1、 Process technology
The manufacturing process of universal boards is relatively simple, but it is necessary to ensure the accuracy of solder pads and material reliability:
Substrate and pad structure
Single hole board: All solder pads are independent and suitable for regular circuits (such as digital circuits and microcontrollers). They need to be connected through flying wires, with a large degree of wiring freedom but complex operation.
Perforated board: solder pads are connected in groups (double/five holes, etc.), reducing the need for jumper wires and making it more suitable for analog circuits and discrete component circuits (such as amplifiers, power modules).
Material type:
Copper plate: The solder pads are bare copper (golden yellow) with low cost (about ¥ 0.03-0.04/cm ²), but they are prone to oxidation and require maintenance with alcohol or an eraser.
Tin plate: Tin plated solder pads (silver white), high hardness, strong oxidation resistance, and relatively high price (about ¥ 0.07-0.08/cm ²).
Core process flow
Substrate cutting → pad stamping/etching → surface treatment (copper plate coated with anti-oxidation agent, tin plate electroplating) → drilling (ensuring 2.54mm spacing) → quality inspection and packaging.
Technical difficulties: oxidation of solder pads (copper plates need to be sealed and stored), accuracy of spacing between connected hole groups (affecting component insertion).
Special type innovation
Some manufacturers have developed pre installed circuit type universal boards, such as LED driver networks pre installed in double-sided structures (with the positive pole on the top layer and the negative pole connected through vias), to simplify the sampling process.
2、 Core advantages and limitations
Advantages:
Cost and timeliness
The unit price is less than 1/10 of customized PCB (10 × 10cm copper plate is only ¥ 3-4), and there is no design fee or plate making cycle, suitable for rapid prototype verification within 72 hours.
Flexibility and Educational Value
Supports circuit modification at any time, with strong reusability; Manual wiring can deepen the understanding of circuit principles and is known as the "introductory sandbox for electronic engineers".
Reliability foundation
The substrate (FR-4) has high strength, and the circuit can be stored for a long time after welding, withstanding repeated insertion and removal in the teaching environment.
Limitations:
Low wiring density: unable to support high integration ICs (such as BGA packaging) or GHz level high-speed signals.
Manual reliability risk: The quality of solder joints depends on the operator's skills, and they are prone to detachment in vibration environments.
Appearance and heat dissipation: messy flying wires affect aesthetics; No dedicated heat dissipation layer, power devices require additional heat dissipation design.
The following table compares the applicable scenarios of two types of universal boards:
Type Applicable Circuit Advantages Typical Scenarios
Single hole board digital circuit, microcontroller wiring freedom, compatible with regular chip layout Arduino expansion board, counter
Multi hole board (multi hole) analog circuits and discrete components reduce flying wires, simplify multi pin connections for audio amplifiers and power stabilization circuits
3、 Application Fields
Universal boards, with their low cost and flexibility, are irreplaceable in the following scenarios:
Electronic Education Training
Student competitions (such as electronic design contests), classroom experiments (welding exercises, basic circuit construction), cultivate circuit debugging and troubleshooting abilities.
Prototype validation and sampling
Quick prototyping of LED light array (pre installed network structure board can eliminate wiring 2), functional testing of sensor modules.
Repair and modification
Replace damaged circuit modules of equipment, or add new functions to old equipment (such as installing temperature control circuits).
Creative Electronic Production
Small and medium-sized creative projects (such as Light Cube and Adjustable Voltage Stabilized Power Supply) support personalized component layout.
4、 Usage tips and optimization suggestions
Cabling planning
Pre layout on paper: Use a pencil to mark the component positions and routing paths on the board surface to avoid rework.
Layered wiring: For non copper surfaces (front), pre lay signal wires with enameled wire, fix them with glue, and weld them to improve cleanliness.
Welding and maintenance
Anti oxidation treatment: Polish the oxidized solder pad with sandpaper and apply alcohol rosin solution; Scrape oxygen, tin, and then solder the component pins.
Step by step debugging: Test each functional module (such as the prior voltage of the power module) to avoid global troubleshooting.
Selection strategy
Single hole board+tin plate (strong durability) is preferred for digital circuits; Analog circuit selection with perforated plate and copper plate (cost sensitive)
