Breadboards

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bobbyrae

Joined May 14, 2009
42
The big question is just what do you need a breadboard for?

For me, I was looking at testing out a variety of circuit designs before I went to the expense of actually making the real thing. I found that a "trainer" was pretty much what I needed. It is a couple of breadboards but has variable AC and DC power supplies, plus a wave generator, some switches, etc.

So, for some of us a simple battery or single fixed power supply may be enough with a breadboard, but for others that will be quite inadequate. That's why they make most without the power supplies.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
My contribution is this: Components with fat leads can distort the insides. Then, that hole does not grab correctly on your normal size leads. Try to avoid damaging your board this way.

Also know that these boards have a lot of capacitance between adjacent holes. This fouls their quality at high frequencies. Do not trust protoboards at megahertz frequencies.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Welcome to AAC!

A thread belongs to the OP (original poster). Trying to take over someone elses thread is called hijacking, which is not allowed at All About Circuits. I have therefore given you a thread of your very own.

This was split from Breadboard question


One of the problems is simulators are not totally accurate. You can theorize all you like, but there is no substitute for hands on, and you will never develop a feel for electronics strictly from a computer and a text book.

I have read threads where people claimed you should not build a digital clock using gates and flip flops. I assume they are thinking software on a µC can do it all. This is a huge hole in anyone's education. If you are learning electronics in depth, you need to know the fundamentals of flip flops and gate, and you do not get that by writing code. Same thing.

The 555 seems to be one of those chips that give simulators a lot of trouble. I'm not sure why this is, but it is true enough. This makes it a poster child for what I am talking about.

Volume 6 of the AAC book has lots of practical examples of how to use a breadboard, if you are interested. I wrote the section on 555's.
 
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