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I'm thinking about making a DIY project (this one).

I'm a complete n00b, I just have some theoretical knowledge about electronics from some university courses, and I'd like to learn some more. I was thinking about avoiding to buy the kit PCB (which is double sided) and, since I have the schematics, trying to replicate it on a stripboard. Is this reasonable, and which workflow should I follow? Make a solderless breadboard prototype based on the PCB design and then a final model on the stripboard or redesigning the layout on a CAD software? I don't know if there is a best practice about this or if it's even possible.

Thank you.

InfiniteSnow
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    I would buy the PCB if it's your very first project, get used to soldering and troubleshooting etc. It's pretty complicated, laying this out on stripboard would be testing... :) – awjlogan Feb 26 '18 at 14:47
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    To get an idea of the complexity of the board, it might be a good idea to try and breadboard one of the components, for example the white noise generator which can be tested in isolation. – Makoto Feb 26 '18 at 15:00
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    but wow, for a first DIY project, you've set the bar quite high for yourself – Makoto Feb 26 '18 at 15:00
  • Lovely schematics. Are those PNPN transistors? :) – Lundin Feb 26 '18 at 15:15
  • @Lundin Which transistors? I see 2N3904 NPNs, a 2N3906 PNP, and some 2N5457 JFETs. Sorry if I'm being slow..! – awjlogan Feb 26 '18 at 15:18
  • @awjlogan I am a MSc in computer science engineering, I actually have some experience in prototyping simple circuits, and (theoretical) knowledge about transistors and opamps. I'm actually more interested in learning more about the design aspects with respect to the actual handcraft or the finished result. I may end up buying the PCB, but I'm sure that if I set the bar higher, I'm likely to at least learn something more than if I limit myself to solder things down and troubleshoot :) – InfiniteSnow Feb 26 '18 at 15:23
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    @awjlogan Just ranting over how the scematics draw the NPN upside down as well as mirrored 180 degrees. This is hard to follow and therefore not an ideal schematic for beginners to study. "I have seen worse" is no excuse. – Lundin Feb 26 '18 at 15:24
  • @Makoto yeah, that's for sure the first thing I'll try. The thing that scares me somehow are wiring the quad op-amps. – InfiniteSnow Feb 26 '18 at 15:24
  • @Lundin Haha, yeah, fair enough! – awjlogan Feb 26 '18 at 15:27
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    @InfiniteSnow Well, in that case, it might be better to actually design your own PCB using Eagle, KiCad (etc etc). Personally, projects that size on perf have never been fun, more frustrating, whereas designing a proper PCB can teach you lots. – awjlogan Feb 26 '18 at 15:29
  • Can you explain exactly what your goal is here? This isn't going to teach you how electronics is done in real life. – Jeanne Pindar Feb 26 '18 at 18:26
  • @awjlogan you have a point. I will try to do that and see what comes out of it along with making some experiments on breadboard. – InfiniteSnow Feb 27 '18 at 16:42
  • @JeannePindar Yes. I avoided detailing my personal case too much because SE rules are pretty strict about that. Basically, I have always been into electronic music and synthesizers. Now I came across the DIY modular synthesizer community, and since I know some electronics theory, I'd like to learn to make some modules. I thought about starting out replicating some simple, but not trivial designs, make some minor modifications like adding another oscillator, making some hardwired connections patchable, and so on. I'm not really sure of how much you learn from soldering stuff in place on a PCB – InfiniteSnow Feb 27 '18 at 16:54
  • @JeannePindar a friend of mine has built some guitar pedals from kits, but he admits he has no idea of what he's doing. He just solders things in place. I'm afraid that buying kits will end up in a lot of money spent and not really take me towards anything. I don't have a lot of room for experiments if I just buy a PCB designed by someone else, that's why I was thinking about stripboard. Then I have to think about the connections I make. – InfiniteSnow Feb 27 '18 at 17:01

2 Answers2

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If you want to use stripboard, there are CAD stripboard layout editors (e.g. VeeCAD - see Stripboard/veroboard/matrix board design software).

These editors allow you to arrange the circuit and plan links/breaks, then you print it on paper, stick the paper on the stripboard, do the soldering.

This is better than trying to optimize the layout by breadboarding since repeatedly moving components around will probably cause them damage (and is slower to do).

As an aside, if you would "like to learn some more" (electronics design), is doing a load of soldering really going to help?

Mr Central
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Every component has its own voltage level and as I see the circuit diagram has lot of components like op-amps, FETs etc. I would suggest doing it in software before going to breadboard as many components may burn out. MATLAB is a perfet software for checking out the graphs and u can also program it in Multisim where there are real time components with ic nos that will help you in making this kit a lot faster.

Ankit Mallick
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    Welcome to EE.SE Ankit. Unfortunately this isn't really an answer to the question: the circuit has been designed already, and the poster wants to know about the layout. – awjlogan Feb 26 '18 at 15:41