Page 180 - Programming the Photon Getting Started With the Internet of Things

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Tools and Tips

This section gives you some useful tips for creating your own projects and how to best

utilize your resources. Starting your own projects can be a bit daunting at first and
sometimes can seem frustrating and complicated—this useful information should help you
on your way.

Breadboards and Prototyping Boards

A breadboard is usually a rectangular plastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) box
with lots of little holes in it; the holes are contacts in which you can insert electrical

components or wires into with ease. Breadboards are often used to put together a concept
design of a circuit without having to solder any components. Instead you just poke the
wires or legs of the component into the holes, creating a contact. The contacts are usually
arranged in rows by connecting the metal contacts underneath the breadboard. The best
thing about using a breadboard is that you can change the circuit design at any point so

you can replace or rearrange components with ease without having to solder/desolder any
joints.

When you place components in a breadboard, not much happens unless you connect
jumper wires to create an electrical circuit. Wire used in electronics is copper surround by

an outer plastic insulation, usually called hook-up wire. Wire comes in all sorts of
diameters, often referred to as gauge; the standard measurement in the United States is
American wire gauge (AWG). It is always advisable to used solid wire rather than
stranded wire because solid wire inserts into the breadboard much easier than does

stranded wire. If you are lucky, your electronics shop will sell jumper wires, which are
short lengths of wire with a single pin on each end.