Breadboard Electronics

Breadboard electronics is all about prototyping circuits to prove something works without committing our components to a soldered board.

The breadboard allows us to play, learn, dismantle and play some more.

A couple of years ago, we created a number of short videos that all used components that we put into a starter kit on the BreadboardElectronics.co.uk web site.

The primary aim of the videos is to spark someone’s interest in electronics in an affordable way.

Obviously you do not need to purchase our starter kit as there is a possibility that you may already have access to the same or similar components anyway, but it is there for those who want to start from scratch or make a gift etc.

The videos are initially aimed at the complete beginner but they do contain some circuits that just ‘may be of interest’ to experienced tinkerers.

All of the circuits have been created on breadboards and tested, so you can be assured that the circuits actually work.

The maths element of the circuits is largely zero but what you get to see are circuits that will work. They have been built and tested to create the video so you can be sure that they do work.

If one does not work properly, then the chances are that you have a dodgy connection somewhere. It’s as simple as that.

There are a total of 44 videos, 42 of which are projects, the other 2 explain the basics of the common components.

Only a few projects have been added here to try and arouse interest.

The videos are not monetised so there should be no annoying adverts.

Images were taken from the video build and put into a pdf document that can be viewed, printed, scribbled on etc. That document is available here.

We start off with Project 1: the Hello World of modern electronics by lighting an LED, and quicly move to Project 2: where we add a potentiometer into the original circuit to enable us to dim the LED.

In Project 15 we introduce the 555 Timer IC.

Project 26 we go back to transistors and build a Darlington Pair, then later in Project 38 we start using the 4017B Decade Counter IC.

As you can see from that short list, that as the projects progress, more component types are introduced and more interesting projects are found, like potential dividers, astable circuits, the 555 timer and so on.

Most projects can be constructed in between 1 and 20 minutes.

Electronics is a vast subject, but what we have tried to do is get people interested by experimenting on something that they know already worked without having to do too much research.

Download the pdf. Links to all of the videos are included there.

Even if only one person finds these videos useful then our efforts have been a success.