July 2012
I don’t know that much about reading circuit diagrams, but in theory, if I bought all the components in a given diagram, could I simply connect each component to the others as shown in the schematic? I have seen reference to using a breadboard but from what little I’ve read, they are configured in various ways and I wouldn’t know what configuration a given project might require.
I understand that soldering component leads together with no substructure or framework might look like a piece of modern art, but could I do that and expect it to do what it is supposed to — whatever that is?
Please log in to post an answer.
Yes, you can wire parts together in free air following the schematic and in most cases it will work just fine. Indeed I have done just this on a few occasions, either to lash up a very simple circuit to test or for artistic reasons. In general though I would recommend other techniques for day to day use. Do some searching online for electronic prototyping and building techniques, there are countless methods that have been developed over the years and you are sure to find something suitable.
Perfboard is a good simple one that I've used many times. I would also recommend becoming proficient at reading schematics and identifying components prior to jumping in. It will save you much time and headaches in the long run.
There are plenty of examples of building circuits without a PC board available on the net. http://blog.makezine.com/tag/freeform/ is an excellent example of this type of freeform circuit building. It is sometimes a little more complicated than using a printed circuit board pattern, but for some circuits, it's more practical. As long as no leads touch were they shouldn't, and as long as stray capacitance isn't an issue, the circuits will function just fine.
Whether you can simply connect components as shown in the schematic without regard to parts layout and lead dress depends entirely on the project.
For "DC" projects, such as a demonstration of an AND gate with two switches, an LED, perhaps an IC, a few resistors, and maybe a bypass capacitor, parts layout isn't critical so long as the bypass capacitor (from Vcc to ground) is physically close to the IC. It would even be OK to solder component leads together with no substructure or framework.
On the other hand, for radio frequency work (FM receivers, AM receivers, garage door openers, etc.), and for any project with a microprocessor, parts layout is critical, and you should follow the perfboard layout or printed circuit layout published with the schematic. If you don't, stray inductance and capacitance can wreak havoc with the circuit, and unwanted oscillation may even occur.
In between are audio frequency projects. For high-impedance projects, generally those with a low-level signal input, layout is critical.
However, for low-impedance projects, such as a circuit to drive a speaker from the output of an MP3 player, layout isn't critical.
