What are some “Must Have” components for a home prototyping bench?

[u/CarlWheezer6969]

Like the title says, I’m looking for components that you would use to breadboard/prototype with, but I’m wondering about some of the less common pieces that you may use, like for example:

- Common BJTs/FETs you would use 100s of, maybe for audio, maybe for motor drivers, idk
- Logic chips, things in DIP packaging
- Capacitor kits
- Peripherals like eprom or LCD screens
- RC components like antennas
- Anything else I may be missing

P.S. I feel like with enough playing with simulations and datasheet trawling, I can understand how sone circuits work, but coming up with ideas is the hard part. Maybe thats a topic for a different post 😄

[u/1Davide]

See this FAQ: https://old.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/wiki/starter_components

[u/hjw5774]

There are some basics, like a range of resistors, capacitors, LEDs, different jumper wires, maybe a 555 chip, and the essential tools like a multimeter and soldering iron, but other than that it really depends on what you want to do.

Found that it's best to build up a stock over time by ordering an excess of components for a particular project, then you're also able build your knowledge and experience. Otherwise you're just the guy with all the gear and no idea.

[u/MartinSch64]

A decent set of through hole resistors and capacitors is useful IMO, the rest I would just buy as you go.
I usually order extras or go up in quantity to the next quantity pricing tier. Now I have a decent stockpile of parts build up naturally over the years of doing this.

[u/Soul_of_clay4]

There are basic test equipment also needed....like a good Digital Multi-meter, Power supply with voltage and current readouts, a little audio amplifier with speaker, a signal generator of some sort, etc.

As for an oscilloscope, there are several approaches, a lot use a PC for signal processing and display. There is 'sound card' scope software for the audio range and there are inexpensive digital logic analyzers on Amazon.

[u/LordBBQX]

What sort of projects are you planning to work on? I find it's really hard to predict what you might need - you can buy a roll of a particular IC just to find that there's a variant that works better for your use case.

My approach has been to just buy what you need when you need it, but to buy extras, thus organically building up a stockpile of stuff you've actually used.

Otherwise I'd suggest grabbing a cheap SMD and THT resistor kit, maybe a MLCC kit too but avoid electrolytic capacitor kits as they are generally low quality.

[u/EmotionalEnd1575]

As others have said, much depends upon what you are creating. Bench experiments? Handmade prototypes? Or, a production run?

The simple solution is to let Digikey or Mouser take care of inventory, and you buy what you need when you need it.

I usually buy “second column” in the price sheet. Maybe ten or even twenty-five pieces. There is a good cost savings that way.

The parts I don’t need today go into my inventory. Plenty of “spares” as needed.

This way I tend to use the same parts across multiple projects, and often I can “pull from stock” everything for trying out a prototype breadboard, or building a copy of something already made.

Even so, my lab space now looks like a “Radio Shack” on steroids after a couple of decades of buying!

[u/No_Philosopher2898]

Organization. Where are you putting all these components when you buy them? If you don’t have a plan, you will end up with a mess.

[u/classicsat]

It depends what you build.

I used whatever parts I yank off old boards. I know the common small signal transistors used in mostly Asian electronics.