Design Your Electronic Circuit Layout With This Unique Method - Tutorial

In this unique tutorial, I detail how to design high quality layouts of your electronic circuit's components on stripboard, or any other construction substrate, so that your circuit works first time, is neat, small and built according to your design rules. Whilst this circuit was designed on stripboard, the method equally applies to pcbs, tagboard, and matrix board. I've taught this method for over 30 years and no one else teaches this! I hope you find this useful in your construction designs.
#electronics #electronicstheory #electronicscreators

[@followthetrawler]

In 1978 I was an electronics apprentice at GEC and all our prototyping was done on Veroboard (r) - after many magic smoke incidents my mentor in the lab showed me a very similar technique to this. We didnt call it node analysis and we weren't really concerned with efficiency of space, just needed to make the engineers design work before the PCB layout draughtsman worked his magic. I've used that method now for over 40 years and other than my own stupidity never had the magic smoke appear again. Very well explained sir, thank you!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Magic smoke! Excellent, that was funny. Sounds like we're from the same vintage.

[@jonathanlister5644]

Excellent! I'm returning to construction after many years and was putting off trying to design a layout for a reasonably complex circuit thanks so much. You method is elegance itself.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for your great comment, Jonathan. I'm glad you found the video useful and hope your design goes well.

[@EUPThatsMe]

I like this method a lot - It looks like it might be similar to how kcad and the like work out "nets" for auto routing.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks. Yes, I agree. I suspect a similar labelling and auditing method lies behind "net lists" in electronics CAD software. Someone out there might see this and be able to confirm this?

[@mikepanchaud1]

Thanks, I still love stripboard and am intrigued by this method. I have used the free and open source VeeCAD in the past, there is a bit of a learning curve, but there are KZbin tutorials. It can import netlists generated in free cad applications. Btw it is good practice to connect the unused leg of potentiometers to the slider, operation is unaffected. In the event of loss of contact between the slider and the track, due to corrosion , age or fault, instead of going open circuit you will get the total resistance of the pot. An open circuit is outside the design requirements of the circuit and depending on the circuit could be catastrophic, or just stop it working.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for this gem of a comment, Mike! I have not heard of VeeCAD before and it looks really good, and I'll take a close look at this! And your second comment about using the unused leg of the preset by tying it to the wiper is excellent! And it would have meant that I could have declared node 11 as node 7 and node 12 as node 5. And you can see there is space on the board for two small links to make those connections. And the idea that they fail safe is just great. I had not considered that before.

[@mikepanchaud1]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven Yes I recommend using VeeCAD . The tutorials by the actual author of the program are on YT 'VeeCAD Circuit Editor', very short and essential. I used TinyCAD and exported protel net lists. I think KiCad is probably better as it can generate files needed for pcb production at places like PCBway, but I have not tried this yet. And yes there is room on your layout to add the 2 wire links! Having said all that it is sometimes nicer to rest your eyes and do a design on paper.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks Mike. I'll look into Kicad at some point as well. Cheers.

[@DaveBucklin]

I often use dot grid paper when drawing the physical layout. Great video!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks Dave!

[@davidsandy5917]

I do something very similar to this. What I find useful is that I add the node number to the component placement diagram for each part. It allows for trying different arrangements without too much retracing of the connections.

[@andymouse]

One other thing you can use Kicad to do a professional schematic it will annotate it for you and then you could put you nodes on it then print the lot out looking good and of course saves the file. Of course there is 'Fritzing' which allows you to enter a breadboard circuit and it will generate a Veroboard board for you, I think you maybe able to design a PCB as well I haven't used it for years as Kicad suites all my needs now. Happy New Year !

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

And thanks for these great tips as well. Cheers.

Thanks for this video. The node numbering really helps translating a circuit schematic to a stripboard layout.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks, André :-)

[@haroldsmith45302]

I like it. It appeals to my right-angled-thinking synapses. Thank you for this.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks again :-)

[@eloquent_boy4065]

Nice introduction of this unique method for strip boards! Can you also tell how to make clean and compact circuits on zero board and probably how to not mess it during connections 😭.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks. The method applies equally to zero/perf board. These types of boards allow you to take your nodes in even less constrained directions if you want to. The most important thing is to label nodes as you go. I might do a video on this. Might be an interesting exercise!

[@chipwright6193]

I just found your channel today with this video and really enjoyed learning your method to designing a circuit board. I'm looking forward to learning from future videos.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. More interesting electronics videos coming soon.

[@Deathoutofhell]

Really interesting this approach of converting a scematic into a plan / stripboard. I am still at the half way point but I am wondering how you would approach a more complex project with say ~70 nodes (quickly went over my scematic) Especially, when you have ground (and in my case + 12V and -12 v) beeing connected to the circuit at multiple places. There seems to be potential for bundleing but I'm still pretty confused about it. Thanks alot for all the work that went into this video. You got a new subscriber today :)

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, you can use it for any number of nodes. It's just a systematic approach; i.e. you've got to make sure you don't overlook any nodes. That's the purpose of this process - to not miss any! Just take your time a bit when marking up your schematic.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Oh, and I've just had another thought about what you may be referring to with power supply rails. Sometimes, power rails are not shown fully connected to all parts in a circuit but may be indicated as separate connections and then labelled, in which case they should be given the same node number. And in other cases, you may have two, or more, *separate* power rails with the same voltage, but the voltage sources are derived separately, in which case they'd be designated with different node numbers.

[@michaelmccarty4765]

This will be very useful. Thank you for sharing!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you, Michael.

[@18yearsoldnot]

Thanks for the video. Sorry if I missed this but why does the circuit have to be symmetrical?

[@wallstreetcrash1]

Looking at this one wonders whether you could make it smaller still by standing resistors upon end.. Just saying … Very tidy effort Tho..👍👍🇬🇧

[@accountant1653]

Thanks for the interesting video. Everything is clear and accessible to anyone who can hold a soldering iron in their hands.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks Boris.

[@pvc988]

I think, what you call nodes, most people refer to as nets. I like this method and I think it would translate to software pretty damn well.

[@kaleoride]

You could have used the tracks underneath the chip to connect the pins on opposite sides (again using vertical connections)

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks for your great comment, Kaleoride. I've had to give that a few minutes of thought to try and understand your perspective. I can see where you're coming from, and that would indeed give opportunities to save further space. With all the links made on the underside, I think the example could be shrunk down a further 0.3 - 0.4 inches across. I can see you perhaps made that suggestion with consideration for all links being made vertically, as I described in the video. However, the ideas about the layout I was suggesting was with the overall design consideration being that all components and links are landed on one side of the board - the component side, and all soldered connections are made on the track , or solder side. This is known as a single-sided build/ or board. Generally, when links end up on the underside, and believe me, I have been there many times, and I've got a video coming where I confess this, these are usually reserved for bodges!

[@kaleoride]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven I see. Thank you for taking the time.

[@antiphlex]

Very useful and already applied. Thank you.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks!

[@Paul-q3f8j]

Yes I like logical to, and have applied this method, thank you for sharing it.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks!

[@ianh9311]

I wonder if D1 could have be flipped and moved to the left of D2, saving one more column? or would that have made D1 and D2 too cramped?

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Ian H, you are a genius! That would indeed work. Node 5 is one track up from the bottom, and node 4 is three further tracks up so it would comfortably fit and still sit horizontally on the board. And that would save a further column, reducing it to 1.7 inches. I think I failed to spot that move because that diode was the first component I landed after placing the 555 down. Thanks!

[@ianh9311]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven Thanks, its much easier when I'm "standing on your shoulders" having watched the hard work you already put in and watched your video. I might see what using relaxed design considerations does as well just to get my head around - I last seriously played with electronics as a kid - I moved onto computers at 12.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Of course, if you use different design considerations, you get different outcomes. You could get this circuit down in size by a further 50% and the price you might pay for that might be that it is more difficult to debug if there is a problem. And you could use surface mount components and shrink it down by a further 50% but it might be a lot more difficult to assemble. You're free to choose what your design considerations are, weighing up pros and cons as you go. Thanks again for the feedback, Ian.

[@shawncalderon4950]

Superb!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you, Shawn! Cheers!

[@shawncalderon4950]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven I have been in the electronics hobby for a little over a year. Because I am severely dyslexic, I cannot design circuits using today's conventions. Your method has transformed my thinking. Almost immediately, my dyslexia disappeared utilizing your node modeling. What took me hours now only takes me seconds. You are a good instructor with good content!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Shawn. I'm glad this method helps you and I hope you enjoy learning electronics as much as I have done. Thank you for your kind words. Best wishes.

[@garydirkse9900]

Impressive, neat and pretty. Where do I get the software? When feasable, trimmer manufacturers like you to tie unused legs to the wiper terminal. Usually, this is no problem. I have found that untied wipers seem to create more intermittents. Ofcourse, some circuits won't work with tied wipers.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks for your comments, Gary. The tech used in the video were pen, pencil, paper and MS Paint! Making the stripboard graphic in MS Paint was quite fiddly but now I have it as a quick-to-reproduce template so it may be a little easier for me if I do another graphic like this. Re: presets, yes, another commenter made the same suggestion and I agree, it provides a good way for the wiper to fail safe.

[@mouseminer2978]

This is a new thing for me. Thanks :)

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks for your feedback. Cheers.

[@LimbaZero]

It's been long time when I last used strip copper board. I think last was discrete amplifier prototype in 1998 etc. Usually using dot copper boards or just design with kicad and order from china if too much smd components. 0805 resistor fit nicely between pads. Using dual row connectors/headers make hard to use strip copper boards.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Hi @LimbaZero, thanks for your comment. The method described works with any base board system, including PCBs and perf board.

[@yvesrochet3288]

Good methode Sir, but it seems the node of the first potentiometer is forgotten isn’t ? Thks for your communication.

[@mikebond6328]

No.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for your comment, and you are perhaps, very observant. I did, indeed, not include the node numbers for the unused legs of the presets and pin 5 of the 555 in the first iteration of the layout. This was because I had done some preparation beforehand (videos like this are incredibly difficult and time consuming to make, and that includes ensuring continuity), and I had drawn the first layout iteration before redrawing the diagram for clarity. However, by the second iteration, you'll see the unused legs did have the node numbers included.

[@indian.techsupport]

I dont have a method, but my protoboards turn out pretty crowded most of the time with little wire

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks.

[@thepvporg]

You could have collapsed it down even further had you modified the IC holder to allow tracks to be utilised under the chip holder, this would allow with staggered breaks, the connection of pin 2 & 6 and 8 & 4, it wouldn't be pretty as they would be slightly but hidden under the chip, so it wouldn't ruin the asethitic look.

[@vobinhthu5299]

This project is very good!

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks!

[@netterbekannter9753]

I use Veecad, Open Source….Bdest regards

[@PlasmaHH]

While this method is nice ( and I do use a similar, more adhoc one myself ) I personally have a different taste regarding the connection of pin4 and 6 ... I generally only use sockets in those prototypes, and usually I put a link under the socket when possible (or the backside). that might not all be perpendicular, but I think its often cleaner and uses up less space than going the roundabout way all over the board. Unless of course you need those traces there anyways for other reasons.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

I'm not sure if you got the point of the tutorial? It wasn't specifically about the 555 astable timer circuit, which was just used as an example. It was about using node analysis to design a reliable and efficient layout. But as to the specific circuit, if you look carefully, I had to make other connections to those nodes as well, so, for example, the pins 6 & 2 node - node 4 - has 9 soldered connections to it, whilst node 1 has 8 soldered connections. By declaring the extra tracks, and deciding where they would be located, I saved space because they were used to make these additional connections to other components in the circuit so the net effect is to save space, not waste space for the sake of neatness. Thanks for the challenging comment - it's good to have these to test if the content creator knows his stuff or is talking BS.

[@arashyusefi1889]

Thanks 🙏👍💯😊

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks!

[@baladar1353]

The new era of silent films is here! More and more silent films gets uploaded to YT every day. Not because the uploaders don't have proper equipment for recording the audio part of it, but because they can not set the levels on their videos. Or just have no idea on how to set it the right way. Todays video editors all have the tools to set it up properly. It's easy.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks Baladar. In one of my future projects, I'll be covering a new invention of mine, using a microphone, a small piezoelectric transducer and a miniature IC amplifier that all fits inside the ear canal. I call it a hearing aid.

[@baladar1353]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven Cool. That's gonna be a very useful project. I am not exactly sure about that is a new invention, though it can be a nice exercise for one who is learning how to put a simple and small amplifier together. But back to the topic, have you ever watched a video with decently set up audio levels? Man, those are wonderful. Usually people can understand every words in the video, without using a hearing aid. If you are properly educated (you must be, because you know how a normal modulated sinusoidal signal looks like and how it looks like when the signal is clipped), then you do know what dB means and what are the optimal values of it. Maybe you could let me know why do I think that you didn't use that knowledge during making this video. I will be very grateful for that.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

There were a couple of honest issues. 1. I suffered a computer crash and lost all my software, including Premiere Pro, and now I have a replacement computer, I have switched video editors to DaVinci Resolve and I'm learning it. 2. I'm old, and learning new video editors takes me a long time. 3. The average recording level was at approx -12dB which isn't too bad, and sounded at a reasonable level when I listened to it before uploading. I'll try to improve in my future videos. I hope you'll stick around?

[@haroldsmith45302]

07:25 - Purpose of Node Analysis.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you Harold.

[@bendunselman]

Due to the camera position I get fthe feeling I'm about to fall on my head.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Yes, sorry about giving you a bit of vertigo, Ben! I hope the content makes up for home-made feel of the video.

[@luzookiipcbway]

Defo love your tutorial content around circuits, fancy a collab with us?(PCBWay luz)

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Hi Luz, thank you. I'd be happy to consider it. Please can you tell me more in a DM? My email address is now on my profile page.

[@energychaser]

Yes I like it very logical .

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks!

[@junkyard118]

Lochmaster 40, out of the stone age..

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Yes, I probably am! But reliable methods and good habits help.

[@alanbickerstaff868]

Nice idea and I am thinking could use a bread board setting out the components as you have done using the tracks of the bread board and testing circuit before committing to soldering

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Hi Alan, Yes. Breadboards work in a very similar way. The nodes are arranged in strips of 5, side by side. Some breadboards even have node numbers on them. I'll be doing a video describing them in detail at some point.

[@ChandrashekarCN]

💖💖💖💖

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you, Chandrashekar :-)

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Let me know if you find this method useful?

[@cookiii]

Not sure how unique this is, also this is how all modern PCB software platforms opperate, they call them Nets instead of Nodes

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks Cookii. Please see other comments below, where I had a similar discussion with another poster. With regard to what you've said about this is how modern PCB software platforms operate, yes, I agree, and I found evidence of that which I intend to include in a follow-up video. I would have done it some months ago, but unfortunately I fell ill.

[@cookiii]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven Sorry to hear that :( keep up the good work

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thanks.

[@donbarr9487]

I don't understand how you can claim to have "invented" this process, it was old when I was a kid in the seventies.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Hi Don, Where in the video or in the description did I describe this as an invention? This hardly qualifies as an invention as it is not novel enough to be patentable. Whilst you may have seen this in the seventies, of which I have no doubt, and it wouldn't surprise me if other engineers came up with the same method as it is such a logical process, I was not aware of any of those and I came up with it quite independently in the early 1990s. What I am pretty confident of is that I have never seen anyone else teach this, nor seen it described in any of the 200+ electronics text books and thousands of electronics magazines I have accumulated over the last 50 years. The way I have taught it in this tutorial is therefore quite unique, as described. I taught this to a couple of thousand students as part of first year undergraduate electronics courses at a British University over several years. I think my language was precise enough, without being clickbait.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

I should have also added that the pinned comment shows another commenter who described his experience seeing and learning a similar process in 1978 when he was working at GEC. Like I said, it's hardly novel enough to be called an invention. But the process I developed and the way I teach it here, is novel.

[@donbarr9487]

@@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven At 0:40 seconds you describe it as a "unique method" that you "developed" over thirty years ago. That sounds to me a bit like claiming you invented the technique. I appreciate that you came up with it independently, and I especially appreciate that you teach your students the method, but perhaps you could have simply introduced it as a "method I use", rather than the way you did.

[@stuartmartin3408]

@@donbarr9487you’re rather pedantic. You put words in his mouth.

[@gillywild]

A very welcome new channel with a pleasant relaxed style. Looking forward to future content. Subbed.

[@Deebz270]

Man.. You really need to write BIGGER so we can actually see what you've annotated, also, don't put the sketch-pad at an angle to the camera lens, the viewers should be seeing a straight plan view. Why not go even one step further and construct a backlight box - 300mm X 400mm fitted with a white opaque perspex top and lit from beneath by several strips of FSTv backlight LED's... Would also be useful to backlight printed circuit boards, maybe even veroboard.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm still finding my feet. Hopefully my setup will improve over time. What I'll say at present is the logistics are tricky and I keep bumping my noggin on the clamp holding my camera phone! I hope the value of my content makes up for the lack of a quality setup.

[@mikesmith6838]

For the life of me, I'll never understand why so many people draw their 555 timer in their layouts this way? WTF don't you just draw it the way the IC is (that is 4 pins on each side)? This way of drawing it just confuses the issue.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Are you talking about in the circuit diagram, Mike? If so, please see my introduction to Circuit Symbols video. We do it because it conveys the circuit's functionality, which makes the circuit's function clearer.

[@BrightBlueJim]

Had to stop at the OCD requirement for only vertical jumper wires. This is stupid, and it cost some unnecessary space. Wisdom is in learning which of your rules are useful, and which are not. There is nothing "ugly" about diagonal jumpers on the rear of the board. There IS something ugly about redundant jumper wires.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

You do you, Jim.

[@sham1234567891]

Default sound level too low.

[@FiveFiveFiveFourOhOneSeven]

Please forgive me; I'm old.