DC-Plug with "Some Assembly Required"  Help??

I just got my very first Arduino at Maker Faire as part of the "Getting Started with Arduino" kit. I'm very excited and have already done some of the programming and it works great. The kit came with a 9V Battery pack and a DC-plug that fits into the Arduino board to power it, but it needs some assembly. There are no wires or visible leads on the plug, just some heat shielding over a dark, forbidding hole where I'm assuming wires should go. I can't find instructions for hooking wires up to this thing, and while I COULD cut the heat-shielding off and probably figure it out, I was hoping someone out there would take pity on a n3wb and tell me the magic secret of using the plug.

Help?

:slight_smile:

Chad

I haven't seen the kit, but "some assembly required" type plugs usually unscrew to reveal the places where wires and solder go.

Tip: make sure that the cover is slipped over the wire (and in the right direction) before you start soldering. Then check it. Then check it again. It sucks if you forget, then have to remove wires or to wrap it up in tape because you don't want to do it over. DAMHIKT.

-j

Congratulations, you have passed my little test. Of COURSE I knew to unscrew it!

Ahem.

Thanks for the pointer. I feel like a bonehead.

Chad

Make sure you get the polarity right :slight_smile:

Usually the center pin should be + and the other one -

Some AC adapters have adjustable polarity so watch out :slight_smile:

Try not to feed the board more than +12V because the regulator will overheat and may get fried

The recommended input voltage using an external power supply is 7-12V

:slight_smile:

Gnu, I think he intends to run it from the 9v battery he got with his kit :wink:

Aye it would seem so :slight_smile:

Although using an AC to DC adapter will save the cost of batteries and reduce waste at the cost of portability

/me recommends using an AC to DC adapter or more environmentally friendly rechargeable batteries ( NiMH, Li-Ion, Li-Po ) rather than disposable batteries :slight_smile:

Avoid Ni-Cd batteries, they blow!

:smiley:

http://ladyada.net/learn/arduino/starterpack.html#battpack