Schematics vs. Layouts

[blueduck577]

How many of you prefer schematics to layout images?  I find half of the pictures posted here are just layouts.  I personally find layouts somewhat annoying because it's a pain to analyze the circuit and see how it works.  On the other hand, layouts are useful so you don't have to search for one or make one yourself.  But most of the time, I like to see the schematic and analyze it before I decide whether it's worth building or not.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, who is here to analyze circuits vs. who is here to build pedals?

[John Lyons]

Schematics!
Layouts are nice if you just want to build something but to under stand
what you are doing/what's going on, you need a schematic.

[caspercody]

Schematics to analyze. Everytime I find a project that only has a layout, I start by drawing it into a schematic.

[IvIark]

Schematics.  The problem with layouts, at least from my perspective, is that they don't reflect my own preferences.  I find a major goal for a lot of people is to make the layouts as compact as possible, but I'm not interested in stamp sized layouts and one of my pet hates is standing resistors / diodes etc.  So my aim is always to make it as compact as is required to fit in the size of box I want to put it in, and don't aim for anything smaller unless it really doesn't need the extra space when the components are laid out in the way I like.

I have lots of other peoples' layouts saved but I can't remember the last time I used one, I'd much prefer to do it again myself in the way I like it to be.

[petemoore]

  For the ones I want to modify, I build modifiable-perfboard style. Then I have boosters and fuzzes and distorters and octaves all pretty quick, no fuzz no PCB mess.
  For the ones that are big, PCB beat up my perf attempts, never again will I try to match a perfboard to say a phase 90, makes no sense, the PCB will get me [on average] 'there' much more effortlessly and with fewer intractable errors...yupp..tried the DYnacomp and a 90 on perf, got the 90 working finallyughh..
  The way I look at schematics has gotten to be quick read reveals lots of information, I tend to lend my focus to layouts in nanoseconds, way too much work to try to discuss without the related schematic.
 

[John Lyons]

Schematics.  The problem with layouts, at least from my perspective, is that they don't reflect my own preferences.  I find a major goal for a lot of people is to make the layouts as compact as possible, but I'm not interested in stamp sized layouts and one of my pet hates is standing resistors / diodes etc.  So my aim is always to make it as compact as is required to fit in the size of box I want to put it in, and don't aim for anything smaller unless it really doesn't need the extra space when the components are laid out in the way I like.

I have lots of other peoples' layouts saved but I can't remember the last time I used one, I'd much prefer to do it again myself in the way I like it to be.

+1
The only reason I save layouts is to redraw them or trace a schematic from them.

[stringsthings]

How many of you prefer schematics to layout images?  I find half of the pictures posted here are just layouts.  I personally find layouts somewhat annoying because it's a pain to analyze the circuit and see how it works.  On the other hand, layouts are useful so you don't have to search for one or make one yourself.  But most of the time, I like to see the schematic and analyze it before I decide whether it's worth building or not.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, who is here to analyze circuits vs. who is here to build pedals?

1) definitely schematics ....
2) both ! 

[slacker]

I prefer schematics, to be fair though most of the layouts posted here are for pedals where the schematic is already available, so it's not really an issue.

[earthtonesaudio]

Schematic one million times more than layout.

I look at a schematic and sometimes I can hear in my head what it sounds like.  I look at a layout and think "tetris."

[Hides-His-Eyes]

Obviously if someone's gone to the effort of REing something, their energy would be best put into making a schem- but layouts are seldom unwelcome.

[Ronsonic]

I prefer to receive directions in the form of "turn north on Avenue, then east on Boulevard" rather than "Turn left at the 7/11 and right at the strip mall with that nail parlor."

Schematics, every time. Well unless it's seriously complicated then block diagrams and schematics.

[Paul Marossy]

I like having both. But I'll take a schematic over a layout because a schematic makes things very plain to see.

[MikeH]

Schematics.  I like to make my own layouts, unless I'm feeling lazy or I'm in a hurry.

[burnt fingers]

I personally like schems. 

The layouts are always welcomed by the paint by numbers crowd who want to build something but don't have the experience with electronics.  I think layouts are valuable in that sense but I would hope that nobody would completely rely on layouts.

Scott

[Hides-His-Eyes]

I personally like schems. 

The layouts are always welcomed by the paint by numbers crowd who want to build something but don't have the experience with electronics.  I think layouts are valuable in that sense but I would hope that nobody would completely rely on layouts.

Scott

I can and will happily make my own layout if there isn't one; in fact, because I'm cheap I tend to breadboard things up, play with them for  a few days and then put all the parts away (3pdts and enclosures soon add up, more than I can afford), and when I'm doing that I have to make my own layout; but given the choice between trying to make my own, and using one that somebody else has confirmed, I'll take the confirmed one. Rectifying layout mistakes after you've soldered everything together is never easy, when it's possible at all.

[frequencycentral]

Schematics. But if you publish a new schematic without an accompanying verified layout (and voltages) you are dooming yourself to others' endless debugging questions. 

[CynicalMan]

Schematics.  I like to make my own layouts, unless I'm feeling lazy or I'm in a hurry.

Same here. Also, I hate tracing stuff.

[stringsthings]

Schematics. But if you publish a new schematic without an accompanying verified layout (and voltages) you are dooming yourself to others' endless debugging questions. 

[StephenGiles]

Schematics. But if you publish a new schematic without an accompanying verified layout (and voltages) you are dooming yourself to others' endless debugging questions. 

I can't think how all this layout nonsense started - there were none when I started, so I learned to build from the circuit to veroboard. Perhaps it's typical of the computer generation to require everything handed to them on a plate

[deadastronaut]

Schematics. But if you publish a new schematic without an accompanying verified layout (and voltages) you are dooming yourself to others' endless debugging questions. 

I can't think how all this layout nonsense started - there were none when I started, so I learned to build from the circuit to veroboard. Perhaps it's typical of the computer generation to require everything handed to them on a plate

where can i get a plate?..is there a schematic for one...or layout......lol...