IO Expansion ShieldĪdditionally, there is a dedicated Xbee connector with EASYLINK and RESET buttons. You can select the supply voltage for sensors between 3.3V and 5V. There are headers for connecting 3-pin and 4-pin sensors. IO Expansion ShieldĪs the name suggests, an IO Expansion Shield allows you to connect several Analog and Digital IO devices to the Arduino without breadboard and soldering. There are couple of Buttons and LEDs on the board along with all the Arduino Pin connectors. The shield also comes with a 170 Pin Mini breadboard, which can be attached on the prototyping area with the help of double-sided tape. If you do not want to solder, then don’t worry. It comes with a prototyping area, on which, you can solder the components, if necessary. Perhaps the simplest of Arduino Shields is the Prototype Shield. So, features may vary between shields from different manufacturers. Also, there are several manufacturers of a single shield. NOTE: The images shown here are just for reference. With the help of Arduino Shields, Sensor Boards and other expansion boards, you can significantly reduce the complexity of the wiring the circuit and at the same time reduce the build time and construction process. While it is easy to play around with Arduino by placing components on a breadboard, it is not a preferrable option to design a final product with breadboards. They have the same pin position as an Arduino Board and are usually designed to implement a specific function. Arduino Shields are add-on boards than can be plugged on top of an Arduino board and provided additional capabilities and functionalities to an Arduino Board.

Arduino mega pinout shield