Project 1

Go Shopping

To build the projects in this book, you need to buy a bunch of electronic components (including resistors, capacitors, diodes, LEDs, transistors, and integrated circuits), accessories (such as alligator clips and wires), tools (such as wire strippers), and other supplies.

Plan Your Shopping Spree

I wish I could name a store in a shopping mall close to your house where you could just walk in, pick out all the parts you need, plunk down about $100, and go home and start building projects. Unfortunately, there is no such store (even RadioShack stores no longer carry a wide variety of electronic components).

So, you will need to order many of your supplies online, which means you have to plan to allow time for shipping. The good news is that you can save a lot of money by shopping online, and you can get most of the components you need in just one online trip (with an adult's assistance or, at least, an adult's credit card). You may still need to go to a couple of local stores to pick up some tools and other supplies.

Here are some recommended suppliers:

• Tayda Electronics: With warehouses in Colorado (US) and Bangkok (Thailand), Tayda ships worldwide. Allow 1-4 weeks for delivery, depending on where you live. The website, www.taydaelectronics.com, is easy to use. One visit to Tayda and you can order every electronic component and some of the accessories you need at reasonable prices (many for just pennies). I've provided Tayda part numbers for many of the components you need in the next section.
• Fry's Electronics: Between its stores (in several US states) and website (www.frys.com), Fry's stocks many of the electronic components and accessories you need. Fry's ships worldwide.
• Farnell element14: Start at www.farnell.com and select your country for the Farnell element14 company in your region. (The US company is branded Newark.) You'll find all the electronic components and many accessories you need. The website is geared toward industrial customers, so be prepared for highly technical product descriptions.
• RadioShack: RadioShack's online (www.radioshack.com) and in-store stock of electronic components seems to be dwindling, but if you really need a certain component right away, and your local store (US only) has it, it's worth the trip. Expect to pay significantly more at RadioShack than at other online suppliers.

You can also find most (or all) of the components, accessories, tools, and supplies you need on www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com. However, the product information is often spotty, so be sure you know exactly what you're ordering and be aware of shipping prices and delivery time frames.

Budget

If you're a smart shopper and order online, you can purchase all the electronic components and accessories you need for roughly $70 plus tax and shipping. (Of that $70, $20 is for two parts you need for Project 14, one of which is optional.) You may spend about another $30 (plus tax) on tools at local stores, if your family doesn't already have what you need. If you buy a lot of your components and supplies in a RadioShack store, budget another $25 or so.

Electronic Components and Accessories

This section provides a comprehensive list of the electronic components and related parts you need to complete the projects in this book. In the list that follows, I sometimes specify a product code (identified by #) and price (as of this writing, in January 2016) to give you an idea of what to look for and roughly how much you should expect to pay. Here's your shopping list of electronic parts, most of which are shown in Figure 1-1:

• Batteries and accessories:
  • One (minimum) fresh 9-volt disposable (not rechargeable) alkaline battery ($2.50-$5.00).
  • One 9-volt battery clip (sometimes called a snap connector). Tayda Electronics #A-656 ($0.10), RadioShack #2700325 ($2.99), or similar.
• Wire, alligator clips, and switches:
  • Assorted precut, prestripped jumper wires (optional but highly recommended). Newark #10R0135 ($3.50), Newark #10R0134 ($6.00), RadioShack #2760173 ($7.00), or similar.
  • 22-gauge solid wire, insulated, 15-25 feet (you only need 15 feet of wire if you purchase precut jumper wires). Multiple colors are preferable but not necessary. Tayda Electronics sells black (#A-4994), white (#A-4995), red (#A-4996), yellow (#A-4997), green (#A-4998), and blue (#A-4999) for $0.10 per foot.
  • Alligator clips, fully insulated. Get 1 set of 10, preferably in assorted colors. RadioShack #2700378 (1 1/4-inch mini clips) or #2700356 (2-inch clips) or similar ($2.50-$3.50 per set). Also check online at Walmart, Amazon, or eBay.
  • Alligator clip jumper wires (also called test leads). Get 1 set of 10. Tayda Electronics #A-2373 ($2.46) or similar.
  • Two (minimum) 3-pin single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) slide switches. Make sure these switches are breadboard friendly with pins spaced 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) apart. Banana Robotics #BR010115 (5-pack for $0.99), Tayda Electronics #A-5102 ($0.78 each). Or look on Amazon.com or eBay for the 50-pack Amico #610256339894 (roughly $4.00).
  • Eight 4-pin mini pushbutton (momentary-on, normally open) switches (also called tactile switches). Tayda Electronics #A-5127 or #A-5126 ($0.04 each) or similar.

• Resistors: You'll need an assortment of resistor values. Look for carbon film resistors rated at 1/4 watt (W) (or more) with a tolerance of 20 percent (or less).

  Tayda Electronics sells individual resistors for just pennies each. Select RadioShack stores offer a variety pack (#2710312, $14.49), which contains 500 assorted 1/4 W resistors with 5% tolerance and includes all the values listed next.

  Listed next are the resistor values, the color codes used to identify them, and the minimum quantities you need. Note that O is the symbol for ohms, the unit of measure for resistance. I recommend you get at least one extra of each of these values:

  • One 10 O (brown-black-black)
  • One 47 O (yellow-violet-black)
  • Five 100 O (brown-black-brown)
  • One 220 O (red-red-brown)
  • One 330 O (orange-orange-brown)
  • Two 470 O (yellow-violet-brown)
  • One 820 O (grey-red-brown)
  • Two 1 kO (brown-black-red)
  • One 1.2 kO (brown-red-red)
  • Two 1.8 kO (brown-grey-red)
  • Two 2.2 kO (red-red-red)
  • One 2.7 kO (red-violet-red)
  • One 3 kO (orange-black-red)
  • One 3.9 kO (orange-white-red)
  • One 5.1 kO (green-brown-red)
  • One 10 kO (brown-black-orange)
  • One 22 kO (red-red-orange)
  • One 47 kO (yellow-violet-orange)
  • One 100 kO (brown-black-yellow)
  • One 470 kO (yellow-violet-yellow)
  • One 1 MO (brown-black-green)
  • Optional: 1 4.7 MO (yellow-violet-green)

• Potentiometers (variable resistors):

  Tayda Electronics has each value you need for just $0.50. Expect to spend $3.49 each if you purchase potentiometers at RadioShack stores. You need these rotary potentiometers:

  • One 10 kO (linear taper). Tayda Electronics #A-1982 or similar.
  • One 100 kO (linear taper). Tayda Electronics #A-1984 or similar.
  • One 100 kO (audio/logarithmic taper). Tayda Electronics #A-1956 or similar.
  • One 500 kO or 1 MO (linear taper). Tayda Electronics #A-1985 or #A-1658 or similar.
• Capacitors: When you buy the capacitors in the following list, it's important to look for a voltage rating of 16 volts (V) or higher. Prices range from roughly $0.01 to $1.49 each, depending on the size and supplier. Tayda Electronics sells each value for just pennies. Always order at least one extra, especially electrolytic capacitors. Note in the following list that F is the abbreviation for farads, the unit of measure for capacitance:
  • One 2200 pF (which is 2.2 nF or 0.0022 µF) ceramic disc
  • Two 0.01 µF Mylar (polyester) film
  • One 0.047 µF ceramic disc
  • One 0.1 µF Mylar (polyester) film
  • One 4.7 µF electrolytic
  • Two 10 µF electrolytic
  • One 22 µF electrolytic
  • One 47 µF electrolytic
  • One 220 µF electrolytic
  • One 470 µF electrolytic
  • Optional: One 100 µF electrolytic
• LEDs and other diodes: Minimum quantities are specified in the following list, but I recommend you purchase at least a few more of each. (They're cheap - and they're fryable.)
  • Ten diffused light-emitting diodes (LEDs), any size (3 mm or 5 mm recommended), any color. Buy at least one red, one yellow, and one green for the traffic light circuit in Project 13. Tayda Electronics sells 5 mm LEDs for $0.03 each in green (#A-1553), red (#A-1554), and yellow (#A-1555), as well as other colors and sizes for a few pennies each. (I suggest you buy ten red, ten yellow, and ten green.)
  • Eight ultrabright clear LEDs, 5 mm, white. Tayda Electronics #A-408...