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I'm prototyping a simple layout for a small project on matrix board, but figured there must be a better way than drawing it all out on paper. Are there any aimed at matrix board?

I've found the following software for stripboard, but nothing explicitly for matrix board:

Any more I've missed? Any recommendations?

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Fritzing looks like the ideal tool for this:

  • Free (GPL license)
  • Multi platform (Linux, Mac OS, Windows)
  • Integrates a large library of components

The stripboard can be resized, you can chose the strips to be vertical or horizontal. You can also cut the contacts with your mouse like you would do in real life.

Example circuit: Fritzing simple stripboard Arduino circuit

Edit 30/10/2018: Make sure you add a Stripboard and not a Perfboard, the Stripboard is the one circled by the dark red square on the following screenshot: (third item on the first row)

Add Stripboard image

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This is absolutely the best!!! \$\endgroup\$
    – Antonio Petricca
    May 2, 2017 at 12:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ Victor, how did you get that copper PCB board to show on your fritzing tool? Mine is just a gray background with no holes. \$\endgroup\$
    – WhiskerBiscuit
    Oct 29, 2018 at 17:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ @WhiskerBiscuit I have tested again with Fritzing 0.9.3b on Kubuntu 18.04. Make sure you add a Stripboard and not a Perfboard (they are right next to each other, the Stripboard is the one on the right). \$\endgroup\$
    – Victor Lamoine
    Oct 30, 2018 at 8:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ Fritzing is a nice software, but useless for perfboards. It does not even let you flip the board over to plan out the routes, which is kind of THE feature you need to perfboards... \$\endgroup\$
    – Daniele Testa
    Nov 12, 2018 at 9:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ Apparently Fritzing is no longer free. They want about 10 bucks to download it. While that's not very much money, I'd like to see if it meets my needs before I needlessly spend anything on it. I'd gladly pay the $10 if it does. \$\endgroup\$
    – David Powell
    Feb 17 at 1:39
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As Leon suggested I would use PCB design program.

I have done this in two ways.

  1. Create a land pattern that is a strip of holes or a matrix of holes (no silkscreen). Place a couple of these patterns down and you have a large grid.

  2. Sometimes I just use vias to create a matrix.

I made two footprints for vector pins. One for the Vector T42-1 micro clips another for the K24A gold pins. I place these pins on the 100mil x 100mil grid. I use the copper routes on different PCB layers (with different colors) to represent wires.

The nice thing about the PCB program is you can check connectivity against your schematic. You won't have that benefit in a drawing program.

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Soft Circuit Editor by Atarado here.

  • Free (as in zero purchase price)
  • Windows and Linux
  • Two-windows - schematic and layout.
  • Supports normal stripboard
  • Supports Atarado's proprietary stripboard layouts.
  • Very limited component library?

enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. \$\endgroup\$
    – Anindo Ghosh
    Aug 6, 2013 at 8:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ @AnindoGhosh: While I agree that link-only answers have their weaknesses, one cannot attach executables to SE answers (nor would it be legal to, in some cases). \$\endgroup\$
    – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
    Aug 6, 2013 at 8:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ @IgnacioVazquez-Abrams The idea clearly is not to post an executable, but to post at least sufficient information about why the given link is relevant, what value the recommended product brings in the context of the question, and also sufficient information to find the product in the future, as and when the specific link dies of link rot. This isn't new, it has been the norm on this site for as long as I have been here. \$\endgroup\$
    – Anindo Ghosh
    Aug 6, 2013 at 11:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ I edited the Answer to include some details of the product. I downloaded SCE to make a screenshot (to avoid stepping on copyright toes) and found there's no user documentation and I can't work out how to delete, move or rotate components. \$\endgroup\$
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Jan 17, 2014 at 11:38
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    \$\begingroup\$ Link is not working. \$\endgroup\$
    – Daniele Testa
    Nov 12, 2018 at 10:54
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There's a nice free Windows 8.1 app for designing stripboard/perfboard/breadboard called DrawingBoard Pro available from the Windows Store.

DrawingBoard Pro screenshot

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This does not seem to have ERC? \$\endgroup\$
    – quantum231
    Sep 5, 2015 at 15:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ I find its UI to be utterly inscrutable. \$\endgroup\$
    – dOxxx
    Sep 26, 2020 at 15:46
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I would add two applications:

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