Breadboard

The breadboard is a white rectangular board with small embedded holes to insert electronic components. It is commonly used in electronics projects. We can also say that breadboard is a prototype that acts as a construction base of electronics.

The breadboard is shown in the below image:

A breadboard is derived from two words bread and board. The word breadboard was initially used to slice the bread pieces. But, it was further named as a breadboard for its use in electronics around the 1970s. Hence, the term breadboard refers to these boards only and provides a quick electrical connection.

A breadboard is also categorized as a Solderless board. It means that the component does not require any soldering to fit into the board. Thus, we can say that breadboard can be reused. We can easily fit the components by plugging their end terminal into the board. Hence, a breadboard is often called a plugboard.

Materials used

Let's discuss the materials used for creating the breadboard.

White plastic is the material that is used to create breadboards. Today, most of the breadboards are Solderless breadboards. We can directly plug in the electronic components and connect it with the external power supply.

The breadboards are available as per the specified point holes. For example, 400 point breadboard, 830 point breadboard, etc.

How breadboard enables the connection when the leads of different components are plugged in?

There are three parts in a breadboard, as shown below:

The top and bottom holes of a row in a breadboard are connected horizontally, and the center part is connected vertically, as shown below:

It means a single horizontal line of a breadboard has the same connection. It is because the metal strip underneath the breadboard at the top and bottom are connected horizontally. Hence, it provides the same connection in a row. The two top and bottom parts of a breadboard are generally used for power connections.

The vertical connection of the center part means a single vertical line in a breadboard provides the same connection. It is useful when we need to connect the different components in series.

For example, let's connect two resistors in series. These two resistors can be connected in series in different ways, as shown below:

It is because the metal strips underneath the breadboard at the center are connected vertically. Hence, it provides similar connectivity through a particular column, as shown below:

The connection between two different components can be created by inserting a lead in common. For example, a jump wire that acts as a connection between the LED and battery terminal can be connected in any hole in the same vertical line.

Types of Breadboard

There are two types of the breadboard, namely Solderless and solder breadboard.

Let's discuss the above two types of the breadboard in detail.

Solderless breadboards

As the name implies, Solderless boards do not require any soldering after the electronic components are plugged in.

The leads or ends of the components are inserted into the holes of a breadboard for its functioning.

Solder breadboard

The solder breadboard is also a board that has a tiny hole embedded into it. We can insert the terminal of the electronic components into the board. After the connection is rechecked, we can solder these components.

The common difference between solder and Solderless breadboards is the reusability.

Connection setup through a breadboard

Here, we will discuss the connection setup through the breadboard with the help of few examples. It will help us to understand different connections in it.

Example 1: Blinking an LED

The components required for the above example are an LED (any color), a breadboard, two jump wires, a resistor, and a battery. Here, we have chosen an LED of red color. The resistor is connected in series with the LED to limit the current across the LED.

LED has two terminals, namely cathode (negative terminal) and anode (positive terminal). The structure of LED is shown below:

Connection Setup

The connection setup is listed in the below steps:

1. Plug-in the two terminals of the LED into the two tiny holes of the breadboard. We can add or skip the resistor because the battery already provides a limiting current.
2. Connect one end of a jump wire to the anode of an LED and the other end of the jump wire to the positive terminal of the battery. Similarly, connect the cathode of an LED to the negative terminal of the battery.

As soon as the circuit is complete after the terminals are connected to the battery, the LED will light. The circuit so formed will appear like the image shown below:

The above circuit connection depicts that the LED and resistor are connected in series. Similarly, we can easily create various projects and circuits with the help of the breadboard.

Advantages of Breadboard

The advantages of using breadboard are listed below:

• Temporary prototype
  We can build a temporary prototype for the projects with the help of a breadboard.
• Reusable
  Today, Solderless boards are mostly used in various applications. It does not require any soldering to fix the components. Hence, it can be reused.
• Lightweight
  The breadboard is made of white plastic, which is light in weight.
• Easy experimentation
  We can quickly insert the leads of the components into the tiny holes of the breadboard. The circuit can be created using various components and circuit design.
• Inexpensive
  The breadboards are easily available. It also cost less.
• Easy to use
  It does not involve any complex parts. We can easily insert the required number of components.
• No drilling required
  The hoes are already embedded in the board. Hence, we do not require any drilling to insert the electronic components.
• Quick modifying capability
  We can easily switch or remove the components from the board.
• Available in various sizes
  The breadboards are available in various sizes. We can select the desired size as per the number of components.
• Easy to adjust.
  The breadboard is easy to adjust in the project or connection setup.

Disadvantages of Breadboard

The disadvantages or limitations of the breadboard are listed below:

• Not suited for high current applications
• Low-frequency Solderless boards are limited to low-frequency applications.
• Requires more physical space for simple circuits.
• A high number of connections in the Solderless board make the circuit messy due to a greater number of wires.
• The circuit design does not work well for high-speed design.
• The plugging and unplugging can disturb the other connections.
• Less reliable connections.
• Limited signaling.

Alternatives

There are other alternatives to create a prototype for the projects and circuit design. Modern computer systems contain various transistors, resistors, and other electronic components to create a prototype. It does not require any breadboard to build a prototype.