1st time try @ Breadboarding

[J.D.]

    This is my 1st breadboard attempt ever and it sounds pretty good to me. I used a TL071 for the IC, works fine and I really feel like I learned a little bit about
how this stuff is done (probably just enough to be completely wrong at most of it).
    I would like to try to commit this to a PCB and box it up(maybe use the diode compression project instead of an IC). I just attempted my 1st PCB layout using the DIY Layout Creator but I'm not at all confident it's right. I'm sure I wasted some board space but that's about all I'm sure of.
    What's the easiest way to do a layout---starting with the ground trace and working in or in this case starting with the IC and working out? Or is it better to start with the power section? I don't have a clue. Maybe all these question belong in a different thread but this is the beginners section so I thought I would try here.

[J.D.]

 Had trouble inserting image

[gaussmarkov]

hi J.D.,  welcome to the forum!

there are probably as many ways to approach this as there are people.  so take my suggestions as just a few among lots of other good ones.  perhaps others will chime in with their favourites.

to start, i like to spread out the parts more or less like the schematic.  i think i picked this up from aron's beginner project.

then i concentrate on putting in the traces for the signal path first.  i don't worry much about ground or power supply stuff until after the signal path is done.  try rotating the IC around to see what works best.  i also pay attention to pots at this stage, because i want the layout to fit where the pots are going to go, usually along the top edge.

then i keep start the +9V and the GND traces side-by-side at the bottom.  i run the ground trace more or less all the way around the outside and the +9v inside of that.  in this circuit, VA takes the place of +9V.   i treat the virtual ground (VB in this case) traces like the +9V traces.  if i seem to need jumpers, then i would restrict them to these three (GND, VA, VB) because they are supposed to be relatively "quiet" traces---their voltage is approximately fixed.

you could also try looking at what others have done after you have wrestled with the problem a little.  i have a layout for this circuit here.  tonepad.com has a layout.  i'm pretty sure that generalguitargadgets.com does.  i'll bet markm's gallery has a layout because he laid out almost everything before he retired from stompbox circuits.

hope this helps, paul

[gaussmarkov]

ah, we are piling up posts on top of each other.

it looks like you have already made great progress!

[J.D.]

 Hey Paul, thanks for the advice. I checked out all 3 of the layouts you mentioned and I'm not surprised they all look much cleaner and less cluttered than mine.
 I'm going to study em and clean mine up a little. Maybe try to incorporate that diode compression into it. Just wanted to learn how to do it because I figure it will help me more than just taking a PCB off the net and soldering components wherever it say to solder components.
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Smiley

[gaussmarkov]

Hey Paul, thanks for the advice. I checked out all 3 of the layouts you mentioned and I'm not surprised they all look much cleaner and less cluttered than mine.
 I'm going to study em and clean mine up a little. Maybe try to incorporate that diode compression into it. Just wanted to learn how to do it because I figure it will help me more than just taking a PCB off the net and soldering components wherever it say to solder components.

Smiley

i think you are right.  i certainly learn much more that way.

i hope you didn't get the impression that i was suggesting those other layouts as substitutes for yours.  i hope you do your layouts first before you make comparisons.  and that you will stick with your own.   there's a lot of satisfaction (and learning) in rolling your own.   

[J.D.]

i hope you didn't get the impression that i was suggesting those other layouts as substitutes for yours.

   Not at all,always preferred rolling my own" back in the day".
   Now to learn how to post a smiley face.