Info on how to use a breadboard??

[drummondrs]

Can anyone help me with using a breadboard. How do you power it, how do you connect the components etc.? Thanks

[SirPoonga]

Goto radioshack, read the back of the package their breadbaord comes in

If you search using google a bunch of links show up.
http://www.proaxis.com/~iguanalabs/breadboard.htm

[drummondrs]

Thanks, I live in the UK so I can't go to radioshack.

[Karmasound]

I'm in th esame boat. I have a breadboard that didn't come w/ instructions. I have googled but really haven't found any direct answers.

I have been studying schems. and understand alot , plus I understand the stripboard stuff.

I guess I don't understand the way the connections run under the holes. And how the parts are supposed to hook up. I've read that the schem. and the breadboard or layout don't look alike.

[drummondrs]

So, what do you use jumpers for then?

[AL]

Ok let's give this a try. Your breadboard looks similar to this correct?

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' ' ' ' '
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The horizontal holes accross the top are connected as are the bottom holes. I use one for power (usually 9V) and one for ground. That's the entire line accross the top and the entire line accross the bottom. If you run 9V to one hole on the top row you now have 9V to all the holes along the top row. You can run jumpers from these to wherever you need.

The vertical rows of holes are also connected - vertically (up and down - sorry don't mean to be insulting just making sure). I have drawn a vertical row of three, then a space, then another vertical row of three. They are not connected across the space. This space is a very good place to put chips.

Jumpers can be used anywhere you can't fit something in. Just place your component anywhere on the board (that's not occupied) and run a jumper.
Does this help any?

AL

[drummondrs]

Yeah, but how do you attach a jumper to it?

[AL]

Yeah, but how do you attach a jumper to it?

Just use a wire, since the holes are connected you don't have to physically connect anything to the part. There are jumper kits available for relatively cheap that are nice to have around but you don't need it - any piece of wire will work. Example: if you want to connect a resistor to somewhere else on your board place a wire in the hole above or below the resistor and place the other end of the wire to where ever else on the board you're going to.  

AL

[SirPoonga]

That website I linked is decent summary of what goes on.  Here's how I would explain it, using radioshack part number.  To see the part goto radioshack.com and search for the part number.

To visually represent what is going on underneith the plastic holes check out part number 276-170.  This perf board is setup just like a breadboard.  It is meant to be an easy way to make a finaly circuit after breadboarding.  You jsut directly transfer teh parts int he same layout over to the perf board.
The outside horizontal rows are connected together to create a bus.  These are popularly used for power and ground bus.  
The inside area is seperated into to parts, in the radioshack breadboard the two parts have 5 rows each.  Each vertical row of 5 is connected together.

A good thing to do is take a continuity tester and check how things are connected.

here's other good sites
http://www.ece.utexas.edu/handson/tutorials/breadboard.htm
http://beam-robotics.iwarp.com/tuts/bread.htm