CHAPTER 12 ■ SOLDERLESS PROTOTYPING■ Tip The holes in factory-fresh solderless breadboards tend to require a bit of exercising until they’re
conditioned. But after some use, the holes will hold firmly yet allow smooth insertion and release.
Solderless Breadboard Wire
Although solderless breadboards tolerate a range of wire diameters, the best is insulated solid #22 AWG
(American wire gauge - a size standard, not a company) hook-up wire.
For solderless breadboards, use solid wire instead of stranded (see Figure 12-15). Stranded wire consists
of numerous smaller wires twisted together. The individual wires tend to separate and bend when being
inserted into breadboard holes.
Ordinary copper (reddish-brown color) wire or tinned copper (silvery color) wire are equally good
choices for breadboards.
Use #22 AWG size wire. Smaller diameters are a little loose in the holes and the wire tends to bend when
being pushed in. Larger diameter wire jams the holes, often permanently forcing open the prongs of the
metal connection underneath.
Use insulated wire. The rubber-like coating prevents unintended connections between portions of wires
that accidentally touch. Also, the insulating coating is available in a variety of colors, which helps distinguish
individual wires from each other (see Figure 12-16). At the very least, purchase red for positive power, black
for negative, and some other color for signals (see Table 12-2).
Figure 12-14. Poorly aligned tie-point prongs make holes almost unusable
Figure 12-15. Insulated #22 AWG wire: solid (upper) and stranded (lower)