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+I sucked at handling my Rpi gpio pins.
+I got everything backward you could.
+I blew up a MAX-31855 chip. POOF, UP IN SMOKE!
+Don't be like me...
+
+If you're using a breadboard with a labeled break-out board, verify
+where pin one is using a multimeter.  it sounds stupid, but it will save you time.
+measure the voltage between all the 3V3 pins and a GND pin
+measure the voltage betwwen all the GND pins and a GND pin
+measure the voltage between the 5V pins and a GND pin.
+if everything measures as expected, continue.  if not, go back to the first step.
+
+run
+gpio readall
+and make sure the mode for all GPIO pins you want to test have a Mode of IN
+if not, set the mode for each.. 
+
+# set BCM pin 4 as an input
+gpio -g mode 4 input
+
+# verify it got set correctly using
+gpio readall
+
+# enable pull-down resistor for pin 4 to make sure V stays
+# zero when nothing is connected to the input 
+gpio -g mode 4 down
+
+
+ +-----+-----+---------+------+---+---Pi 3---+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
+ | BCM | wPi |   Name  | Mode | V | Physical | V | Mode | Name    | wPi | BCM |
+ +-----+-----+---------+------+---+----++----+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
+ |     |     |    3.3v |      |   |  1 || 2  |   |      | 5v      |     |     |
+ |   2 |   8 |   SDA.1 |   IN | 1 |  3 || 4  |   |      | 5v      |     |     |
+ |   3 |   9 |   SCL.1 |   IN | 1 |  5 || 6  |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
+ |   4 |   7 | GPIO. 7 |   IN | 0 |  7 || 8  | 0 | IN   | TxD     | 15  | 14  |
+ |     |     |      0v |      |   |  9 || 10 | 1 | IN   | RxD     | 16  | 15  |
+ |  17 |   0 | GPIO. 0 |   IN | 0 | 11 || 12 | 1 | IN   | GPIO. 1 | 1   | 18  |
+ |  27 |   2 | GPIO. 2 |   IN | 0 | 13 || 14 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
+ |  22 |   3 | GPIO. 3 |   IN | 0 | 15 || 16 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 4 | 4   | 23  |
+ |     |     |    3.3v |      |   | 17 || 18 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 5 | 5   | 24  |
+ |  10 |  12 |    MOSI |   IN | 0 | 19 || 20 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
+ |   9 |  13 |    MISO |   IN | 0 | 21 || 22 | 0 | IN   | GPIO. 6 | 6   | 25  |
+ |  11 |  14 |    SCLK |   IN | 0 | 23 || 24 | 1 | IN   | CE0     | 10  | 8   |
+ |     |     |      0v |      |   | 25 || 26 | 1 | IN   | CE1     | 11  | 7   |
+ |   0 |  30 |   SDA.0 |   IN | 0 | 27 || 28 | 1 | IN   | SCL.0   | 31  | 1   |
+ |   5 |  21 | GPIO.21 |   IN | 0 | 29 || 30 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
+ |   6 |  22 | GPIO.22 |   IN | 0 | 31 || 32 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.26 | 26  | 12  |
+ |  13 |  23 | GPIO.23 |   IN | 0 | 33 || 34 |   |      | 0v      |     |     |
+ |  19 |  24 | GPIO.24 |   IN | 0 | 35 || 36 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.27 | 27  | 16  |
+ |  26 |  25 | GPIO.25 |   IN | 0 | 37 || 38 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.28 | 28  | 20  |
+ |     |     |      0v |      |   | 39 || 40 | 0 | IN   | GPIO.29 | 29  | 21  |
+ +-----+-----+---------+------+---+----++----+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
+ | BCM | wPi |   Name  | Mode | V | Physical | V | Mode | Name    | wPi | BCM |
+ +-----+-----+---------+------+---+---Pi 3---+---+------+---------+-----+-----+
+
+watch gpio readall
+
+connect a 3V3 pin in series to a 1k ohm resistor
+connect the other end of the resistor to each gpio pin
+when it is connected V should be 1
+when it is disconnected V should be 0 
+my breadboard uses the BCM gpio pin numbering