Electronics 101

What is a Breadboard?

A breadboard is a rectangular plastic board with hundreds of tiny holes used to build prototypes of electronic circuits. It's the playground for your electronics.

FUN FACT

In the old days, people literally used their mom's wooden bread slicing board and hammered nails into it. Thankfully, we have the solderless plastic version today!

Why do we use them?

  • [+] No Soldering: No melting metal required.
  • [+] Reusability: Use components for 1000+ projects.
  • [+] Speed: Fixing mistakes takes seconds.
Breadboard Main View

Fig 1. Standard Half-size Breadboard

The Layout: How is it Connected?

Components are hidden inside the plastic. Understanding the hidden metal clips is crucial.

01

The Power Rails

The "Highways" on the top and bottom (Red/Blue lines).

  • Red (+): Positive Voltage
  • Blue (-): Ground / Negative
Power Rails Diagram
02

The Terminal Strips

Rows in the middle connected vertically. Groups of 5.

Important: Row 1 is NOT connected to Row 2.

Terminal Strips Diagram
03

The Center Divider

Central channel isolating top (A-E) from bottom (F-J) rows.

Row 1A connects to 1E, but stops at the ravine.

Center Divider Diagram

Rules for Attaching Components

Avoid the "Short Circuit".

safety_protocols.exe
$ run rule_01The Golden Rule of LegsNEVER put two legs of the same component into the same row. Electricity is lazy; it will ignore the resistor and travel through the board's metal clip instead.
Wrong connectionCorrect connection
$ run rule_02Center Divider UsageChips/ICs are designed to straddle the center divider.
Chip over dividerChip placement
$ run rule_03Power FlowConnect battery pack to Power Rails first. Then use jumper wires to bring power to the middle rows.

Tips for Success

  • [Push Hard] You should feel a distinct "click". Brand new boards can be stiff.
  • [Color Coding] Red = Power (+), Black/Blue = Ground (-). Don't mix them up!
  • [No Spaghetti] Lay wires flat against the board. Loops are hard to debug.

Jumper Cables: The Veins

Male to Male

Male-to-Male (M-M)

Pin on both ends. Most common. Connects holes on the board.

Male to Female

Male-to-Female (M-F)

Pin on one end, hole on the other. Connects sensors to board.

Female to Female

Female-to-Female (F-F)

Slots on both ends. Connects two sensors together.