Arduino – interesting modules extending your minicomputer’s functionalities

Arduino – is an open source hardware development platform and one of the most popular tools for rapid prototyping used by DIYers and engineers around the world.

Arduino is an extremely versatile platform; it is a fundamental building block for projects that involve e.g. building automation systems, game consoles, telephone and radio communication devices, measurement systems and interactive toys. The most popular product in the Arduino series – the UNO R3 baseboard with an on-board microcontroller – is an excellent tool for implementing various electronics projects. Adding a few expansion modules to it dramatically increases its potential and creates even more possibilities. Today we deal with expansion modules in the form of shields with compatible pins. We present twelve shields for Arduino with different functionalities, available at the Botland store. All of them extend the basic functions of this iconic PCB with a microcontroller.

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SparkFun MIDI KIT Shield for Arduino

Communication module that allows Arduino to be connected via MIDI – the iconic serial interface used in electronic musical instruments since the first half of the 1980s until today. This interface allows you to control synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines and other musical instruments. Because MIDI is a protocol that shares many features with standard asynchronous serial interfaces, you can use the Arduino UART pins to send and receive MIDI messages, such as by pressing or releasing a key on the keyboard or changing the position of the modulation wheel. MIDI control signals are sent via optocouplers. The MIDI KIT Shield module can be plugged directly into the Arduino baseboard – the MIDI-IN connector links to the Rx pin, while the MIDI -OUT connector remains hooked to the Tx pin, and the potentiometers on the MIDI KIT Shield board remain connected to the A1 and A2 pins located in the analog pin interface. In this way they can be controlled by adjusting the output volume of the instrument, retuning, timbre or other parameters assigned by the user. In addition, the board has three buttons connected to Arduino digital pins 2-4 that allow you to transpose the keyboard, change presets and perform other user-assigned functions. The board has a RESET button, two LEDs that signal, for example, the exchange of MIDI messages, and a RUN /PROG button that allows you to re-program Arduino without disconnecting the MIDI KIT Shield module.

Spectrum Audio Shield – SparkFun

The Spectrum Shield enriches the Arduino baseboard with the ability to split the stereo audio signal fed to the input of the system into seven frequency bands for each channel. As a result, using an analog-to-digital converter in the Arduino (analog pins 0-5), you can control any external object (e.g. a motor, lighting, or a buzzer) by detecting the sound in a programmed frequency band of the input signal (e.g. using a prescaler), and examine its frequency spectrum at the same time. The sound is fed to the stereo 3.5 TRS input – with the same connector at the output of the system. Thereby, the signal transmission is uninterruptible. The shield can also be used to build sound responsive illumination to create colorful animations for music, as well as sound activation of other devices.

Forbot Robot Shield Arduino

This Forbot’s extension shield, which is compatible with Arduino, is a versatile electronic module that allows you to add many interesting and useful functions to your robot. On a small PCB, in addition to connectors with a pin layout compatible with Arduino UNO R3, there is also a two-channel driver for DC motors that allows you to control their speed and direction of rotation. The maximum current load per single channel is 1.2A. The designers have taken great care to protect the electronic circuits on the board by using interference suppression filters. The 8-channel pin expander for the input/output ports allows the connection of additional external devices. Together with an infrared receiver, the buzzer can be programmed to trigger an acoustic signal when an obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the operating robot. In addition, the board has a slide switch, an LED indicating that the module is on, a polymer fuse and diode protection against reverse polarity voltages. The board requires a voltage of 7-11V. However, the Arduino base module draws power from the Robot Shield and therefore does not require a separate power source.

SparkFun XBee Shield – a shield for Arduino

Using a radio communication with the XBee system is a great way to enhance Arduino’s wireless capabilities. This can be achieved with a compatible SparkFun XBee Shield module that is attached to the baseboard. The pins for serial transmission (DIN and DOUT) can be connected to the UART interface (pins D0 and D1 on the Arduino baseboard) or to any digital pins (2 and 3) by selecting them with the DPDT switch. The shield takes care of the voltage regulation and adjusts the supply voltage from the Arduino baseboard (which is 5V) to the target voltage for the XBee (3.3V). The shield also supports voltage level setting for communication outputs (DIN and DOUT). In the new version, the diode has been replaced by a more durable MOSFET level shifter. This board is also equipped with a RESET button and visual indicators (LEDs), which inform about the presence of the supply voltage and about the occurrence of events on the communication lines DIN, DOUT, DIO5 and RSSI in XBee. In order to expand the shielding hardware in the future, its surface is provided with a 9×11 grid of 0.1″ holes. Connectors for connecting the shield to Arduino UNO or LEONARDO must be purchased separately.

DFRobot TB6612 Quad Motor Driver – 4x motor controller 13,5V/1,2A – Shield for Arduino

One of the more complex shields for Arduino offered by DFRobot can be operated with 3.3V as well as with 5V. This allows us to control up to four DC motors simultaneously. 

The shield can control the direction of rotation (changing the polarity of the supply voltage) and the rotation speed of the motors via a square wave signal with a variable duty cycle (PWM). The key elements of the control system are two TB6612FNG integrated motor driver chips, which have higher efficiency and smaller size compared to the classic L298N chip. As a result, TB6612FNG systems do not overheat in the rated operating range, allowing the motors to be supplied with a maximum continuous current of up to 1.2A. In addition, the module has highly reliable low voltage detection and thermal protection. This module can also be successfully used to control the LEDs.

Mux Shield II – a pin expander for Arduino – SparkFun DEV-11723

If you create a more complex project with a large number of input and/or output devices, the problem arises – how to connect them all to a small Arduino board? Mux Shield from Mayhew Labs is the solution to this issue.  This shield makes it possible to have 48 analog/digital inputs or digital outputs on the Arduino board. The Mux Shield II improves on the original by moving all of the I/O pins to the end of the board, thus allowing you to add one big connector and hook up a ribbon wire or similar cable solution. The pins are arranged into three rows of sixteen, and each of the rows can be individually set as a digital input, a digital output or an analog input. The functions performed by the board are handled by TTL integrated circuits – 74HC067 analog multiplexers controlling input functions, and 74HC595 shift registers controlling output functions. To connect the shield to the Arduino, strips with the appropriate pin assignments are required.

Adafruit Wave Shield KIT shield for Arduino

Maintaining good quality acoustic signal reproduction in electronic projects can sometimes be a challenge. The Wave Shield from Adafruit helps to solve this problem and allows you to play uncompressed audio files in the WAVE format, regardless of their duration. The kit is affordable and easy to install. The board has a digital-to-analog converter with a resolution of 12 bits and a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz, a filter and an operational amplifier, which guarantee high quality playback. The Wave Shield uses SD/MMC cards. The output volume is controlled by a thumbwheel potentiometer. The sound is played asynchronously thanks to the software interrupt mechanism. This allows Arduino to perform other tasks while audio files are being played. The module is designed to work with Arduino boards or licensed clones based on the Atmega 328p processor.

SparkFun module GPS ZOE-M8Q – Qwiic – U.FL antenna

SparkFun’s ZOE-M8Q module is a miniaturized GPS system with high measurement accuracy that is perfectly suited for applications that require a particularly space-saving solution. The built-in 72-channel GNSS receiver can receive signals from the GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo satellites. The on-board rechargeable battery powers the real-time clock (RTC), which reduces the time necessary to determine the coordinates to about one second. The shield communicates with Arduino via UART and an I2C interface compatible with Qwiic system. The manufacturer has broken out 0.1″-spaced pins in case you want to extend the shielding with your own extensions in the future. The shield’s software is configurable thanks to the U-Center Windows program. Thanks to this program you can configure such aspects of the module as baud rates, update rates, external interrupts, geofencing, spoofing detection and others. Everything can be configured from the Arduino baseboard level using SparkFun Arduino Library.

Cytron ESP-WROOM-02 WiFi – Shield for Arduino

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which is getting more and more popular, assumes that all things should be connected to the Internet. It involves using WiFi modules to provide an Internet connection over a wireless network. Cytron’s ESP WiFi Shield is compatible with the Arduino platform. With its built-in WROOM-02 module, you can add the wireless connection function to your Arduino board. No soldering is required to start using the shield – select the pins for serial communication with mini jumpers and the hardware connection is completed. The shield with a WROOM-02 module comes pre-flashed with an AT-command firmware that is controlled by UART. In addition, the ESP8266 chip used in the module’s PCB can be programmed from the baseboard level via the input/output connectors. It also has a microSD card slot on the board, which is connected to digital pin 4. This slot allows the user to send files stored on the microSD card to other devices.

Cytron PS2 Shield with PS2 controller connector – shield for Arduino

The PS2 Shield from Cytron is a great extension that allows you to connect the Arduino to your PlayStation2 console wirelessly or via cable, using the Arduino library. Input data is received via the UART protocol. The shield has a jumper selector to select different UART Baud Rate (4800, 9600, 57600, 115200) and jumpers to select different digital pin as UART TX and RX pin. When the console is connected, it is automatically set to analog mode. The PS2 Shield supports receiving signals from console joysticks and vibration signaling. The PS2 Shield is powered directly from the baseboard with GPIO connectors, which allow the connection of a larger number of shielding modules with a compatible pin assignment. The RESET button on the PS2 Shield board is connected to the analog input A1 on the Arduino baseboard. The user can use this pin by short-circuiting it to ground by pressing the button, which in turn restarts the PS2 Shield module.

Joystick Shield Kit – SparkFun

The SparkFun’s kit with a joystick contains all elements required for use with the Arduino baseboard. Once the shield is placed on the baseboard, it acts as a controller. Then, the Arduino receives signals from four momentary push buttons for binary inputs Nos. 2-6, a joystick with an integrated button for analog inputs Nos. 0 and 1 and a separate digital input for the joystick switch. This makes the Arduino work in a similar way to the Nintendo console. Some elements – a joystick, tact switch buttons and strips with cables to connect the Arduino – have to be soldered to the PCB. The manufacturer provides step-by-step instructions on how to do this correctly.