The package includes the following items.
Notes.
Breadboard.
My students use the Jameco JE25 Breadboard from Jameco ($18.00) and my experience has been that they hold up for the three years the students are required to use them. I distrust the quality of the spring steel in cheaper models, notably those marketed by Radio Shack.
This is an 8.5 X 4.5 inch unit with two terminal strips, four bus strips and three binding posts. The wiring area includes 1660 contacts. It is attractive and sufficiently large to accommodate most projects. In fact my students use the board in many courses and may have several designs on the board at one time.
Power Supply.
My students use a 9VDC plugin transformer that is actually 11.5 - 12.5 VDC and the quality of the DC is excellent. We then wire a 7805 in a TO-220 package with a heat sink on the breadboard. The result is +12 and +5 with a total current capability of over 1.0 A; enough for the Stamp, a fair amount of TTL and CMOS and a healthy reserve for turning a motor.
For the Stamp user, this alleviates resorting to the Stamp's on board regulator. I just do not like the idea of powering a Stamp with +12 and then using the on-board regulator to provide a source of +5.0 VDC. It seems a fast and certain way to disappointment.
Serial Cable.
The serial cable consists of a five foot piece of 10-conductor ribbon cable terminated with a 9-pin DB25 female on the PC side and a 10-pin female header on the other. This mates with a male header with wirewrap terminals that may be inserted into the breadboard.
Logic Probe.
The Logic "Probe" consists of an 8-pin PIC, LED and resistor. It detects logic one (LED on), logic 0 (LED off), opens (LED dim) and pulses (LED flashes). This was designed by H. Paul Roach and it is truly an incredible design.