how to go from (eagle) schematic to vero / perf board prototype?

[erikb1971]

HI all

I think the title says it all. I have a schematic in eagle, how to make it into a perf / vero board prototype? Is there software that can import the eagle schematic or an eagle export? Or is it old fashion handwork which requires knowledge, in that case, I am in newb trouble!

Thank you!

Erik

[lopsided]

yeah, I am afraid making a layout is a good old handwork.
There's a good software here http://code.google.com/p/diy-layout-creator/ but it will not atomatically convert form schematic to layout
also check http://www.geofex.com/effxfaq/diypcb.htm
most of all: do a good search on the forum and google, there's a good chance somebody already did the layout

[lopsided]

forgott to mention:
I personally like to sit woth a squared paper over the schematic and take the time to figure it out

[petemoore]

  I found it educational to draw schematics and layouts by hand, mistakes on paper are easier to correct or recreate [on new sheet] than a circuitboard error-rework.
  Runoff Groove has a perfboard template images from which can be printed perfboard grids on paper, the experiences of schematic draw are more 'linear' [ie leftish to right-ish], perfboard layouts that need to be tightly packed tend to be convoluted, crossed wires that don't connect.
 If your printer doesn't work, tape paper to the perfboard and rub lead across the holes to create a pad image on paper, another way might be to use water soluble food coloring and spray bottle the to mark paper using the perfboard as a stencil.
 Having finished and failed at some super-compact perfbuilds and larger circuits that need to be on a small board, alternatives to perfboard are recommendable. Having completed and failed and phasers on perfboard, the repeating stages 10k's required intense concentration and great confusion toward the middle of the board, the Dyna compressor threw me for a large perfboard fail.
 For smallish sized circuits in a medium sized box, perf has proven quick, reliable and easy.
 

[defaced]

If you're mindful of the part footprint and grid spacing (0.1") you can make a vero/perf layout in Eagle.  It won't look like either vero of perf , in fact it will look like a PCB (unless you use one of the obscure layers to make the vero/perf tracks/pads), but the spacing will be correct for vero/perf.  The trouble will be finding suitable footprints.  This is something I have wanted to do, but never sat down and made a vero/perf suitable library. 

[EATyourGuitar]

its good to take the parts your using and test fit them in the perf just to see the hole spacing. write that down and do your perf layout with the correct pad spacing. resistors are always 4 holes. DIP8 IC's are always 4x4. radial caps are usually 2 3 or 4 holes. you can use clever placing of resistors perpendicular to the other bottom side traces to eliminate the use of jumpers on most circuits. I really hate jumpers on perf. I would rather have dead space and a bigger board than more solder work. here is an example of a small tight layout.


and here is a completed wizard fountain, its a DIP6 socket for the two transistors


I am switching to vero. I hate perf. especially not having copper pads. when you have three things to solder, you loose the connection on the first two when you add the third.

[erikb1971]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments. I was afraid it would boil down to old fashioned handwork and knowledge.
By looking at your answers though, I see should have been a bit clearer.
Iam building a 19" dual mono / stereo multiband distortion. The signal is split in 3 frequency bands. each frequency band is processed with it's own distortion unit based on guitar stompboxes. The low freq band is processed by a rocktron austin gold clone. The mid frequency band is processed by a modded austin gold clone (more distortion and different frequency range for the "pre- bass"). The high frequency band will be processed by a harmonic sweetener. (the whole actual picture is a bit more complicated but for now this should do). Eventually I would like to make a pcb for the austin gold that can accommodate both the normal austin gold and the modded version. I would like to test the schematic and the different versions of the austin gold first with a perfboard. After that I will have the pcb's made. So iam not looking for definitive versions in perboard or make permanent pcb's myself...

[EATyourGuitar]

in that case, just make them nice and big with lots of space between components. as big as it needs to be anyway. vero or copper pad perf is way easier to work with than perf without copper.