Making PC Boards

[Palmer]

I'm looking at either finding or making some small PC boards. They need to
be about a 1/2 inch square. I'm wanting to mount an LED on each board but
I'll need to connect 4 LED boards in series but each board will be connected
to the next with insulated wires. I could either have a board with 4 holes
right down the middle but then I would have a long length of wire for the
negative side of the source. I was thinking of having a board with four hole
on the upper half and two on the bottom half. The bottom two holes would
just be a place for the negative wire coming in and one going out to the
next board. The two center holes on the top half would be for the LED wires
and the outer holes on either side would be for the positive coming in and
one going out to the next board.
So would it be easier to make a board as such or find something to work? I'm
new at this so I'm looking for help and direction. The only thing is that
the side the LED is mounted on to remain smooth so that means all the wires
and LED legs to be soldered on the back side.
Thanks for your comments and help.
Palmer

 

[John Popelish]

Palmer wrote:

I'm looking at either finding or making some small PC boards. They need to
be about a 1/2 inch square. I'm wanting to mount an LED on each board but
I'll need to connect 4 LED boards in series but each board will be connected
to the next with insulated wires. I could either have a board with 4 holes
right down the middle but then I would have a long length of wire for the
negative side of the source. I was thinking of having a board with four hole
on the upper half and two on the bottom half. The bottom two holes would
just be a place for the negative wire coming in and one going out to the
next board. The two center holes on the top half would be for the LED wires
and the outer holes on either side would be for the positive coming in and
one going out to the next board.
So would it be easier to make a board as such or find something to work? I'm
new at this so I'm looking for help and direction. The only thing is that
the side the LED is mounted on to remain smooth so that means all the wires
and LED legs to be soldered on the back side.
Thanks for your comments and help.
Palmer

Radio Shack sells small pieces of (paper impregnated with phenolic)
prototype board with holes on a tenth inch grid, and a pad around each
hole (single sided, not plated through). These are easy to score with
a file and break into small rectangular pieces along lines of holes.
You will have to use fine wire to connect pads together, if you need
this. They also have several versions with rows of holes connected
together. You can use an Exacto knife or moto-tool burr to cut breaks
in the lines.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-158
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-147
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-149
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-150
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-168

--
John Popelish

 

[Bob Masta]

On Mon, 27 Dec 2004 02:28:20 GMT, "Palmer"
<palmerhudson@earthlink.net> wrote:

I'm looking at either finding or making some small PC boards. They need to
be about a 1/2 inch square. I'm wanting to mount an LED on each board but
I'll need to connect 4 LED boards in series but each board will be connected
to the next with insulated wires. I could either have a board with 4 holes
right down the middle but then I would have a long length of wire for the
negative side of the source. I was thinking of having a board with four hole
on the upper half and two on the bottom half. The bottom two holes would
just be a place for the negative wire coming in and one going out to the
next board. The two center holes on the top half would be for the LED wires
and the outer holes on either side would be for the positive coming in and
one going out to the next board.
So would it be easier to make a board as such or find something to work? I'm
new at this so I'm looking for help and direction. The only thing is that
the side the LED is mounted on to remain smooth so that means all the wires
and LED legs to be soldered on the back side.
Thanks for your comments and help.
Palmer

For circuits this small and simple, John's suggestion
is probably the way to go. But if you want to make real
etched circuits for this, I have detailed instructions and
tips for how to do it using a Sharpie marker, a Dremel
tool, and ferric chloride etchant. See:
www.daqarta.com/lptxh.htm

Hope this helps!



Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com