Problem with breadboard

[kennyguy42]

Hello,

I am currently putting together the $50 robot and I am confused as to how I am suppose to wire the breadboard.

As far as I can tell, there seems to be no way to get it to work on the breadboard!

In particular, the male header pins are screwing me up. For instance, I want to wire up the 3x6 male header pins for the sensor input. I don't understand how I can have all of these pins together in a group.

According to the tutorial, I need the two columns on the right connected to themselves within their respective columns and the left most column connecting to the micro controller.

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The two right most columns(referring to the "diagram") need to be connected within the column so I have them all on the same row(with jumper wires in between as my rows are only 5 wide). But for the left most column, how is it possible for one to have these pins not connected to each other in their row yet still have the 6x3 set of pins grouped together?

Sorry if this was not clear. I am basically confused on how to wire the male header pins on the $50 robot.

Awesome website, thanks in advanced for any advice!

-Kenny

[Soeren]

Hi,

I am currently putting together the $50 robot and I am confused as to how I am suppose to wire the breadboard.

As far as I can tell, there seems to be no way to get it to work on the breadboard!

Are you perhaps referring to a solderless breadboard?
Please be more specific, as a breadboard can be so many things, like a board with nails in where you solder to the (brass) heads of the nails. If you use matrix board with single pads in 1/10" raster, you connect the pads with wire and since each pad is separate, your 3x6 is no problem.

Solderless breadboards (besides being worthless crap for anything but simple low frequency circuits) should be treated with the utmost care, to keep them as functional as they can be. The contacts were never made to take square pins like those in headers and forcing them in will ruin those contacts for later use by normal component pins.

[kennyguy42]

Yes, I am working with a solderless breadboard. (Mine is from Radioshack)

The header pins seemed to fit in fine besides the occasional one popping out. I have not had to force them at all.

If indeed I am not suppose to put the header pins directly into the breadboard, how exactly is it possible to mount the pins?

Thanks for any help!

[Soeren]

Hi,

You could wrap some wire the diameter like on regular components 3..4 times around each pin (solder it if you don't have a Wire Wrap pen) and then leave a tail about half an inch out on each pin, then you can spread them out and mount the assembly like an IC, on each side of the center "break" and your problems with shorting the two rows is solved as well.

The 2 rows of pins with a power bus could be placed in the respective power bus of the breadboard.

But you won't hear me recommend solderless breadboards any day soon.

[kennyguy42]

Thanks for the reply!

Interesting idea. I will probably just end up soldering the damn thing. The breadboard sounds like is just going to make things even more of a pain.

[corrado33]

I think your problem could have been fixed if you had made your ROWS into COLUMNS and visa versa.  But you've fixed it so no harm done.  Solderless breadboards are nice, but you gotta learn to work around their limitations. 

[Soeren]

Hi,

I think your problem could have been fixed if you had made your ROWS into COLUMNS and visa versa.  

That wouldn't have changed a bit, unless each set of 3 had its own 3 rows in the breadboard.
The problem is shorting of pins.

[corrado33]

Hi,

I think your problem could have been fixed if you had made your ROWS into COLUMNS and visa versa.  

That wouldn't have changed a bit, unless each set of 3 had its own 3 rows in the breadboard.
The problem is shorting of pins.

Yeah I realized that about two minutes before I fell asleep last night.     But since he had solved the problem I didn't make it a priority to change my answer.  If he could split the first column from the second two, then he could get it to work, but I don't think he could do that either.  Regardless, breadboards take some time getting used to (maybe a few minutes if you know how they work)