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Alligator clips connected to the pads of an Adafruit Gemma M0 board.

The boards in this guide are all self-contained. You can use them without adding any additional switches, sensors, lights, or buzzers. 

But it's also simple to add more components -- without soldering or breadboards! Large holes around the edges of the CPX and Gemma let you work with the boards in multiple ways:

  • You can attach alligator clip wires to the holes.
  • You can attach conductive foil or fabric tape.
  • You can sew through the holes with conductive thread.
  • You can attach component wires with small screws.

And because the boards are small and light, you can wear them using stick-on pin backs or hang them from lanyards. You can also connect them to their battery cases or to your project with common craft materials, such as glue dots or peel-and-stick Velcro tabs. This makes them easy to re-use when the project is done.

Adafruit recommends that beginners stick to AA or AAA batteries to make their projects portable. The smaller, lighter LiPo or Li-Ion batteries require special charging. They also need to be handled carefully, so it's best to avoid them in projects for kids.

This guide was first published on Aug 06, 2019. It was last updated on Jul 14, 2019.

This page (Helpful Hardware) was last updated on Aug 03, 2019.

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