TUTORIAL What's the Deal With Stripboard/Veroboard?

BuddytheReow

Breadboard Baker
A few people have asked me about stripboard so I thought I'd do a simple writeup. Turned out a lot longer to make it "simple", but I covered the bases here.

What is Stripboard?

Stripboard is simply a different type of prototyping platform. If soldering is your main vice, this is the way to go and is considered to be a more permanent way to keep a circuit instead of breadboarding. I say more permanent because you can always desolder and save your components if you really want for a different build. This is what stripboard looks like and there are different size boards available. This is just the back side.
s-l300.jpg

You can see there are multiple rows here. These are simply just individual strips of copper with holes spaced evenly throughout. These strips are separated by a small track in between them.

This is the front side of the board. I just grabbed something from my stash to show you guys what it looks like. It has obviously been cut at the top, but this piece is perfectly useable for a new project. The top of the board does not conduct current in any way. This is the side your components go in.
1643720683359.png

If this is Stripboard, then what's Veroboard?
Like Styrofoam, Veroboard was the original branded name. Stripboard and Veroboard are the same thing.

In my google searches I see 'Prototyping Board'. What's that?

Be careful here when shopping. There are other types of boards out there with different layouts of copper strips other than the single rows. Some boards don't have any copper strips, just a little bit of copper around the holes. This is perfboard territory and can be a separate writeup if needed. This is not what you want if you're just curious about stripboard.

When you are shopping for stripboard make sure you can see the underside of the board in the pictures to make sure you are getting stripboard and not perf or something else with a wacky layout. You want the long tracks. This is what I use and get it from Tayda. These are really cheap (in a good way) ($1.29) and I've had no problems with them.

Stripboard vs a PCB

Stripboard has it's advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
-It's cheap. I can get a large board from Tayda for $1.29. One board can be used for multiple projects and really depends on the size of the layouts needed.
-You can build multiple projects from a single, large board. If you really wanted to you make one project per board. Runoffgroove site does that a lot and there's nothing wrong with that.
-This is not a reflection on PedalPCB in any way, but there are more stripboard layouts online than there are PCBs here on this site. I guess PedalPCB has some catchup work to do.
-Because it's cheap, if you're really not happy with the circuit or the circuit doesn't work as laid out you can desolder everything and throw away the board.
-Like breadboarding, there are multiple ways to make a circuit. You will find multiple layouts for the same circuit in your google searches. This is also a disadvantage and I'll explain below.
-IMO this is easier to solder components than on a PCB. You don't have to hold the iron to the board as long (just a second or two).
-It's true DIY. You are building the board from scratch. It's a great feeling knowing you built something all on your own!

Disadvantages:
-The main disadvantage, IMO, is the offboard wiring. It looks a mess depending on how many knobs you have and the way the layout is designed.
-Trying to design a circuit on stripboard can be quite confusing. The layouts do not flow like a schematic (read left to right normally) and it's a different way of thinking like breadboarding. Tagboard has a good write up how to do it. You will definitely need to know how to read a schematic. http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/09/vero-layout-guide.html
-Like schematics found on the web, they may be incorrect in terms of component values or the circuit just won't work as laid out. To counter this, when I'm looking for a new circuit to build I always try to see if others have built it. The main sites I get them from usually have a tag as 'Verified". If you really want to be adventurous you can try an unverified one and see if it works.
-Troubleshooting can be a real pain the ass for these since they don't flow the same way as a schematic. If the usual suspects don't appear (bad components or solderinng) it will be a pain trying to probe the circuit

OK. I want to build a circuit. Where can I find them?

There are many resources out there, but these are the main ones that I stick to. These are tried, true, and honest sites, but there are others out there. Between these 2 sites there are over 1,000 layouts that work and are supposedly verified from someone. I would also read the comments for these layouts to see what worked and didn't work for others whether they chose to experiment or not.


What's the process to build one?

The soldering part is a no-brainer, but I'll try to keep this as concise as possible. First you'll need to find a layout. I chose this one since it's pretty simple and sums up the main process and most of the quirks with stripboard.


1643721092683.png

Let's look at the right side first. Stripboard layouts are usually done this way with the strips going horizontally. "10 x 8" simply means there are 10 holes across and 8 strips down. This board has 1 link and 2 cuts, meaning that 2 of the strips are jumpered together and is shown exactly where with that black line. You can use hookup wire, ends of resistor leads, or anything else that conducts. I've noticed that if the spacing is 7 or more rows apart I need to use hookup wire since the leads don't get that long. It's really personal preference.

"Cuts" simply mean you are severing the conductivity of that strip at that specific point. Keep in mind this is viewed from the top of the board and not the bottom. What I do, and this is my personal preference, is take a sharpie and mark the holes on the top side. I flip the board over on top of a white piece of paper and I can see where I made my marks. I then take a drill bit that's just wider that the strip and twirl it with my fingers to remove the copper.

Cutting the board to size

If YouTube is your resource here's a good tutorial. I'll also mention it here.

This layout is 10 x 8. You will need to cut the board on the 11th hole and 9th row in the middle of the holes. To cut the board, simply take a straight edge and score it along the middle of the holes. I use a utility knife and it works fine, but you can use anything that will scratch the board such as a screwdriver head. After a few scores you can snap it off by hand or use a pair of pliers to make sure it snaps along the scored line.

Now the left side of the layout

This side of the board tells you exactly where to put your components and what values they are. Note that the leads are all different lengths and act as jumpers between rows in addition to doing what the component is supposed to do in the circuit. It will also tell you the orientation of the components as well such as the transistor pinouts and electrolytic caps. I would highly recommend sockets for transistors and ICs for either experimenting or to easily remove them if you don't like the circuit. The - side of the cap is shown by that light blue strip underneath the "10u" in the layout above. The transistors and ICs are usually labelled (numbered) around the board and the suggested component or pot value to use is mentioned in the legend on the bottom left. Most ICs are oriented with pin 1 in the top left corner and if not it will be said in the layout itself or in the writeup of these layouts. Another reason why sockets are important here. It's not in this layout, but diodes are marked with a white or offcolored line to indicate the cathode (-) side.

Offboard wiring

This is stripboard's main downfall here. Most layouts you find online have color-coordinated wiring of some kind and the wires are almost always labelled. The wires are usually installed right at the edges of the board. Note that in this particular layout, the output signal is coming out of lug 2 of the volume pot and not directly from the board. Depending on the layout you choose you may have a spider web of wires going between pot lugs. Some layouts don't even have a pot connected to the board but rather to other pots! If you're a perfectionist and love some robot porn you will be disappointed in how it looks. IMO it's more important to have the circuit work with as little noise as possible since you won't see the wiring when you choose to box it all up.

You've just finished soldering. Some tips.

Once you've completed all your soldering it's good practice to take your iron and run it along the individual track of the underside of the board. This is to remove any accidental solder bridges and flux that may have spilled over. It's also a good idea to double check your soldering skills here and reflow as necessary.

Get a test box of some kind. You can use a breadboard/protoboard, the auditorium test platform or make your own test box. I like the test box since it's another excuse to DIY something. Here's a good idea from tagboard to make one. I also built one based on this. http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/09/test-box-20.html.
 
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Excellent read! How did you type that so fast?!?!

I picked up some stripboard that is laid out like a breadboard with power rails. It's a 1:1 move of components. I still like the "classic" look as well.

Screen Shot 2022-02-01 at 9.44.46 AM.png
 
For those looking to design their own stripboard circuits here's an older thread. DIY Layout Creator is what I downloaded (it's free) and need to spend a bit more time playing around with it.

 
Here's tagboard's stripboard building guide. It's pretty good.
 
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When soldering the components on stripboard, are they just soldered in place or are they soldered to connect into a circuit? Does stripboard work like a breadboard where the rails are connected row by row? Just trying to figure out how everything is connected.

I see people connect wires to the end of the board. Are they just soldered to that spot on the end, or are they connected to the components under the board?
 
When soldering the components on stripboard, are they just soldered in place or are they soldered to connect into a circuit? Does stripboard work like a breadboard where the rails are connected row by row? Just trying to figure out how everything is connected.

I see people connect wires to the end of the board. Are they just soldered to that spot on the end, or are they connected to the components under the board?
It's called stripboard because it has strips of copper on one side. All the holes that lie on the same strip are connected and so are the leads soldered to them.
Sometimes component leads are on the same strip but must not be connected and sometimes they are on different strips but must be connected. That's why you see cuts and links.
 
Appreciate the reply, that's what I figured. So let's say a pot's wires are connected to the first holes on the board, one of those wires controls the components on that strip unless there is a cut breaking that part of the circuit?
 
When soldering the components on stripboard, are they just soldered in place or are they soldered to connect into a circuit? Does stripboard work like a breadboard where the rails are connected row by row? Just trying to figure out how everything is connected.

I see people connect wires to the end of the board. Are they just soldered to that spot on the end, or are they connected to the components under the board?
@andare and @Feral Feline have answered this well.
but i thought i might just add to that with some pictures for reference :)
(sometimes i find pictures help with understanding things a little better)

e.g. here's a DOD250 board/layout
(NOTE: layout indicates the relative positions of everything when looking at the board on the 'top-side')
FF9DB7DB-A430-459D-B3EB-49A21BF5D6F7.jpeg

this is the reverse/'back-side' of the board ('copper trace side'), where x11 cuts have been made.
it might be a little tricky to see due to the lighting.
you might notice that the orientation of these cuts is 'flipped' / reverse to how they are seen in the layout above (the red squares).
49EBF48F-0269-4FC3-9852-2E55CD53200A.jpeg
after making all the trace cuts, everything left here (the copper traces), is part of the circuit.

the next step is to add any jumpers/links to "complete the circuit" (the black lines seen in the layout, specifically placed.)
429EED9D-C00B-4123-8E66-7CD272501804.jpeg

after positioning the required component(s) in place (using the vero layout reference above for correct positions), the board is flipped over to solder the component(s) in place (same deal when installing the jumpers/links mentioned above)
452CAEEC-8C36-4134-A49C-6356562ACB18.jpeg
again - everything that is soldered to these traces on the backside of the board is part of the circuit.

should look like this once it's ready to add the wiring/leads for the control pots, ground, +9V, input, output
(and to install the opamp + diodes in the sockets)
B59B8F7B-1E71-4327-A74E-02F64065FE5B.jpeg
 
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Man.......just amazing. Everything clicked with your descriptions and pictures. I greatly appreciate the time you took to put that together. I've saved a ton of Tagboard circuits and have some stripboard I ordered a while back, just didn't know how to start. Looks like I'll be picking a circuit to build this weekend thanks everyone's advice/help.

Also, that's a clever way to hold components in place while soldering in the 2nd last photo. I hate bending the legs and then having to cut them at an angle.
 
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One more question, where it says Level 3, just the 3rd leg of the pot is wired to that hole? Are the other two legs left alone or connected?
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pretend this is the level pot:

3 - goes to the board where indicated (the leg itself doesn't have to be soldered to the board, you can use wire (i recommend SOLID CORE wire)
2 - goes to the OUTPUT (switch) - (is mentioned on the layout above)
1 - goes to ground - (is mentioned on the layout above)

you'll want to pay close attention to how the offboard wiring is done, with the 3PDT (bypass/active) switch, input+output jacks, grounds, and +9V

this is how i like to do it:
1681190720547.png

a tip about grounds:
- learn what a 'star ground' means
- make the input jack sleeve (ground) the star ground point.

all grounds should meet at this star ground point (the input jack sleeve lug):
- switch ground (in green above) - provides ground source for the LED
-
circuit board ground
- power supply ground (DC jack ground)
- output jack ground (although some may argue this entire ground wire isn’t necessary because the output jack can technically ground itself against the enclosure if it’s an open frame jack, but i like to have one)
 
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Man.......just amazing. Everything clicked with your descriptions and pictures. I greatly appreciate the time you took to put that together. I've saved a ton of Tagboard circuits and have some stripboard I ordered a while back, just didn't know how to start. Looks like I'll be picking a circuit to build this weekend thanks everyone's advice/help.
happy to help :)

Also, that's a clever way to hold components in place while soldering in the 2nd last photo. I hate bending the legs and then having to cut them at an angle.
same, another good way to hold them in is literally sticking them down with blue painters tape.
 
Another advantage to a clip holding the component in place:

A metal clip or alligator clip will act as a heat sink and protect sensitive components such as transistors. Put the clip on the non-solder side so it's between the board and component, naturally, then solder it in place.


I've been experimenting with Blu-tack again on my current build with some very good success, but a few situations still called for painter's tape — different methods for different needs. Good to become proficient in all methods if possible. Having said that, I should probably do a vero build soon, as it's my least favourite format so I'm out of practice with it. Some circuits are only available on vero, unless you do your own perf layout or can layout PCBs for etching or factory production.
 
I have a blob of blue tack on the bench and stick the board to it while soldering low-profile parts like resistors, diodes and sockets.
Capacitors are tall and tend to tilt so I insert them into the board, bend out the legs a bit (can't do it with Wima caps cause the legs are too short) and then secure them to the board with painter's tape, making sure they are straight.
I stick the opposite end of the board to the blue tack ball so it doesn't move around.

I very rarely used third hands anymore. Only when the board has tall components on every side and the blue tack doesn't work anymore. At that point it's actually hard to find a section of the board where the clamps can find purchase.

Stripboard is tricky to me. You can see in the pictures above the cuts have been marked with a marker, this is essential because the layout is mirrored, as @owlexifry showed so well. Don't inhale the dust when you cut the board, use a DMM to check that the cuts are doing their job (easy to leave behind slivers of copper), same goes for the links, and go easy with the solder because the traces will suck it up like no tomorrow.
 
I should have read closer, it's actually says where the rest of the Volume pot wires go haha.

Again, this is quite the community. The generous help was more than expected. I know @BuddytheReow loves to share knowledge and is the catalyst for these posts, so I will continue to good will gesture and help those I need with my new found knowledge.

I've been using painters tape as well, especially to hold down IC's/box caps on the topside. Love the idea of using an alligator clip to prevent overheating of vulnerable components.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day! It's going to be close to 80F here and we just had a blizzard w weeks ago.
 
I should have read closer, it's actually says where the rest of the Volume pot wires go haha.

Again, this is quite the community. The generous help was more than expected. I know @BuddytheReow loves to share knowledge and is the catalyst for these posts, so I will continue to good will gesture and help those I need with my new found knowledge.

I've been using painters tape as well, especially to hold down IC's/box caps on the topside. Love the idea of using an alligator clip to prevent overheating of vulnerable components.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day! It's going to be close to 80F here and we just had a blizzard w weeks ago.
You'll notice pretty quickly that stripboard is much more forgiving with solder. It won't take much to heat up the pad/strip. Removing solder is a breeze with a sucker. It's a touch more involved that a regular PCB. Have fun!
 
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