Perfboard and stripboard

Build instructions

For this board you choose the parts yourself.

Assembly

1. Mill the board: isolate the copper first, then drill, and finally mill out the holes and the outline. The order is shown in the Milling panel.
2. Cut through the holding tabs, deburr the edges and rub the copper bright with a scouring pad. After that, do not touch the copper side with your fingers.
3. Use a magnifier and a continuity tester to look for leftover copper between neighbouring traces; cut any bridges with a craft knife.
4. Plan the circuit on paper on a 2.54 mm grid first. On stripboard the strips run horizontally; place parts across the strips where possible.
5. Break the strips where the circuit requires it: turn a 3 mm drill by hand in the hole or cut a gap with a craft knife.
6. Insert parts from the side without copper and solder them to the strips or pads; make connections over several pads with wire or solder bridges.

Test and power up

1. Use the continuity tester to check that neighbouring strips and separated spots are not connected.
2. Finally protect the copper side against oxidation with solder lacquer or plastic spray.