document updated 19 years ago, on Apr 5, 2006

(eg. things that are so damn useful that I can't have enough)

TL750L05CLP Voltage Regulator, a 150mA LDO low-quiescent, perfect for at least large batteries, far more current than is needed to drive a few logic IC's ($0.70)
- Include two .1µF 15v ceramic radial-package capactors (one for the input and one for the output) ($0.20 ea)
- Include a 10µF 5v electrolytic output radial-package electrolytic capactor ($0.40 ea)
16F628 PIC microcontroller, 18-DIP, 20mhz max ($4.00)

any cheap 5v LED's for easy microcontroller debugging (axial, if you can help it) (eg. SSL-LXA227GD-5V)
a couple capacitors normally used
- 20pF for external oscilators
- 1uF for MAX232's
- .1u and 22u for the on-breadboard part of the power supply
- ceramic bypass capacitors
some 1n4004's for on-breadboard part of the power supply (i.e. dummy diode)
pre-drilled copper protoboards for very easy PCB layout
MOSFETs to drive loads

7 segment displays
maybe some 7-segment drivers
momentary pushbuttons that will work on breadboards (like these)
LED's + 330ohm resistors
perhaps a couple 7805's
a red/black bananna plug pair (do these exist?)
some 2N3906 transistors for multiplexing 7-segment LED's
one or two 16f870's (w/ 5ch 10bit A/D) for the pain thing.
A 10:1 transformer
The resistors and LED's to build some stock arrays of this, both in array and 7-segment form. Put some headers or whatever on it so I can connect it to the breadboard whenever I want. This is an exception to the "don't build a daughterboard" rule since it's so damn useful but such a pain to build one, and I won't need many of them built. 7-segment displays should be both cathode and anode common.
Perhaps one or two more 16F877's
Perhaps some different-coated wires, in case I need to build connectors with more than 4 colors :)
Possibly a daughterboard for debugging the circuit... a bunch of switches and lights (probably a matrix of both) that are as multiplexed as possible, allowing me to connect this into a bank of pins and use it for debugging the program. Of course, serial I/O would be both more flexible, and cheaper. (something like this.
Enough 3.5mm stereo connectors, pots, and resistors for a 6-input stereo mixer