Arduino: A Quick-Start Guide, 2nd Edition

Working with Breadboards

Figure 8. Breadboards come in various types and sizes—the picture shows two.

Connecting parts directly to the Arduino is an option only in the simplest cases. Usually, you’ll prototype your projects on a breadboard that you connect to the Arduino. A breadboard is like a circuit board, but you don’t have to solder parts to it; instead, you simply plug them in.

All breadboards work the same way. They have a lot of sockets you can use for plugging in through-hole parts or wires. That alone wouldn’t be a big deal, but the sockets are connected in a special way. Figure 9, ​How sockets on a breadboard are connected​ shows how. ...