few suggestions to make this more breadboard friendly:
move the front headers 0.05" forward or backward
add a ground pin to the side, it’s nearly impossible to use this thing on a breadboard if you don’t, the odd spacing between the front 4 pins and the side pins makes it also impossible to solder a male header to the only GND pin to use on a breadboard
add two pairs of jumper pads on the USB D+ and D- lines to the FT232R chip, and then add two pins to the side of the board so I can use the breakout board as a mini-B USB breakout board without the FTDI chip disturbing the D+ and D- lines.
I have purchased some boards but they are the “green” edition. I have designed a host socket to place them on my controller’s board that is pin compatible with “green” edition.
If I order some more now sparkfun will sent me the "red edition? If yes then I should alter the host socket layout on my board as well!!
If you can make (pcbs) and solder TH components, you can do surface mount. It’s just not that hard. Frankly, I think SMDs are EASIER than TH. They are certainly faster. Yeah, they are small so you might need some magnification. However, for 1206s and SOICs, I don’t need any. My equipment of choice? A temp controlled soldering iron.
If you are going to do much with electronics, you’ll have to learn to live with SMDs. TH is sooo 20th century.
