A jump wire is a length of insulated wire, typically fitted with pin connectors or stripped ends, used to route signals across a breadboard or patch a broken trace on a printed circuit board. They are essential for rapid prototyping, allowing engineers to modify circuit topologies without cutting traces or soldering new components.
Heard on the job
Grab a jump wire and bypass that blown fuse so we can see if the rest of the board powers up.
Also heard as
- jumper
- jumper wire
- dupont wire
Related terms
Breadboard
A reusable platform with a grid of spring-clip holes used for prototyping electronic circuits without soldering.
Protoboard
A reusable grid of spring clips used to build and test circuits without soldering.
Rats nest
A chaotic, tangled mess of wires, cables, or unrouted printed circuit board connections.