Editing Breadboard (section)

== Limitations ==
[[file:68k ttl.jpg|thumb|Complex circuit built around a microprocessor]]
[[file:Ultrasound-PreAmp-Breadboard.jpg|thumb|Prototype microphone preamp built with SMD components soldered to [[Single in-line package|SIP]]- or [[Dual_in-line_package|DIL]] adapter boards]]

Due to relatively large [[parasitic capacitance]] compared to a properly laid out PCB (approx 2&nbsp;pF between adjacent contact columns<ref name=ContactCapacitance>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=David |title=EEVblog #568 - Solderless Breadboard Capacitance |publisher=EEVblog |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GIscUsnlM0 |access-date=15 January 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121081038/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GIscUsnlM0 |archive-date=21 January 2014 }}</ref>), high [[inductance]] of some connections and a relatively high and not very reproducible contact [[Electrical resistance|resistance]], solderless breadboards are limited to operation at relatively low frequencies, usually less than 10&nbsp;[[Megahertz|MHz]], depending on the nature of the circuit. The relatively high contact resistance can already be a problem for some DC and very low frequency circuits. Solderless breadboards are further limited by their voltage and current ratings.

Solderless breadboards usually cannot accommodate [[surface-mount technology]] devices (SMD) or components with grid spacing other than {{convert|0.1|in|mm|2}}. Further, they cannot accommodate components with multiple rows of connectors if these connectors do not match the [[Dual in-line package|dual in-line]] layout&mdash;it is impossible to provide the correct electrical connectivity. Sometimes small [[Printed circuit board|PCB]] adapters called "breakout adapters" can be used to fit the component to the board. Such adapters carry one or more components and have {{convert|0.1|in|mm|2}} spaced male connector pins in a [[Single in-line package|single in-line]] or dual in-line layout, for insertion into a solderless breadboard. Larger components are usually plugged into a socket on the adapter, while smaller components (e.g., SMD resistors) are usually soldered directly onto the adapter. The adapter is then plugged into the breadboard via the {{convert|0.1|in|mm|2|abbr=on}} connectors. However, the need to solder the components onto the adapter negates some of the advantage of using a solderless breadboard.

Very complex circuits can become unmanageable on a solderless breadboard due to the large amount of wiring required. The very convenience of easy plugging and unplugging of connections also makes it too easy to accidentally disturb a connection, and the system becomes unreliable. It is possible to prototype systems with thousands of connecting points, but great care must be taken in careful assembly, and such a system becomes unreliable as contact resistance develops over time. At some point, very complex systems must be implemented in a more reliable interconnection technology, to have a likelihood of working over a usable time period.