Cable Jumper: what is it, what is it for, and where to buy

El jumper cable, or jumper cable, It usually comes in a multitude of electronic kits, from some of robotics, to those of Arduino, etc. In addition, they are very practical cables for a large number of electronic projects. Not just for use on a PCB like the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins, but also for projects in a protoboard.

In this article you will learn everything you need to know about these cables, the existing types, and also where you can buy them.

What is a jumper or bridge?

Un jumper or jumper It is an electronic element that allows to open or close an electrical circuit through terminals. The jumper is usually soldered to the PCB, like the GPIOs of a Rasbperry Pi (males), or the inputs and outputs of an Arduino board (females). Thanks to a small piece of plastic with a conductive plate inside, it can be easily inserted into these terminals to bridge the connections.

These jumpers are usually on rows of one or several rows, and the connectors used usually link 2 of these pins, although there are more. A cheaper and more compact alternative to DIP switches. However, they also have their drawbacks, such as the inscriptions of some that are confusing or only their function is specified in the PCB manual.

What is a jumper cable or jumper cable?

As I have mentioned before, those pins or terminals were bridged with the help of a small piece or jumper. But for that to be possible, the terminals must be adjacent. If they aren't, or they're far apart on different circuits or different parts of the board, then you'd have to use a jumper cable or jumper cable.

these wires they are very popular to connect a multitude of modules and devices to the GPIOs of a Raspberry Pi, or to connect components to an Arduino board, to connect the reset and power buttons to the motherboard of a PC, for projects on breadboards as an alternative to the welding for easy assembly and disassembly, etc.

these wires can only be fixed with the insert of its ends, matching the male pin with the female. That is, they are very fast to connect and disconnect.

Types

Of course, the jumper cable has various types you should know:

• According to his physiognomy: there are male and female, but in the market you will find variations of cables with homogeneous or heterogeneous ends. That is to say:
  • Female-female at both ends.
  • Female Male.
  • Male-male at both ends.
• Depending on the connection: depending on the connection, they usually have insulated terminals, which are the most common and those that can be male and female, and there are also some special versions with crocodile clips on their tip(s). This type of clamp can be used to take readings, or temporarily bridge components when there is no specific connector, allowing the clamp to be anchored to a terminal or conductor.

Where to buy cables of this type

If you would like to buy cables of this type for your projects, You will not find them in regular stores, but in specialized stores. You can also opt for the most comfortable and cheap, buy them on Amazon, like these that we recommend here:

• ELEGOO 120 jumper cables (40 female-female, 40 male-male, and 40 female-male) 20 cm long.
• 60 colored mini-jumpers or loose jumpers.
• Briefcase with kit of head pieces or pin headers and jumpers.
• 620-piece case. An assortment of different types of terminals for your PCBs.
• 560 jumper wires of 14 different lengths and colors for a breadboard.
• 20 jumper wires and crocodile clips.