[TriEmbed] Lowest learning curve to design a board?

[jonathan hunsberger]

Ah, I used the wrong word maybe. It was a board with holes, but laid out
like a breadboard (like your 2nd set of examples but colored like a
breadboard too), and the pieces were soldered into it. However that format
constrained the layout too much. The true perfboard you pictured first
would work better and I think I will buy some of that to have on hand for
hands-on thinking about arrangements.

My friend sent me that Elektor article, although I think I could only see
the intro since I don't subscribe. I have seen several other similar
projects over the years, including one very similar on hackaday.io. I
haven't seen one that used a SLIC board to avoid modding the phone but I'm
sure someone has - I'm not claiming to have invented something new here.
Just made one for myself and then had several other people want one.

Contrary to what I initially said, I *am* interested in learning about
board design. I just didn't want to spend a lot of upfront time learning
theory or KiCAD before I could start working on the thing I care about.
Learning along the way is more my speed.

I appreciate all the info everyone has provided!

On Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 18:16 Scott Hall via TriEmbed <triembed at triembed.org>
wrote:
....

> Funny thing this .... Elektor Magazine in their July/August issue had an
> article "Rotary Dial Phone Remote Control", and they have also had a
> sequenced-switch MP3 output device that used an old toy piano keyboard to
> play audio fragments.
>
> Anyway, I too am a CAD type of person, KiCAD being my first choice to
> create files.  Previously I used Eagle and Fusion360.  Here is an article
> that gives a rundown of free CAD software:
> https://www.electroschematics.com/pcb-design-software/, and another
> article: https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-software/best-pcb-design-software/
>
> In the picture you provided I saw a breadboard, not a perfboard (see
> picture).
> [image: image.png]
> Other prototyping products include veroboards (aka stripboards, see second
> picture).
> [image: image.png]
>
> Then there are prototyping boards that have the same layout as a
> breadboard (see 3rd & 4th pictures).
> [image: image.png][image: image.png]
>
> Here is links to a couple of articles on using prototyping boards:
> from MKTPCB (who makes circuit boards): https://www.mktpcb.com/perfboard/
> from DigiKey:
> https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2022/start-building-cleaner-perfboard-projects-using-these-simple-tips
>
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