two .1J63 caps i soldered together to get a higher value? or can you only do that with resistors and diodes?

[gcme93]

Capacitors work the opposite of resistors:

http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/302l/lectures/node46.html

Check that out.

Basically, two capacitors in parallel add up ( Ctotal = C1 + C2 )

Two capacitors in series add up in an inverse way so that:

Ctotal = (C1 x C2) / (C1 + C2)


This is basically just the opposite of resistors (how inconvenient)


As for your issue, it may or may not be the capacitors, have you got a diagram of your layout? write it down, check what you've written down is exactly what you have in front of you, and then check it matches the schematic. Good luck

[~arph]

Smoke from the pot means there is too much DC on it. Ether between lugs one and three or lug two and one or three. The smoke is the graphite track inside burning.. Your pot is probably dead now too.

[JanssonGuitars]

Okay, fixed some errors but still no sound, think i'll have to redo it.

The pot still shows resistance on the multimeter, should i dispose it anyway?

[gcme93]

Smoke from the pot means there is too much DC on it. Ether between lugs one and three or lug two and one or three. The smoke is the graphite track inside burning.. Your pot is probably dead now too.

+1 to that too. Check you were using the right pot value - too low a resistance causes too much current. Current = heat. Otherwise there may be a short

[JanssonGuitars]

I'm using a 100k pot however it came from a volume pedal, can it be so that it can't handle the current?

EDIT: Still get some smoke when the pot is at zero but it goes out even at the slightest turn.

[gcme93]

Just looked at the schematic carefully and im thinking there shouldn't be any dc across the pot R11. This would mean that either C4 is dead, C5 is dead or your ground has a dc voltage (and isn't ground). Is the wiring at the output definitely right too? These would be the next things to check. A voltage reading from ground to each of the pins would help if you have a digital multimeter?

[JanssonGuitars]

I found a better schematic which i used to correct my earlier errors http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_wah_vox847_sc.pdf

From the input jack ground to the pot-pins there's full voltage.

The wiring at the out put should be correct, the bypass works anyway.

Also there's no smoke unless i plug the instrument cables in.

[JanssonGuitars]

Got it working today
All the komponents still work, but the volume is a bit low, and the wah effect is quite modest (mostly like a foot controlled tone pot). Which components should i change to get more of a agressive wah effect?

[JanssonGuitars]

I used this schematic
And here's a sound clip (the noise is because it isn't in a box yet... i think ) http://martinjansson.se/wah_problem.mp3 as you can hear is the wah effect almost non existent. Could the inductor have been damaged?

[~arph]

I still think the pot is dead. Measure the resistance to check this.

[JanssonGuitars]

I tested with another pot, it was 250k and not 100k but the result was the same :/

Also tested with BC547B transistors instead of 2N5088 and it was a little louder but not very much.