Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX
TXM-433 LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers
and thus will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with.
However for this application, I need a ground plane under the module,
and so am looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated
through holes and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I
would prefer plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

These will be simple boards, a TXM-433-LC, a couple of 555 timers and
some discrete components.

Any recommendations?

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Bare copperclad FR4 and solder.

John

I am trying to stay away from etching and "dead bug" style!

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

 

[DJ Delorie]

PCB fab isn't that expensive. Design the board you want (i.e. strip
size, position, etc) and have someone make it. You get a discount
with multiple boards, so you'll have some for future projects too.

 

[[email protected]]

I am trying to stay away from etching and "dead bug" style!

Farnell used to stock a proto-typing board from Vero with a "collander
ground plane" on one side. I did use it for prototyping high frequency
circuits and it worked pretty well. I was mostly using surface mount
components and I would cut up the copper rings (on the other side of
the board) around the holes for the DIP parts and use the residual
segments as solder pads for the SMD parts. Other people have also used
it

http://www.susato.demon.co.uk/PCRXcontrol.txt

 

[Andrew Holme]

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX TXM-433
LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers and thus
will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with. However for
this application, I need a ground plane under the module, and so am
looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated through holes
and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I would prefer
plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

These will be simple boards, a TXM-433-LC, a couple of 555 timers and some
discrete components.

Any recommendations?

This is how I do it:

http://www.holmea.demon.co.uk/Stab/IMG/Top.jpg
http://www.holmea.demon.co.uk/Stab/IMG/Bot.jpg


The layout is created on a PC, laser printed, taped to the board and
drilled. Top copper is then cleared from around the holes with a drill bit.

 

[Leon]

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX
TXM-433 LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers
and thus will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with.
However for this application, I need a ground plane under the module,
and so am looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated
through holes and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I
would prefer plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

These will be simple boards, a TXM-433-LC, a couple of 555 timers and
some discrete components.

Any recommendations?

I design and make my own PCB for that sort of thing, It only takes an
hour or so, much quicker than having to order something and wait a day
or so to get it.

Leon

 

[Arie]

"RFI-EMI-GUY" ...

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX TXM-433
LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers and thus
will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with. However for
this application, I need a ground plane under the module, and so am
looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated through holes
and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I would prefer
plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

These will be simple boards, a TXM-433-LC, a couple of 555 timers and some
discrete components.

Any recommendations?

There used to be a system with small selfadhesive PCB strips, glue on one
side, copper on the other. You stuck it wherever you liked it on the copper
side of a blank PCB. You cold cut the strips to length. It was often used by
radio amateurs, good enough for RF, more more stable than 'dead bug' or
spiderweb mounting. Can't find any link to it on the I-net.

I imagine you can make something like that yourself by cutting pieces of
vector board or single sided proto-PCB (possibly already with a So16 or DIL
pattern), and putting a selfadhesive layer (sold by 3M or so) on the back.
Or just glue them with superglue.

Arie de Muynck

 

[[email protected]]

PCB fab isn't that expensive. Design the board you want (i.e. strip
size, position, etc) and have someone make it. You get a discount
with multiple boards, so you'll have some for future projects too.

I think I just fainted.

 

[Baron]

Jim Thompson Inscribed thus:

Somewhere around here I have a drill bit that makes pads.

...Jim Thompson

Dou-nut drill !

 

[[email protected]]

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX
TXM-433 LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers
and thus will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with.
However for this application, I need a ground plane under the module,
and so am looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated
through holes and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I
would prefer plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

Maybe this will help?
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=V1056-ND
Then you can just use double sided board but you have to jumper each
connection.

 

[DJ Delorie]

for a little more. You can load up one board with several circuits,
some handy surfmount adapters, odds and ends, things that practically
pay for the board.

I wasn't even thinking of that. Design a plain vectorboard! Without
mask or silk (not needed with a vectorboard), even a single panel can
be as low as $21.

That assumes, of course, that you can't find what you're looking for
commercially, and you really need what you're paying for.

Me, I'd just pop some 5mil SS clad into the etch and tape it to some
plain unetched SS clad (copper side towards the 5mil) but then again
I'm set up for home fab.

But I suppose a small breakout board through batchpcb (or a larger
board through someone else) would be an inexpensive option too.

 

[[email protected]]

Why? PCBs are cheap these days. You can get 4-6 pieces of a 2-side,
plated-through board in a week or so for well under $100, or 4-layer
for a little more. You can load up one board with several circuits,
some handy surfmount adapters, odds and ends, things that practically
pay for the board. As DJ notes, you get several copies. If your time
is worth minumum wage, it's usually a good deal.

You can even include voltage regulators, pots, test points, all sorts
of stuff to make it easier to test the circuits:

ftp://66.117.156.8/Z250A.jpg

John

That's what I meant. This is usually when the brigade of DYI guys
comes charging out with "make your own!", as if space and time are
free to the person.
This time it's "Get them made"... Something I've been saying for
years. Why the sudden shift in attitude? I like it.

 

[legg]

I wasn't even thinking of that. Design a plain vectorboard! Without
mask or silk (not needed with a vectorboard), even a single panel can
be as low as $21.

[snip]

I've been thinking of making some smaller versions of...

http://analog-innovations.com/SED/BreadBoard.jpg

which I concocted in the mid '70's to breadboard chip designs with kit
parts.

(I still have the films ;-)

...Jim Thompson

How did the breadboards scale? Or was this just for conceptual ev?

My own films from that period look increasingly dicey - no doubt
thanks to my own hit and miss developing methods.

It isn't too hard knocking out fresh gerbers, especially for prototype
boards with no netlist; but I still tend to use simple counter-sinking
to disconnect through-hole leads from a bulk ground or power plane,
with at least one side carrying a useful foil pattern.

RL

 

[DJ Delorie]

This time it's "Get them made"... Something I've been saying for
years. Why the sudden shift in attitude? I like it.

Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I *like* making my own
boards. I've got a lab set up with everything ready to go, to reduce
the overhead of making one board. I don't make *all* my boards, but
being able to make a 2" square board and have it the same day sure is
handy.

But if time is more valuable than money, having a vectorboard (or a
prototype) made, especially if you need plated vias, is surely
economical. Assuming you can wait 1-4 weeks for it to arrive, or can
afford faster service.

 

[DJ Delorie]

How about this one, copperclad and x-acto knives pushed to the limits
of sanity:

I left sanity a while ago:

http://www.delorie.com/pcb/smd-challenge/insanity_II.jpg

(5/5 rules for three CSP packages, home-made)

Haven't tried populating it yet though. It's next on the list.

 

[Arie]

I believe you're referring to the Wainwright Instruments "MiniMount"
product line (sold as "Solder-Mount" in the U.S.).

According to one report I've read, this product was discontinued in
2006.

Thanks Dave, that's what I meant.
See this http://www.lpkfusa.com/articles/prototyping/edn_2_96.pdf reference,
bottom of page 3.

There is also a "Manhattan style" DIY version here
http://www.k7qo.net/manart.pdf, using superglue to put small self-punched
PCB discs into place. Looks very neat.

Arie de Muynck

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

If you really want to do fairly simple RF-type stuff quick, start with
a piece of copperclad and glue these down. Foam mounting tape works
well:

http://www.beldynsys.com/kits.htm

and wire things up. Kapton tape is great for miscellaneous insulation.

Here's the start of a little test circuit:

ftp://66.117.156.8/NE3509M04.JPG

You can do stuff up to a GHz or so this way.


John

That looks promising!

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

If you really want to do fairly simple RF-type stuff quick, start with
a piece of copperclad and glue these down. Foam mounting tape works
well:

http://www.beldynsys.com/kits.htm

and wire things up. Kapton tape is great for miscellaneous insulation.

Here's the start of a little test circuit:

ftp://66.117.156.8/NE3509M04.JPG

You can do stuff up to a GHz or so this way.


John

That looks promising!

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Thanks Dave, that's what I meant.
See this http://www.lpkfusa.com/articles/prototyping/edn_2_96.pdf reference,
bottom of page 3.

There is also a "Manhattan style" DIY version here
http://www.k7qo.net/manart.pdf, using superglue to put small self-punched
PCB discs into place. Looks very neat.

Arie de Muynck

Good articles. Thanks!

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

 

[LVMarc]

Recommendation for RF Prototype "Vector Board" with groundplane needed

I am looking to prototype a couple of small boards containing LINX
TXM-433 LC and LR transmitter modules. These have pads on 0.1" centers
and thus will match the Vector board strips that I am familiar with.
However for this application, I need a ground plane under the module,
and so am looking for a "vector" board with strips, but without plated
through holes and ideally a solid ground plane on the reverse side. I
would prefer plated traces and fiberglass insulation.

These will be simple boards, a TXM-433-LC, a couple of 555 timers and
some discrete components.

Any recommendations?

You lay this artwork out and get PCBs in the mail, you get a few copies
for srew ups or replicas, depends o the results I do tis stuff all
the time

Marc