Difference between revisions of "Using Solderless Breadboard"

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* Don't try to get too complex on breadboard
* Don't try to get too complex on breadboard
* Don't expect high frequency circuits to work
* Don't expect high frequency circuits to work
* Don't expect high gain or very sensitive circuits to work
* Move your circuits off of breadboard as soon as you can
* Move your circuits off of breadboard as soon as you can

Revision as of 16:37, 14 December 2007

Solderlessbreadboard.gif

Solderless breadboard is quick and convenient for prototyping. Connections tend to come loose, especially if used in a mobile application, and they also can create electrical noise and other problems which contribute to unreliability. For these reasons it's recommended that circuit fragments be debugged on solderless breadboard and then transferred to Solderboard or to Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

The solderless breadboard recommended (and provided for DC2008) is configured as shown at right. Insertion points are connected in groups of 5. Solid conductor wire or component leads work well in the insertion points. Stranded wire will be unreliable. Most IC chips can span the central gutter so that each IC pin is accessible as a group of 5 insertion ponts, only one of which is used up by the chip.

There are four long rails, with all connection points in each rail mutually connected. (Some breadboards break these rails up into smaller connected chunks.) It's common to use the red ones as +5 rails and the blue ones as ground rails, though you can use them for anything if you don't get confused. The two red ones are not connected to each other, nor are the blue ones, unless you jumper them.

Tips for solderless breadboards:

  • Don't use stranded wire
  • Don't use alligator clips; instead run a length of solid wire out from the test point in question, to your clip.
  • Use color coded wire: red for +V, green for ground, blue for -V, yellow etc for signals...
  • Don't try to get too complex on breadboard
  • Don't expect high frequency circuits to work
  • Don't expect high gain or very sensitive circuits to work
  • Move your circuits off of breadboard as soon as you can