This is the latest (main) BeagleBoard documentation. If you are looking for stable releases, use the drop-down menu on the bottom-left and select the desired version.

Parts and Suppliers

The following tables list where you can find the parts used in this book. We have listed only one or two sources here, but you can often find a given part in many places.

Table 135 United States suppliers

Supplier

Website

Notes

Adafruit

http://www.adafruit.com

Good for modules and parts

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/

Carries everything

Digikey

http://www.digikey.com/

Wide range of components

MakerShed

http://www.makershed.com/

Good for modules, kits, and tools

SeeedStudio

https://www.seeedstudio.com/SBC-Beaglebone-Original-c-2031.html?

Low-cost modules

SparkFun

http://www.sparkfun.com

Good for modules and parts

Table 136 Other suppliers

Supplier

Website

Notes

Element14

http://element14.com/BeagleBone

World-wide BeagleBoard.org-compliant clone of BeagleBone Black, carries many accessories

Prototyping Equipment

Many of the hardware projects in this book use jumper wires and a breadboard. We prefer the preformed wires that lie flat on the board. Jumper wires lists places with jumper wires, and Breadboards shows where you can get breadboards.

Table 137 Jumper wires

Supplier

Website

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Piece-Pre-formed-Jumper-Wire/dp/B0002H7AIG

Digikey

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/TW-E012-000/438-1049-ND/643115

SparkFun

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/124

Table 138 Breadboards

Supplier

Website

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=breadboards&sprefix=breadboards%2Ctoys-and-games

Digikey

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/solderless-breadboards/638

SparkFun

https://www.sparkfun.com/search/results?term=breadboard

CircuitCo

https://elinux.org/BeagleBoneBreadboard (no longer manufactured, but design available)

If you want something more permanent, try Adafruit’s Perma-Proto Breadboard, laid out like a breadboard.

Resistors

We use 220 , 1k, 4.7k, 10k, 20k, and 22 kΩ resistors in this book. All are 0.25 W. The easiest way to get all these, and many more, is to order SparkFun’s Resistor Kit. It’s a great way to be ready for future projects, because it has 500 resistors.

If you don’t need an entire kit of resistors, you can order a la carte from a number of places. DigiKey has more than a quarter million through-hole resistors at good prices, but make sure you are ordering the right one.

You can find the 10 kΩ trimpot (or variable resistor) at SparkFun 10k POT or Adafruit 10k POT.

Flex resistors (sometimes called flex sensors or bend sensors) are available at SparkFun flex resistors and Adafruit flex resistors.

Transistors and Diodes

The 2N3904 is a common NPN transistor that you can get almost anywhere. Even Amazon NPN transitor has it. Adafruit NPN transitor has a nice 10-pack. SparkFun NPN transitor lets you buy them one at a time. DigiKey NPN transitor will gladly sell you 100,000.

The 1N4001 is a popular 1A diode. Buy one at SparkFun diode, 10 at Adafruit diode, or 10,000 at DigiKey diode.

Integrated Circuits

The PCA9306 is a small integrated circuit (IC) that converts voltage levels between 3.3 V and 5 V. You can get it cheaply in large quantities from DigiKey PCA9306, but it’s in a very small, hard-to-use, surface-mount package. Instead, you can get it from SparkFun PCA9306 on a Breakout board, which plugs into a breadboard.

The L293D is an H-bridge IC with which you can control large loads (such as motors) in both directions. SparkFun L293D, Adafruit L293D, and DigiKey L293D all have it in a DIP package that easily plugs into a breadboard.

The ULN2003 is a 7 darlington NPN transistor IC array used to drive motors one way. You can get it from DigiKey ULN2003. A possible substitution is ULN2803 available from SparkFun ULN2003 and Adafruit ULN2003.

The TMP102 is an I2C-based digital temperature sensor. You can buy them in bulk from DigiKey TMP102, but it’s too small for a breadboard. SparkFun TMP102 sells it on a breakout board that works well with a breadboard.

The DS18B20 is a one-wire digital temperature sensor that looks like a three-terminal transistor. Both SparkFun DS18B20 and Adafruit DS18B20 carry it.

Opto-Electronics

LEDs are light-emitting diodes. LEDs come in a wide range of colors, brightnesses, and styles. You can get a basic red LED at SparkFun red LED, Adafuit red LED, and DigiKey red LED.

Many places carry bicolor LED matrices, but be sure to get one with an I2C interface. Adafruit LED matrix is where I got mine.

Capes

There are a number of sources for capes for BeagleBone Black. BeagleBoard.org capes page keeps a current list.

Miscellaneous

Here are some things that don’t fit in the other categories.

Table 139 Miscellaneous

3.3 V FTDI cable

SparkFun FTDI cable, Adafruit FTDI cable

USB WiFi adapter

Adafruit WiFi adapter

HDMI cable

SparkFun HDMI cable

Micro HDMI to HDMI cable

Adafruit HDMI to microHDMI cable

HDMI to DVI Cable

SparkFun HDMI to DVI cable

HDMI monitor

Amazon HDMI monitor

Powered USB hub

Amazon power USB hub, Adafruit power USB hub

Soldering iron

SparkFun soldering iron, Adafruit soldering iron

Oscilloscope

Adafruit oscilloscope

Multimeter

SparkFun multimeter, Adafruit multimeter

PowerSwitch Tail II

SparkFun PowerSwitch Tail II, Adafruit PowerSwitch Tail II

Servo motor

SparkFun servo motor, Adafruit servo motor

5 V power supply

SparkFun 5V power supply, Adafruit 5V power supply

3 V to 5 V motor

SparkFun 3V-5V motor, Adafruit 3V-5V motor

3 V to 5 V bipolar stepper motor

SparkFun 3V-5V bipolar stepper motor, Adafruit 3V-5V bipolar stepper motor

3 V to 5 V unipolar stepper motor

Adafruit 3V-5V unipolar stepper motor

Pushbutton switch

SparkFun pushbutton switch, Adafruit pushbutton switch

Magnetic reed switch

SparkFun magnetic reed switch

LV-MaxSonar-EZ1 Sonar Range Finder

SparkFun LV-MaxSonar-EZ1, Amazon LV-MaxSonar-EZ1

HC-SR04 Ultrsonic Range Sensor

Amazon HC-SR04

Rotary encoder

SparkFun rotary encoder, Adafruit rotary encoder

GPS receiver

SparkFun GPS, Adafruit GPS

BLE USB dongle

Adafruit BLE USB dongle

Syba SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter

Amazon USB audio adapter

Sabrent External Sound Box USB-SBCV

Amazon USB audio adapter (alt)

Vantec USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter

Amazon USB audio adapter (alt2)