This weekend I went to build a circuit for use in an upcoming video. There were two components I was confident that were in my parts kit: a 555 timer and a counter. Now, I did not know which counter I had, but I assumed I must have at least one decade counter in my pile of ICs. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had no 555 timers and only a single type of counter. And that counter was a johnson-counter designed to drive common cathode 7-segment displays. To make things worse, the only 7-segment displays I have were common anode!
Thinking about all the various types of components, I started to wonder, what else should I check to see if I have in stock? Passives like capacitors or resistors seem like an easy one. But what values? Are inductors critical? If so, what kind? And then when it comes to ICs, what are ones people are still commonly using?
So, two questions for the community:
What are the top 5-10 parts you keep your electronics kit?
Related to that idea, what about consumables such as solder, cotton swabs, and tape?
Top Comments
This is close to what I was thinking! I think a barebones kit can get away without inductors, for most people.
For resistors and caps, the E3 series (or even just an "E2" series of just 1.0 and 3.3) across…
Here are some things I have thought of so far:
Some great suggestions are already above.
for op-amps MCP604
for logic I would include some CMOS: like a 4040 ripple counter
I use CMOS 555s such as (LMC555)
heat shrink tubing
wire ties
USB connectors
an LCD…