SparkFun Inventor's Kit (for Arduino Uno) - V3.2

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

Headers

Rows of connector contacts on a fixed pitch (commonly 2.54 mm) used to link a board to a breadboard, jumper wires, or another board. They come as male pin headers and female socket headers; when a module ships with pre-soldered headers it can be used straight away, whereas bare pads require soldering the pins yourself.

LCD

LCD stands for liquid crystal display, a screen technology that uses a backlight and liquid crystals to show images or text. It matters because LCD modules usually need a display driver and enough controller pins or a bus interface to send image data.

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.

photocell

A light-sensitive component whose electrical resistance changes with the amount of light falling on it. It matters when choosing or using light sensors, automatic lights, or brightness-detecting circuits because its response speed, resistance range, and sensitivity affect how reliably it detects light levels.

potentiometer

A variable resistor usually turned with a knob or shaft to create an adjustable electrical signal. It is often used for inputs such as volume, brightness or position, so it helps beginners learn how a microcontroller reads changing values.

RGB

Short for red, green and blue, the three primary colours of light that are mixed in varying amounts to make a wide range of colours. In electronics RGB can refer to an LED or pixel that blends these three colours, or to a colour signal or interface that carries separate red, green and blue channels.

servo motor

A motor module that moves to a commanded angle rather than simply spinning freely. It matters for robotics and mechanisms because it is useful for steering, arms, gates and other parts that need controlled position.