MINI LESSON 1 - BREADBOARDS

WHAT IS A BREADBOARD?

A breadboard is a simple device that allows you to connect multiple electronic devices together using wire.

WHY USE BREADBOARDS?

Without having done “real world” circuitry, it is easy to overlook some of the physical challenges involved with it. One major challenge is to keep the different connections together. The use of a breadboard makes the creation of a circuit fast and dependable.

TOP SURFACE

The top of a breadboard looks like this:

INNER CONNECTIONS

Internally, some of the holes are connected together. The following image shows how a copper strip connects different holes.

The top and bottom rows of holes are connected together. Then, in the center, short columns of holes are connected together.

Note that the column above the “ditch” doesn’t internally connect to the column under the “ditch”.

WIRING

The part of the wire that enters the breadboard should be stripped away about 8mm. Make sure that the stripped wire is straight.

The part of the wire that runs on top of the breadboard should be as short as possible running flat on the board. Generally, we try to run these wires vertically and horizontally for maximum neatness.

For wires that have to be switched locations often, it is acceptable to leave these wires longer. It is often a good idea to use a special wire colour like green to denote these wires.