Noobish Question: is there a simple way to test a circuit?

[tracer03]

I've built a couple of circuits now, and testing before I box it is the most frustrating part of the process. I've got a 'basic' test box set up (in, out, toggle switch, etc.) - but testing a circuit like a Mojo Hand Colossus gets frustrating...alligator clips on everything, trying to ground and make sure that audio jacks stay stable, and then the general rat's nest of wires and connectors...

Is there a 'K.I.S.S.' method to hooking up and testing a circuit?

[nocentelli]

I use old Chinese take-away containers, fairly durable but thin and melts at low-ish temp. I melted a few holes for pots switches and jacks and use it to check circuits with pots wired up. Anything more complex than half a dozen pots, I'd probably check the board without the pots soldered on, just jumpered via a breadboard and some blue tack to hold pots down. I have a fair few smaller snap top boxes that are useful for temporary housing of switches, expression jacks etc whilst testing.

[Marbles]

I use a testbox too, with a 3pdt toggle, jacks etc all soldered in.

There's 4 alligator clips coming out: 9v, ground, input and output.

When building a circuit, I already solder all the pots and toggle switches per layout. This way the only clips you then need are your in- output, 9v and ground. Sometimes you have more than 1 ground, but those will all clamp in my 1 alligator. So no rat's nest.

Ofcourse this means all your pot are already soldered, and you already have to guesstimate how long the wires have to be. But that's not that much of a problem. It saves you a lot of clamping.

I have seen offboard always as the base, and the vero something you connect into that base. In that philosophy, I made my base/offboard and connect the vero into that.


You could use a chinese takeaway box, cigar box, whatever. Me myself, I used a 1590BB where I made some drilling mistakes.

[scimitar]

Personally I solder everything (pots, sockets, switches etc.) before boxing so testing is not an issue, judging wire lengths is pretty easy, only down side is that since you can use the pedal without boxing, things tend to stay un-boxed a long time.