Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!psivax!torkil
From: torkil@psivax.UUCP (Torkil Hammer)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Homemade Printed Circuit Boards
Keywords: veroboard
Message-ID: <2371@psivax.UUCP>
Date: 16 Nov 88 19:09:17 GMT
References: <2101@lll-lcc.llnl.gov> <1481@kodak.UUCP>
Reply-To: torkil@psivax.UUCP (Torkil Hammer)
Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
Lines: 37
Distribution:

#Will somebody out there offer some sage advice about making
#one-sies printed circuit boards??  I've tried some *REALLY*
#strange ways to do this, but none of them worked out very
#well.

I have used a product called Veroboard for prototypes and one-of-a-kind
production projects.  Veroboard looks like perfboard but has copper
strips glued on the back side.  A nifty hand tool cuts the strips.
Since all strips are 'horizontal' you must make vertical jumpers
(e.g. made from cut resistor wires) on the front side, together
with components.  The resulting design is very pretty and can be made
very compact and well organized into functional blocks.
Some side advantages are that stray capacitance is low and every point
is readily accessible for oscilloscope probes.

The whole process of prototyping can be done with low tech tools
(hand tools and soldering iron) and requires no training, so even a
research scientist is able to do it :-)..

Veroboard comes in 2 qualities, a standard made from what we called
'pertinax' [a plastic reinforced fiber] and a deluxe made from
fiberglass.  The deluxe cost 2~3 times the standard but is worth it
for prototyping.  It is also better in the high frequency end.

There are other brand names than Veroboard, but at that time (1978)
they were clearly inferior.  You get what you pay for, and the
most of the difference was that the strips came unglued on cheaper
boards after just a few changes.

All this was done in Denmark.  I have not seen this kind of product
in USA.  I really miss it.  Any leads are appreciated.

torkil

;-----------------------------------------------------------------------
; Opinions expressed herein are void where prohibited by law.
;-----------------------------------------------------------------------