I'm following a tutorial to make a DIY Arduino board and in the tutorial it suggests using 10uF caps on the input and output (to ground) for the L7805 voltage regulator (picture below).

However, when I look at the datasheet recommended circuit for the L7805 (above), it suggest a .33uF cap on the input and a .1uF cap on the output. I'd like to go with the smaller caps (what the L7805 datasheet recommends), but wonder if I'm missing something by not adding 10uF caps as was done int he tutorial. Any advice appreciated!

Arduino Tutorial I'm following:
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Standalone

L7805 Datasheet:
https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Components/LM7805.pdf

 

A lot has to do with the PCB layout. Testing on a solderless protoboard will be very different from a PCB. How you locate your capacitors can make a huge difference.

On a protoboard try any capacitance and see what difference it makes.

 

hi bn1,
As I understand the datasheet the 'low' values of capacitors are used to ensure stability of the 7805, they can oscillate under certain conditions.
Additional 'large' capacitors are used to satisfy the requirements of the input and load the 7805 is connected too.
eg: rectified input would require large smoothing capacitors, on the output a load that draws a 'pulsed' current, the 'droop' voltage would be reduced by the addition of a large capacitor.

E