What are Jumper Wires used for?
Jumper wires are wires that have a connector pin at each end. This allows them to be used to connect two things without having to solder. Think of a sensor to a motherboard or one of a component to another component on a Breadboard. Or just to connect your Arduino or Raspberry Pi to a Breadboard.
Jumper Wires are generally used during prototypes with breadboards or similar prototyping tools. Because you don’t have to solder it is very easy to adapt the project.
Jumper wires come in different shapes and sizes. You can always find a type that suits your project.
There are 3 different combinations possible. You have:
- F/F – Female / Female, These have a connector on both sides where a pin can be inserted.
- M/M – Male / Male, These have a connector with a pin on both sides. For example, you can put it in a breadboard.
- F/M – Female / Male, This one has a connector where a pin can be inserted and on one side a connector with a pin.
What do the colors mean?
Basically there is no difference in the jumper wires, the colors have no special meaning.
However, the different colors are useful, you can give it a value to it like Red for the ”power” and Black for the ”ground”
This makes it easier to quickly find the right thread in large projects.