Printboard - A prototyping board for electronic circuits

This model can be used as an inexpensive and configurable breadboard alternative, with the advantage that the components can be soldered in-place.

Print instructions

Important Notes

• You need a 0.25 mm nozzle to print this
• The electronic connections are not 100% reliable (as long as you don't solder them)
• Has been tested with DIP-8 packages, resistors, diodes and capacitors
• For each row of the board you will need a needle pin (preferred) or a nail (with about 1 mm diameter)
• Currently, power rails are not supported
• Only PLA has been tested (please let me know if you printed this with another material)

Configuration

• If you have needle pins with 0.6 mm diameter and want a board with 6 columns on each side and 15 rows than you can use the provided .stl (or .gcode) file
• If not, install OpenSCAD and download the .scad file. Alternatively, you can clone the gitlab repo to get the most recent version
  • In the .scad file, enter the diameter of the needle pins or nails at the assignment of rod_d
  • Scroll to the end of the file and enter the pin counts of the board in the call to 'double_sided_board(...)' (see comments of the module)
  • Render (might take a while) and export .stl

Print Guide

• Import the .stl from the previous step into PrusaSlicer
• Make sure that the extrusion width is set to 0.25 mm
• Recommended extrusion width for first layer: 0.42 mm (avoids gap infill)
• Use 100% infill
• Make sure Detect bridging perimeters is enabled
• If the print does not stick, decrease first layer speed and increased Bed Temperature for the first layer

Assembly

• Gently move all the clips with a screwdriver
  • If the clips break off or do not move independently set Seam Position to Random and decrease nozzle temperature a bit
  • If that does not help the reason may be low quality filament (I have used Prusament after I had trouble with filament of another manufacturer)
• Cut off the tip of your needle pins (or nails)
• Cut them so that they do not stick out when fully inserted (see the small "observation hole" at the center of the board)

Usage

• You can assemble your circuit as you would do it on a normal breadboard
• If you are done, you can solder the components to the row connectors. Some of the plastic around the point where you solder will soften/melt, do NOT inhale the fumes