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\nWhat is an Arduino Shield?\n

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\n\nPublisher:\n\nProgramming Electronics Academy\n\n\n
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\nThis Arduino video tutorial discusses what an Arduino Shield is, how to connect an Arduino Shield to an Arduino and several things to consider when buying an Arduino Shield.Specifically, it describes:*Does it have good...\nThis Arduino video tutorial discusses what an Arduino Shield is, how to connect an Arduino Shield to an Arduino and several things to consider when buying an Arduino Shield.

Specifically, it describes:

*Does it have good documentation?*

Documentation is the fancy way of saying - “will they show me how to use this thing?” Basically, is there some type of tutorial or user manual or forum that talks about how to use the shield.

This is one of the biggest factors for me when it comes to buying an Arduino shield. For all the ease of use that a shield provides, if I don't know how to use it, it's about as a good as a rock.

Lucky for us, people who use Arduino tend to be awesome and do a great job writing about how to use stuff, so even if the manufacturer doesn't have good instructions, if people actually use the shield, then you will find a wealth of information online. But if you do a web search and it doesn't turn up much of anything useful, you might consider looking for another option.

Two US companies that provide superb documentation of the shields they make and sell are Adafruit Industries and Sparkfun.

*Soldering may be required*

Many shields are sold as kits, that means they are not fully assembled - and will require you to do some soldering. If you are buying from a reputable source, you should know this ahead of time, but it is worth double checking.

Sometimes manufacturers will offer the shield as a kit or fully assembled - I often go for the fully assembled option just to save time. If you have not soldered before, shields are usually a cinch to solder, so don't be intimidated - go get a cheap soldering iron and some solder and go for it!

Probably the most important thing when soldering a shield is making sure that the pins on the bottom of the shield are straight up and down, if they aren't they won't line up to the Arduino headers and be a major pain to connect.

*Stackable or Not Stackable Arduino Shields*

If you plan on stacking an Arduino shield with other shields, you will want to make sure it is stackable. If it doesn't have pin headers on the top of the shield, or they don't look aligned correctly (usually too narrowly spaced), than it is likely another shield cannot be stacked on top of it.

You might also run into a problem if components on the shield stick up too high to allow shields above from getting a snug fit. Manufactures of shields are getting more savvy to this issue, but you should always check.

*Not all Arduino shields have the same pinout*

Some older Arduino shields may not have all the pins to fill the header rows of an Arduino. This is because older versions of Arduino didn't have as many pin header slots. This usually isn't too much trouble, unless you needed to use those pins that are not connected on the shield.

If you have an older version of Arduino, then a shield you buy might have more pins than your Arduino has headers for - usually they are still physically compatible - this should not be anything to sweat about.

*Matching Hardware and Software Versions*

On a final note, if you are having trouble with a shield working, it worth checking to see if you are using the most current library version for your version of shield.

A great example is the near ubiquitous Adafruit motor shield. There is a hardware version 1 and a hardware version 2. There are two separate code libraries for these. If you are trying to run your new version of the hardware on the old version of the library - then you will likely run into troubles. It worth checking to see you have the correct library for the job.




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OSHGroup Episode #01 \"What is an Arduino Shield?\"
0:01










Does is have good documentation?
2:47










Sold as a kit or sold assembled?
3:45










Is the shield stackable?
4:50










What pins does the Shield use?
5:42










How many pins does the Shield have?
7:41














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Media Length
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8:37
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Grade
Higher Ed
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Subjects
STEM
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Media Type
Instructional Videos
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Source:
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\nProgramming Electronics Academy\n\n
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Date
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2015
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Language
English
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For Teacher Use
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arduino, arduino sheild, arduino shields, arduino shield, motor shield, arduino shield kit, arduino headers, arduino shield pins, stacking arduino shields, arduino shield pinout, arduino shield documentation, arduino tutorial, arduino lesson, programming for beginners, arduino programming, arduino programming for beginners, what are arduino shields, what are arduinos, what are arduino projects, what are arduino kits, what are arduino boards used for, start adding, fully assembled, pin headers, pretty awesome, important thing, hardware version, headers, version, hardware, cool, shield, thing, stuff, pins, hope, tutorial, buying, long, types, type, cases, components, breadboard, find, solution, quick, bottom
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