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07.00 - Introduction

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Overview

Breadboards are great for quickly mocking up a circuit to see if your design works. Moving jumper wires around is relatively simple and through hole components can mostly be used as is on a breadboard. Unfortunately the connections on a breadboard are not the most secure. Sometimes an intermittent loose connection can drive you crazy during testing. Breadboards are not suited for anything beyond a temporary experiment. Eventually a more permanent solution is needed. In between breadboards and custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) are perfboards. These boards have solder pads that accept through hole components. Solder traces and insulated wire can be used to make connections. Once everything is soldered a perfboard can make a relatively durable and compact one off circuit for a project.

Learning Objectives

  • transfer circuit layout from breadboard to perfboard
  • design practical layout for perfboard circuit
  • solder connections on perfboard
  • consider positioning of perfboard in final project

Key Terms

  • perfboard
  • stripboard
  • screw terminal
  • on board connector
  • solder pad
  • solder trace
  • through hole component
  • printed circuit board (PCB)