How to use a Breadboard to Make a Circuit

One of the most versatile tools for prototyping an electronic circuit is the breadboard. Today we're going to go over how to properly use a breadboard as well as convert a schematic on paper to a working prototype circuit. Breadboards get their name from the way they used to be made a long time ago. Amateurs would nail copper wires to a board with nails. The wood that was used was the type to cut bread, hence the name breadboard. Today however, breadboards have come a long way and are very efficient and easy to use.

A modern breadboard is made of plastic, and has many holes in it. Under each hole is a spring clip that will make contact with whatever we put in it. Additionally, it will have power supply rails running the length of either side of the board. The center part is where we will be building our circuit. The breadboard is divided into many rows and columns. Each pin electronically connects to other pins in that row. Likewise all the power supply rails are connected together as well.

Running down the middle of the breadboard there is a center divider. This separates the rows on either side. It also is perfectly spaced to allow you to use DIP components, which stands for dual inline package. 

We also need a way to connect the components to one another. To do this we can use breadboard jumper wires which come in multiple colors to make it easier to see what is connected to what. Let's start by building a simple circuit that lights up a RGB led when we press a button. First, get the various components inserted into the breadboard. Make sure the resistor and the LED are connected to different rows. 

For the button it will fit in the middle of the breadboard. Once we get all the components in we need to connect them. So let's grab our jumper wires and work one by one to make the connections shown in the schematic. It also helps as soon as you make a connection to cross it off on the schematic so you know what is left to do. 

Now let’s test out our circuit! Even though it works, it is a little messy and is difficult to see what is connected to what. We can use a jumper wire kit that has various lengths that lie flush against the breadboard. We can also cut the leads of the components so they aren't sticking out. This will make it much neater, with the added benefit that it is much more difficult to accidentally unplug things.