"finishing" a project

[amckenzie4]

Hey folks!  I've been playing with an Arduino Uno, and I have what may be an odd question.  I've just about wrapped up my current project, and I'm starting to think about either making it permanent, or ordering a smaller board (a Nano Every, mabye) and making that one permanent.  At the moment, though, it's a mess of wires, with an LCD1602 and a DHT11 hooked in through a breadboard.

Is there a "standard" way to make more-or-less permanent connections for all of this?  I could stuff it all in a project box and call it done, but leaving everything patched through a breadboard seems like a recipe for long-term failure.  I could replace the breadboard by soldering the wires directly to the LCD and sensor, but Is there an expansion board of some sort I should use?  Or is the right path just to solder what connections I can, and leave the rest using the breadboard wires?

I'd be interested to hear what everyone else is doing!

[62Tom]

Once I finalize my design and proven out the hardware, I will usually build the entire project either on perf board or in some sort of enclosure. I am a hardware guy teaching myself some programming using several different types. I will typically custom build the Arduino compatible hardware only using the necessary parts to support my project. On the software side, I will write and debug many smaller sketches and then create a finished sketch using all of the smaller ones. Like I said earlier, I am a hardware guy and find it easy to just build what I need !!
Tom

[amckenzie4]

Once I finalize my design and proven out the hardware, I will usually build the entire project either on perf board or in some sort of enclosure. I am a hardware guy teaching myself some programming using several different types. I will typically custom build the Arduino compatible hardware only using the necessary parts to support my project. On the software side, I will write and debug many smaller sketches and then create a finished sketch using all of the smaller ones. Like I said earlier, I am a hardware guy and find it easy to just build what I need !!
Tom

Thanks! Perfboard is a good idea... it's been 20 years since I did any electrical design work, so I've forgotten what most of the usual tools are.  I have done some soldering recently, so I'm reasonably confident with that, but that's about it.

[PerryBebbington]

You are right not to leave it on breadboard, you will have endless problems.
You could try strip board https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/stripboards/2065841/ , you can get it like that or with tracks cut or plain.
You could go to the next step of learning and get a PCB made.

[amckenzie4]

You are right not to leave it on breadboard, you will have endless problems.
You could try strip board https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/stripboards/2065841/ , you can get it like that or with tracks cut or plain.
You could go to the next step of learning and get a PCB made.

Thanks!  Stripboard might be a good way to go, too.  A PCB is probably more than I'm willing to do for this project, but it's certainly in the cards eventually...

[larryd]

There are a few construction ideas here that might be interesting for you. (the thread is a bit long but there are lots of ideas discussed).



  https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=445951.0   

[amckenzie4]

There are a few construction ideas here that might be interesting for you. (the thread is a bit long but there are lots of ideas discussed).



 https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=445951.0    

That's... gonna take a while to get through.  Thanks, though!  Now I know what I'm doing tomorrow....

[CrossRoads]

If you're not going to PCB, then socket strips for components and wirewrap assembly is another option.
If something gets miswired, unwrap and fix it.
All kinds of sockets, socket strips, tools, wire here
https://www.peconnectors.com/sockets-wire-wrap/hws15996/

I like this particular board for building on
Velleman ECS1/2
http://www.allspectrum.com/store/prototype-pcb-hole-island-12-eurocard-size-fr4-p-669.html

Quality material, very evenly spaced holes, boards are not warped.
Can probably find them for less money elsewhere.  I bought 20 for $3.50 a while back and use one every once in a while.
Solder the corners of a socket down, or the ends of a socket strip.
Drill larger holes for other connectors, like banana plug socket, or screw terminals (5.08mm pitch) if needed.

[CrossRoads]

This whole project was built up on those cards





You can see how I soldered the LEDs in place, then wirewrapped to their legs directly.  Goes very quick.

[amckenzie4]

Crossroads, I had no idea wire wrap was still a thing!  That's a definitely possibility, though I'll see what other suggestions come up.

[62Tom]

Wire wrapping is still in use. Many times I will build a piece of equipment using WW and never change it over to any PCB or even hand wired construction. I am still using my refurbished WW gun that I purchased in 1972 with the original 30 AWG bit & sleeve - all made by Gardner-Denver !! The bit & sleeve have well over 1,000,000 wraps and is still going strong !! About 20 years ago, I had to replace the power cord on the gun, the insulation literally started to disintegrate !!

[MarkT]

Wirewrap is bulky though, and expensive for all the special sockets and pins and the tool itself

Stripboard or tripad board are my favoured techniques if I can't wait for a PCB to get manufactured.
The proto boards with individual pads per hole seem to offer far less than tripad board in terms of
convenience, never touched them.  Tripad board has a distinct advantage over stripboard for IDC
ribbon connectors with two rows of pins.

Learning PCB CAD software is going to take a while, but the payoff is worth it if you want to make projects
regularly.

[amckenzie4]

Tom & Mark, thanks for the input!

20 years ago I took an intro engineering course where we did PCB layout and some basic design, so I have a little bit of a head start.  On the other hand, that was 20 years ago, and I hardly remember any of it!