Any tips or tricks on the best way to "connect the dots" on a prototyping circuit board? Seems like it'll be a painstaking operation ;D
Usually for bridging adjacent pads I'll solder a glob on both and then position the soldering tip between the two and try to melt both at the same time. Once you get them both melted you've got to kind of try to ooze them together. Move the tip between the pools and pull away just as the pools merge. That can be a pain as solder won't stick anywhere well except the pads themselves so the bridge has to be done carefully. It takes a bit of practice but eventually you can bridge pretty quick and easy. For longer stretches or just to make it easier you can take a piece of wire and just solder it to each pad. If you need to connect a straight line then take off all the insulation and just go down the line soldering. if you aren't going in a straight line the whole way down you can still solder a wire just on the pad surface and strip only the ends of the wire. Or go through the holes if you feel more comfortable.
Excellent advice. I did what you said about a glob on both and then the center. It worked like a charm!
Here is an interesting idea - using desoldering braid to make the connections. I haven't tried it but I probably will next time I prototype something.
neat!
for longer spans I usually take thin solid wire and just spot solder them on the ends or at bends .. sometimes a few in the middle if its long and floppy enough
short spans i just blob together
If you've clipped the legs of resistors, caps or LEDs your using you can also use them to make connections.
and you dont have to clip the leads, you can bend and flatten them to go where you roughly need