Surface-mount 0603 perfboard prototyping

For sale high quality prototyping 1.27mm SMD breadboard

For making electronic prototypes, I want to use both through-hole and SMT components on the same breadboard. For this, I designed a dedicated SMD perfboard since I couldn't find any suitable perfboard on the market. The breadboard is a high quality, in contrast to many other breadboards.

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Prototyping 1.27mm SMD breadboard

Perfboard prototyping with surface mount 0603 components

Perfboard prototyping is usually done with standard components, but using surface-mount 0603 components is more convenient. A complete resistor and capacitor assortment contains more than 250 values, for standard components stored in drawer cabinets this will cost a lot of space and money. Using SMT components for prototyping is easier, these are available in little assortment book kits.

Here I give a glimpse into an e-bike computer which is built in this way; unfortunately, the schematics and software are not public.

E-bike computer LCD

Because of the small size, I use Molex PicoBlade micro miniature connectors; the pitch is 1.25mm. PicoBlade is one of the smallest connectors of its kind. These connectors are widely used in high density electronics, such as laptops. Despite the compact design, the maximum current is no less than 1A.

Micro miniature connectors 1.25mm pitch Molex PicoBlade

For the internal wiring, multistranded micro miniature hook-up wire, with an outside diameter of 0.4mm, is used. This wire was not obtainable; it comes from the LCD wiring of an old laptop:

E-bike computer internal wiring

Ultra small Arduino in a 4 x 4 cm cycle computer

The Arduino microcontroller ATmega328 and a Nokia 5110 LCD are built into a cycle computer of 4 x 4 cm. A perfboard is used because it is a prototype.

Surface-mount 0603 perfboard prototyping

Standard Arduino boards could not be used, the smallest one is the Arduino Pro Mini, but even this is too big. The solution was an ATmega328, whose pins I have been bent over; carefully one by one. Single row IC socket headers allow that the ATmega328 can be replaced easily.

SMD resistor and capacitor book assortment kits

All the components are SMD 0603. I have bought a SMD resistor and capacitor book assortment kit in China; one booklet contains a stock of as many as 3700 components and cost about $30, including shipping costs.

SMD 0603 resistor and capacitor book assortment kit

My favourite electronics precision hand tools

Without high quality precision hand tools it is impossible to do the job:

EREM 510AE adjustable thin wire stripper

Precision wire cutter

Precision pincet