Circuit making for the beginner

Tangent has some tutorial videos here you might find useful.

When you say "Making PCBs", I think of this and this.

There are some more example here.
 

 

don't think that PCB are necessary for building simple circuits - look for the prototyping techniques real engineers use

 

Gilmore's headphone amp projects on Headwize are all built on prototyping boards

 

 perfboard, clearance hole gnd plane perfboard

 

Jim Williams, Linear Technology demo circuits for 100 MHz parts were "dead bug" style on unetched solid PCB

 

only when you need to use fine pitch surface mount parts do PCB become really necessary - even then proto "surf board", SIP adapters can be used with many audio op amps

 

 

homebrew PCB leaves you with chemical disposal issues and gives substandard result - you can buy professionally fabbed PCB in small lots, they even supply free layout sw

 

 

 

PCBs aren't necessary. For some real fun, pick up Morgan Jones' "Building Valve Amplifiers" and learn how to do point-to-point layout with terminal strips and points.

It's not that difficult. More labor than stuffing a PCB, but gives you a lot of flexibility in components used and lets you get creative with casing. You'll be able to get old cases for a little money and repurpose them into something wonderful.

 

Nothing 'substandard' about these, jcx, and I get to use the software I like, and then there's the personal satisfaction of having made them with my own hands. I've built 'dead bug' style RF circuits up into the UHF (that's not really my callsign), but I like to fab my own PCBs. They're more uniform item-to-item. I get them the same day. I expect to etch solder stencils so I can reflow these in my toaster oven.

 

 

 

For anybody who's wondering, it's a prototype for a TPA6120 headphone amplifier with PGA2320 volume control. There will be 6 x protected CR123A lithium batteries charged under the constant current/constant voltage regime giving a mains/fully charged supply voltage of +/- 12.6V. The board is designed for AC coupling using PPS caps, or DC coupling with an OPA2277 DC servo. Mains power will be supplied via 2 x DC wallwarts. Headphone protection in the event of power supply or battery failure is included (the unit will not switch on unless there is power on both rails). Power-on muting is automatic with the PGA2320. Gain will be from -85 to 40dB depending on exact build details, both channels adjustable, the front centre push button selecting left, right or both channels. The PIC 16F690 only wakes to permit volume to be adjusted. 

 

Just to show you what can be done, Parall3l. Don't be put off. I think surface mount is preferable, you can buy a resistor/capacitor selection kit off ebay for a few dollars, you end up with less holes to drill. Learn to deal with it now, it's the future. Vias are the main problem if you go for doublesided, and most all leaded components must have their tracks approach on the solder side, but you learn to deal with these issues. I'm still looking for a satisfactory way of doing thru-plated holes, but I think it'll have to wait until I build a CNC mill to drill the holes.

 

A cmoy is not a bad place to start.

 

w

Edited by wakibaki - 9/28/11 at 6:24pm

@ wakibaki

 

That's great workmanship on the board.

Would you mind adding your technique here?

I want to be sure complete newbies are aware of options - many seem to think electronics can't be done at all without PCB

 

this thread just got bumped over at diyAudio http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/everything-else/171407-post-pictures-your-vero-board-designs-here.html#post2264282

 

 

not everyone wants to become a PCB fab hobbyist - it isn't necessary, puts extra steps, failure modes in the way of playing with circuits - many projects here can still be done with through hole parts

 

success with CNC milled PCB requires a rather large investment - more typical low cost homebrew tech is toner transfer etching which has many problems

 

 

Edited by jcx - 9/29/11 at 10:17am