Test leads that typically come with multimeters use simple cone-shaped tips.
You can buy test clips that slip onto the cone-shaped tips to make it easier to
clip them onto the leads of a component. This makes testing much easier,
trust us.Components Primer.......................................................................................
You use many of the tools discussed in the previous section to work with
often teeny, tiny parts called components.These range from electrical
doohickeys such as resistors and transistors to integrated circuits (chips),
switches, and sensors.Our projects tell you exactly the type and value of component to use (as do
most published projects in books and on the Web), so don’t worry too much
about calculating these values. If you decide to strike off on your own to
build your own circuits, we recommend that you get another book, such as
Electronics For Dummies,by Gordon McComb and Earl Boysen (Wiley) to find
out all about understanding component values.One important terminology point to make is that the terms pinand leadare
almost always interchangeable. They essentially refer to a wire or stamped-
out metal bar coming off a component used to connect it to a breadboard or
other types of circuit boards. The only exception is pinout,which refers to
the function of each lead; you never refer to that as a lead-out!38 Part I: Project Prep
Analog or digital multimeters?
Multimeters come in two main types: analog
and digital. Think of the difference between a
wristwatch that has hands that go around and
one that has a numerical readout. For our
money (and yours), a digital multimeter is the
way to go because you have a smaller chance
of making an error when reading the result;
even the cheapest is just fine for testing simple
projects.All digital meters have a battery that powers the
display. Because they use virtually no power
from the circuit you’re testing, they’re not likely
to affect the results.
Auto-rangingis another handy feature to look
for in your multimeter if you’re willing to spend
a little extra money. This sets the test range (see
more about this in Chapter 4) automatically.