.. _cpn_wires:

Jumper Wires
=====================

Wires that link two terminals are known as jumper wires. There are various types of jumper wires, but here we will focus on those commonly used with breadboards. They serve to transmit electrical signals from any point on the breadboard to the input/output pins of a microcontroller.

Jumper wires are connected by inserting their "end connectors" into the slots of the breadboard. Underneath the breadboard's surface, there are sets of parallel plates that connect these slots in groups of rows or columns, depending on the section of the board. The "end connectors" are placed into the desired slots on the breadboard without soldering, making connections as needed for the specific prototype.

There are three main types of jumper wires: Female-to-Female, Male-to-Male, and Male-to-Female. The names describe the connectors on each end. Male-to-Female wires have a protruding pin on one end and a recessed female connector on the other. Male-to-Male wires have pins on both ends, while Female-to-Female wires have sockets on both ends.

.. image:: img/Jumper_Wires.png


Multiple types of jumper wires can be utilized in a single project. Although jumper wires come in various colors, these colors do not indicate differences in their function. The colors are simply a design feature to help distinguish and identify the connections between different parts of the circuit more easily.