Magnetic Circuits Are More Attractive Than Breadboarding via hack a day

This might be an interesting learning project for young ones who are just getting started. Sort of like an extension of Lego thinking. The space required to build things is a bit large, especially compared to a breadboard, but might be more understandable to someone who is new to electronics. Building the tiles adds another, hands-on, level to the learning that is a great combination with the electronics concept learned, too. This is a good, High-Tech/High-Touch project.— Douglas

Let’s face it, breadboarding can be frustrating, even for advanced electronics wizards. If you have an older board, you could be dealing with loose tie points left from large component legs, and power rails of questionable continuity. Conversely, it can be hard to jam just-made jumper wires into new boards without crumpling the copper. And no matter what the condition of the board is, once you’ve plugged in more than a few components, the circuit becomes hard to follow, much less troubleshoot when things go pear-shaped.

In the last twenty years or so, we’ve seen systems like Snap Circuits and Little Bits emerge that simplify the circuit building process by making the connections more intuitive and LEGO-like than even those 160-in-1 kits where you shove component legs between the coils of tight little springs. You will pay handsomely for this connective convenience. But why should you? Just make your own circuit blocks with cardboard, magnets, and copper tape. It should only cost about 10¢ each, as long as you source your magnets cheaply.

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