How to Build an Electric Circuit Board

Building an electronic circuit board requires great patience and care. Even one poor connection or misplaced component can cause the whole circuit to fail. Double and triple check each connection and make sure to place every component in the right place. You can never be too careful, particularly if this the the first electric circuit board you have built.

Things You'll Need

• Breadboard Printed circuit board Soldering iron Solder Electric components Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Consider starting by building a breadboard. A breadboard is a sort of temporary circuit board used for testing and debugging a circuit. Because you don't solder a breadboard, it is easy to take apart again if something isn't working.

2. Study your circuit board plans. Make sure that every connection is clearly legible and every component is listed. If something isn't clear, you want to sort it out before you start soldering.

3. Make a list of the components the circuit requires by type. List all the resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc. Then go through your components and make sure you have everything you need. Check off each component on your list.

4. Set up a clean, well-lit worktable. Keep all food and water away from the table. Make sure you have a stand set up to hold your soldering iron when you aren't using it.

5. Stick a component into the circuit board. The leads should poke through the proper hole on the side with the circuit traces.

6. One at a time, solder the leads in. Hold the tip of the soldering iron against the circuit trace and the lead. Then touch the end of your solder to the lead. It should briefly smoke, then flow onto the board where the lead comes through.

7. Cut off the end of the lead poking out past the solder. Wait until the solder cools, then carefully snip it off with a pair of wire cutters. Be careful not to wrench the component and disturb the connection.

8. Continue putting in components until you have made all your connections. As you do, check each connection to make sure it isn't a short circuit. If you use too large a bead of solder, it can join two adjacent components which aren't supposed to touch, creating a short circuit. If this happens, touch the solder with the soldering iron and let it flow off the circuit board.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to use electrical solder. Plumbing solder will not conduct electricity. Some components can be damaged by holding the soldering iron on the lead for too long.