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Components Guide
Board
The board is a tiny computer that has a variety of input and output connections arranged in convenient headers on the edges. These inputs and outputs are where you connect components for your projects.
You also create sketches (programs) on your computer using the Arduino IDE then upload them to the board using a USB cable.
The board is powered either via USB connection to a PC or by a battery pack connected to the board.
Solderless Breadboard
The solderless breadboard provides additional connections to your main board to expand the scale of possible projects. Tiny sockets in the holes of the breadboard make connections to the jumper wires and component leads used when building simple circuits.
Plugging two or more wires/leads into the same row ensure they are connected together.
Jumper Wires
Jumper wires are used to connect components to the main board, connect the breadboard to the main board or wires can be used to connect different locations on a breadboard.
These wires are male to male wires with leads on both ends. Sometimes male to female wires may be required.
Single Colour LEDs
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) come in a range of colours and are polarised, meaning they have two leads: a positive lead which is longer and a negative lead which is shorter. They will only work when connected the correct way, like a battery. If the leads are the same length, the negative lead has a small flat spot nearest to it on the body.
These lights can burn out if you let too much current flow through them so make sure you use a current limiting resistor.
RGB LED
An RGB LED contains three colours: blue, red and green. It is possible to turn each colour on separately or turn all colours on at the same time to create white light.
By varying the relative intensity of each of the three colours you can create any colour of the rainbow.
RGB LEDs have four leads: one negative lead plus one lead for each of the three colours.
Resistor
Resistors resist the flow of electricity to drop voltage or limit current to other parts of a circuit.
Through-hole resistors use coloured bands to indicate their resistance value (measured in Ohms - Ω).
Certain components can only handle particular voltages or currents and resistors are used to ensure the voltage or current in the circuit doesn't exceed the limits of the component.
