ArduSHIELD – most versatile shield for ARDUINO - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 04:43:06 pm
content: I'm really thrilled to let you know for Crowdfunding Campaign for ArduShield.Now campaing is on the way.https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/adrushield-most-universal-shield-for-arduino-ever/x/9770034#/For those who will support ArduShield within first 48 hours we are planning attractive rewards.Thank you.Simon.Hi to everybody.I'm Simon, and I'm a fan of the Arduino.Over time I play with different type of Arduino boards like Uno, Mini, Pro Mini, Nano, Micro and other derivative boards.Base on experience with Arduino boards some few things bother me and few other buddys.Base on this I came up with an idea of shield called ArduSHIELD.This project is stillunder construction, so I am willing to listening your voice, what bother you mostly, what can be improve, what can be done in easier.ArduShield it is versatile development shield for most popular Arduino boards like aArduino UNO R3, Mini, Pro Mini V5, Nano V3, MicroR3, Leonardo, Yun, Zero, Galileo Gen2 and many other derivative boards.AdruShield with other shieldsIdea for ArduShield was born out of the problem that hit several Arduino fans.First we found that we had many shields that fit only to Arduino UNO, but they don't fit to Arduino Mini, Pro Mini, Nano and other type of smaller Arduino board.Smaller Arduino boards are much more cost effective then Arduino UNO, and we want to use them to.Example of Ethernet shield drive by Arduino Micro.Example of 2×16 LED display shield drive by Arduino Pro Mini.Simplify design with AdruShieldSecond thing what most bother us over time, was when we have to start one more time re-wiring Arduino and bread board because of some small mistake which cannot be find.Idea was to shrink down amount of the cable between Arduino UNO and Bread Board minimum by half.Move Arduino pins to bread boardAnother things about ArduShield is that you can have access for all pins of Arduino on bread board instantly.Power supply on bread boardAnother useful thing about ArduShield is that you can have power supply to your bread board.You can also use VCC or GND signal separately if you want just by cutting narrow trace on BR1 or BR2.If you want to go back with this connection just place a drop of tin between cuted trace.Programming tool for Arduino Mini and Arduino Pro MiniArduShield can be use like a programing tool for Arduino mini and Arduino Pro Mini. This board require external programmer.Now if you have Arduino UNO board you can connect Arduino Mini or Arduino Pro Mini instantly to ArduShield and play with them via Arduino IDE.Access for analog pins A4 A5 A6 and A7 of Arduino Mini and Arduino Pro MiniWith ArduShield we can get access for all of the pins Arduino Mini and Pro Mini on bread board.Till now when you need to use pinsA4, A5, A6, A7with Arduino Mini there where make short cut with pin 8 and 9 on bread board.With Arduino Pro Mini pins were not place in the 0.1inch (2.54mm) raster. They had this weird spacing.Full flexibility when you design with ArduShieldArduShield provide access for all 4 holes from each side of bread board.Comparing with Arduino Micro and Nano we have access for 2 and 3 pins after assembly PCB on bread board.Access for 4 holes on each side give us high flexibility during design.Two prototype on one bread board with ArduShieldThe nice thing about this shield is that you can develope even 2 prototype at the one time on one bread board, without the need to disconnect everything.How it is frustrated when you need to jump shortly to another prototype and check some new idea. Now this changed a bit.Just flip side of the AdruShield on bread board and you are ready to go with your second idea.What is the ArduShield compatible with?Already Tested:Arduino UNO R3Arduino Micro R3Arduino Nano V3Arduino Mini V5Arduino Mini ProIntel GalileoArduino Nano V3 - clonCompatibility based on schematic analysis:ArduinoYunArduino ZeroArduino LeonardoPlan to expand ArduShield about new functionsIf you like ArduShield idea and you would like to be with all update you can make it herehttp://www.awesomepcb.com/ardushield.Thank you for your time to look on this idea, and let me know what do you think.Thanks, Simon.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 05:15:35 pm
content: Pretty clever.I would add that there are plenty of other boards (non Arduino) that have Arduino headers, like the Intel Galileo, PSoC Pioneer kits, and many more that could make use of the core part of your project.Also, re-do the animated images that fade to white in between, They flash and are hard to look at, the ones without transition look better.

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 05:32:05 pm
content: Thanks for your replay.Concerning derivatives Arduino, sure you have a right there are plenty.About gif thanks for that hint.

author: MagicSmoker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 05:47:47 pm
content: Clever idea that appears to be well executed!

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 06:16:49 pm
content: Thanks, feedback are welcome what can be improved.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 09:40:54 pm
content: Clever idea, well done.One thing to watch out for is that not all breadboards have the same spacing of the power rails, both relative to each other and to the main board area, so the little power tab part will make the board incompatible with certain breadboards.

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 09:55:15 pm
content: Thanks for appreciation,this is true, I found that full size breadboard with 830 fields are ok.With half size problem appera with small mismatch for power supply.I found that solution for this can be use longer gold pins, which will have higher dilatation.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 10:29:50 pm
content: Cool product.I suspect the spacing will not work with 3M breadboards.

author: TinkerFan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 10:34:37 pm
content: It's a fantastic idea, well done!I'm not sure, whether that would be too much, but how about linking two (or even more) Arduino's together to do something (I²C or SPI)?Or another idea would be, to put an option on the board to program the smaller Arduinos without a USB interface via ISP with another Arduino...

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 10:39:15 pm
content: @dadlerThanks,with this one should work except power supply pins, they need to be bent a bit.@TinkerFanConcerning I2C or SPI can you please draw a schematic sketch of your idea?At this moment I receive intermediate version of this PCB with programming socket for ATtiny85 family.here you will find instructable how to make it.http://www.awesomepcb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Instructable_How-to-program-ATtiny85_with_Arduino_UNO_rev02.pdforhttp://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Program-ATtiny85-With-Arduino-UNO/

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 11:02:14 pm
content: Great for when you have multiple breadboards already wired! Plug and play awesomness indeed!

author: jwm_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 11:06:14 pm
content: A quick and dirty way to have "alternative" bread board pin spacing is by abusing machine pin headers, place downward facing machine pin sockets in both locations, then a row of machine pin male ones can be put in the breadboard upside down to mate with the sockets that match it.

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2016, 11:14:07 pm
content: That is the great idea, and one more idea could be making an oval slots instead of holes, then you can place pins at first on breadboard and solder them later on.

author: TinkerFan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 02:07:11 pm
content: Quote from: AwesomePCB on January 23, 2016, 10:39:15 pmI've attached a diagramm (excuse the use of Paint and its look) of how I think it would be useful...But it should be possible to disconnect this option (jumper etc.) if all pins are needed.About the programming: That is exactly what I meant. Is there a way to connect it to the other Arduino sockets (a jumper again?)

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 06:18:43 pm
content: Thanks for schematic,as I understood, you would like to have external connector somewear on the PCB for I2C that you can plug other board with it. Is it correct?I'm not sure if there is enough place for all pins to have them on the jumper.Targer for this shield was also to have it like "plug and play" shield without need to look on the schematic and other specification, to make development more enjyoable.

author: TinkerFan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 10:36:58 pm
content: No, I thought about PCB traces (SDA, SCL, so 2 jumpers), which connect two to the arduinos, plugged in onto the PCB. But I'm not sure, how you would double the traces. Maby a seperate pinrow?

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2016, 10:47:10 pm
content: Note that there is at least one more pro-mini variant out there, the ones with Crystals, they have the extra analog pins the bottom edge.

author: obiwanjacobi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2016, 01:48:37 pm
content: Very nicely done! I would not extent the functionality too much. I don't see how the rgb led and oled display fit in. The AtTiny socked and ISP 6 pin header are excellent of course. Everything else I would defer to a separate shield...Just my 2c.

author: RobertBG
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2016, 07:34:08 pm
content: Great idea and it looks well executedAs far as the 3M power pin issue goes(I recall my old radioshack board being the same),if it was me I'd just unsolder those pins and solder 2 jumper wires that can be attached to the screw terminals on the breadboard.Another option would be to cut that tab off and put a right angle header that you could plug a connector in for power leads that go to binding posts on 3M boards or another angle connector that goes in the breadboard pins.It would allow you to still be plug and play but with more breadboard options,eliminate the solder pads and save you some steps during manufacturing.Anyway it is a great idea,I just figured I'd throw out some ideas to counter the few little things people had pointed out

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2016, 08:28:55 pm
content: @sleemanjThanks that you pointed out this board. It seems that this is derivative board from Arduino Pro Mini. Am I right?Reference for design of ArduSHIELD was original documentaion fromhttps://www.arduino.cc/en/uploads/Main/Arduino-Pro-Mini-schematic.pdf.@obiwanjacobiThanks for appreciation.QuoteIf you look around ICSP, it is enough place for RGB LED.Connector for OLED display will be located left down corner where is the power status LED at this moment.@RobertBGThanks.I think, that base on your assumption I will create list of "how to hack" ArduSHIELDThanks for your valuable voice

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2016, 07:01:53 pm
content: Hi Everybody,Soon I will run crowdfunding campaign for ArduSHIELD.You can sign uphereto know when it will be.For those who sign up I have prepared discount for rewards.I will be grateful for the share this message with community.Thank you,Simon.

author: jnshadow
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 01:33:20 am
content: Consider testing/labelling so that you can include Mega on list of compatible boards or at least provide remapping instructions/extra headers to raise the board and allow access to extra Mega pins.

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2016, 09:31:06 pm
content: Thanks for your message@jnshadow.It is possible to make ArduSHIELD for Mega compatible, but this required 4 layer PCB instead of 2 and also increase shape of it, in order to cover all of the pins of Mega.I will consider this along the way. One more time thanks for this hint.Br,Simon.

author: AwesomePCB
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2016, 08:35:54 am
content: I'm really thrilled to let you know for Crowdfunding Campaign for ArduShield.Now campaing is on the way.https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/adrushield-most-universal-shield-for-arduino-ever/x/9770034#/For those who will support ArduShield within first 48 hours we are planning attractive rewards.Thank you.