Components
Individual components and accessories for assembly and repair.
Frequently asked questions about components and connectors
Where can I buy capacitors, and what types are there?
Right here in our shop, individually and in assortments. For electronics projects you usually need two types: ceramic capacitors for small values in the picofarad and nanofarad range, and electrolytic capacitors for larger values from about one microfarad. Electrolytic capacitors are polarized — the negative terminal is marked on the housing.
XT30, XT30U, XT60 or XT90 — which connector is right?
The number stands for the current rating in amps: XT30 up to 30 A, XT60 up to 60 A, XT90 up to 90 A. The U in XT30U refers to the rounded housing shape; electrically, the connector is identical to the XT30. Connectors of different sizes don’t fit into each other.
What is a jumper wire?
A jumper wire is a short plug-in cable for breadboards and pin headers. There are three variants: male–male for breadboard to breadboard, male–female for connecting modules and female–female for pin headers. If you’re just getting started, a set with all three is worth it.
Which pin headers and female headers fit Arduino and Raspberry Pi?
Both use a 2.54 mm pitch. This means standard pin headers, female headers and Dupont cables fit Arduino, Raspberry Pi and most modules. Smaller pitches such as JST-XH with 2.5 mm or JST-PH with 2.0 mm are not compatible.
Active or passive buzzer — what’s the difference?
An active buzzer has built-in tone generation: apply voltage and it beeps. A passive buzzer needs a signal at the desired frequency from the microcontroller — but in return, you can use it to play melodies and different pitches.
What is an optocoupler?
An optocoupler transmits a signal by light instead of by wire: an LED and a phototransistor sit in one housing with no electrical connection between them. This lets you isolate two circuits from each other — for example, when a 5 V microcontroller needs to switch something running on mains voltage.