🚀 go-pugleaf

kurdzo@gdc.com (Jim Kurdzo) writes:

>John Paul Morrison (jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca) wrote:
>> 
>> Does anyone want to share their tips on prototyping analog circuits?
>> Specifically: sensitive, high gain circuits; RF circuits etc.
>> 
>> These kind of circuits work well with PC boards with ground planes,
>> but are there any simple, easy to make changes, techniques for this?
>> Are there any pre-made boards with a ground plane, and holes with solder
>> contacts on them?
>> 

>I always use the pre-punched vector board with copper clad on one side.
>Vector p/n  169P84WEC1 is  8.5" x 17" and available from Digi-Key for around
>$20.  Just cut it up into smaller pieces with tin snips.  Wherever you
>DON'T want a ground connection, ream out the ground plane with a 1/4" drill
>bit.

I have come across this stuff, but with clearance round the holes on the 
ground-plane side so you don't have to remove copper from individual holes.
Unfortunately I have no idea where to get it, since the few bits I have were
salvaged from a skip and have no markings. It is excellent for building
one-off audio circuits.

For high RF (eg 100MHz and up) a good method is to use single-sided board,
copper side up, as a ground plane, and stick components to it with 
cyano-acrylate glue. Connections are then made in mid-air, using their own
stiffness as the only support. This works *really well* despite sounding
ludicrous, but is only suitable for developmental work.

Christopher Hicks

--
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 Christopher Hicks    |    If it doesn't fit...
 cmh@uk.ac.cam.eng    |                        ...you need a bigger hammer.
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