Perfboard vs stripboard. What is your preference and why?

[aefpv]

I have done several kits and a couple of perfboard circuits. I am getting the itch for another project and considering an attempt at stripboard. I have been less interested in etching a PCB, but maybe I should be more open minded. I am curious to know what method do most people  prefer. Stripboard or perfboard?

Thanks.

[EBK]

Stripboard, personally.  I like knowing that there are no wires on the back of my boards, which I feel makes the build cleaner.  I also enjoy the puzzle of creating new stripboard layouts.  And, if you hate puzzles, perfboard lets you avoid them, I suppose.

[iainpunk]

good question
i prefer perf over strip, it has a few advantages:

1- you aren't confined to lines, you can go in every direction
2a- the lines of strip make it that people design signal flow paths that go criss cross over the board, because you can make odd long connections.
2b- easier to debugg, you can generally follow the signal flow of a pad-per-hole easily, since you can lay it out sort of like a schematic drawing
3- strip-board has parallel conductors with isolation in between (copper track and air/pcb in between) this is also how capacitors work! strip-boards have lots of parasitic capacitance, which might cause all kinds of trouble.
4- easier to design layouts on because you keep components that are connected close together, in contrast to strip, where you can plop the components all over the board, confusing yourself AND you are tied to the stripes, making the puzzle harder.
5- bad breaks in strips are a common culprit when it comes to debugging, and its kind of hard to find, if you aren't too experienced
6- less likely to f#ck up, 9/10 debugging threads that feature either type of board are vero/strip-boards, perfboard is way less common when it comes to debugging, although its just slightly less popular in use.

the downsides are:
1- there are less layouts freely available on the web
2- vero/strip is slightly easier to solder, don't need to bridge pads.

Eric, jumpers can be avoided on perfboard just as easily as vero, its just a matter of design tactic/skill, i refuse to use jumpers on my perfboards, and they are generally on the component side, its quite messy indeed when there are wires on the solder side.

cheers, Iain

[garcho]

there are more choices out now than perf or strip/vero, like these:



They're by some company called Electrocookie, there are others that make the same thing. I really like them because they actually have a copper eyelet for each hole, not just drilled F4. They're laid out exactly like a breadboard, with rows of 5 pin buses and power rails on the sides. They're very convenient for one offs.


There are other non-breadboard designs too, like these:




Those are by Busboard Prototype Systems, pretty khaki name but they make great products.

The copper on the boards made by the cheapest brands won't take much heat before peeling away from the board.

[BJM]

Hi,

I'm building a pedal now with doube sided perf board. Not neccesarily to solder part on both sides, although it's handy sometimes, but because I found a shop in NL that sells them cheap and in different sizes 

[iainpunk]

Hi,

I'm building a pedal now with doube sided perf board. Not neccesarily to solder part on both sides, although it's handy sometimes, but because I found a shop in NL that sells them cheap and in different sizes 

in Nederland?
which one, i want to get some supply's anyways, might as well get some extra perf board

cheers, Iain

[GibsonGM]

+1 for perf. I REALLY need to start etching boards - I never have.  No excuse...I work way harder than I should because of it! 

[Big Monk]

+1 for perf. I REALLY need to start etching boards - I never have.  No excuse...I work way harder than I should because of it! 

Given the cost of having PCBs manufactured these days, I can't fathom why anyone would want to etch their own boards.

[davent]

+1 for perf. I REALLY need to start etching boards - I never have.  No excuse...I work way harder than I should because of it! 

Given the cost of having PCBs manufactured these days, I can't fathom why anyone would want to etch their own boards.

Because it's fun and no constraints on how i do things, now minimums, no particular required software, use whatever best serves my needs. No waiting for manufacture and delivery, i can print the photoresist and etch a board in a half hour.

Designing pcb's and etching my own designs is one of the parts of the process i enjoy most, that and enclosures.

If i need a quick little one-off-board i'll use stripboard, easy to use, perf board laying in the wire, multiple connections on a single node and if you want to, need to change a single component, can be a major hassle. I use to use perfboard for small things but after i tried the stripboard stopped with the perf.
dave

[BJM]

in Nederland?
which one, i want to get some supply's anyways, might as well get some extra perf board

cheers, Iain

Hi Iain,

vanallesenmeer.nl. Not specialized like Musikding or Banzai (although they do sell some Hammond enclosures and footswitches too ), but they have a lot and ship small parts by "brievenbus post". Beats ordering resistors and capacitors from Germany.......

Rgds,

Bert

[anotherjim]

I prefer perfboard with single copper pads, although I don't bother with the fancier double-sided thru-plated types. Never seen the need as it'll only make reworking harder -  need to suck the solder out. It is easy to lift pads off but that isn't a real problem - you can still make it work.
On the subject of rework, I have to learn to resist the temptation to bend components wires out to form tracks. It makes for quick work to do that until you need to excavate it out to make a change.

[duck_arse]

I used to use veroboard, but always hated them. the long strips suck the heat from the iron as you try to solder a joint, and I always ended up with gallons of solder in every joint, pilled miles high. and those bloody track cuts. and the fly-wires all over, 'cause resistors are always bent 5 holes [well, in theory].

but then I tried pad per hole, plated thru perf boards, and have never looked back. the plated thru tends to wick the solder, the plating makes it take quicker, so you need only tiny amount of solder, in and out [well, in theory]. mind - I lace my boards with copper strands instead of bent component leads, and do H O U R S of layout diagramings before starting to solder ......

also - pick a pre-sized board size, and fit your circuit to it. a challenge for the puzzlers. and - I can do whatever I like with it, stack it three high for cordwood, etc. the perfboards, that is.

[BJM]

also - pick a pre-sized board size, and fit your circuit to it. a challenge for the puzzlers. and - I can do whatever I like with it, stack it three high for cordwood, etc. the perfboards, that is.

If you really want to puzzle..... use double sided board with amp style jacks (the ones that dont stick out of the enclosure) on the bottom and rest on top 

[amptramp]

A big +1 for the prototyping boards that garcho mentioned.  All my stuff is done on that.  There are versions that have card edge connectors and dedicated I/O pads as well.

There is another type of board I have not seen in a while: X-Y board.  This is a vero board with strips at right angles on opposite sides.  I have seen people use it.  They then turn into the type of people who would take a rifle to the top of a bell tower and start picking people off, one by one.  I have seen people do complicated layouts with no jumpers, but take away their firearms when they get finished because this kind of layout turns you crazy.

[noisette]

Self etching is easy to do, but drilling all that holes, with a complicated circuit maybe 100+, is what really gives me grey hairs.

I prefer single pad vero because you can cram more stuff on it than stripboard, but you have to totally plan everything because debugging is a nightmare.
Stripboard is good for building little improvised layouts.
In my small world at least.

[aefpv]

Thanks to everyone to replied. These are some great suggestions and products that I have not seen. Time to get building!

[CodeMonk]

+1 for perf. I REALLY need to start etching boards - I never have.  No excuse...I work way harder than I should because of it! 

Given the cost of having PCBs manufactured these days, I can't fathom why anyone would want to etch their own boards.

I find designing PCBs to be somewhat therapeutic.
Also, its nice to know that if you want to have boards made, you can use the same layout and know that it will work because you already built the prototype.
You want to wait  weeks to find out you did something stupid, like missed a trace?

Self etching is easy to do, but drilling all that holes, with a complicated circuit maybe 100+, is what really gives me grey hairs.

I prefer single pad vero because you can cram more stuff on it than stripboard, but you have to totally plan everything because debugging is a nightmare.
Stripboard is good for building little improvised layouts.
In my small world at least.

I like designing. Kind of therapeutic.
Etching is easy.
The drilling part can be a HUGE PITA.
Especially if it has a parts count like a Big Muff.

[garcho]

I got a dremel "drill press", it made drilling the holes in etched boards a breeze, it was almost fun. I say it in pass tense because I think I'm all done with etching.

[deadastronaut]

i just made a vero board project, havent done one for years...

now i know why i hated it in the first place....annoying stuff.

never tried pad per hole perf....maybe one day..


ive made my own boards in the past which is great, but like others have said the drilling and the nasty fr4 dust

is a real turn off...

as for getting pcbs made, yes yes yes....i can wait a few weeks, no rush . 

[davent]

After having a nerve severed during brain surgery and then another surgery for nerve re-assignment lost up close depth of field vision because the right eye vision's obstructed, couldn't see when the drill bit and pcb were even close so came up with this and drillng's a breeze.

A Dremel and drill stand, a regular drill press for it's press table, USB endoscope, lap top and some free software, had to buy the endoscope.

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=105520.msg950670#msg950670



Old phtotobucket account pictures i can still see fine...

dave