MAKES DEBUGGING QUICKER & EASIER!
Connect a DMM to measure voltages
Connect an oscilloscope or logic analyzer to view waveforms
Connect a protocol analyzer to decode SPI/I2C/UART communications
BOARD FEATURES:
STATUS LEDs
The status LEDs show the current state of all 20 GPIO pins at a glance...you don't have to turn the board around or try to peer around other shields to see what's happening on the other side of the board like some other designs. The standard Arduino naming convention for the GPIOs are clearly shown adjacent to the LEDs along the edge of the board, plus their Microchip (formerly Atmel) PORT pin designations (PORT B, PORT C & PORT D) just above the row of green LEDs.
Three USER inputs (U1-U3) are provided to enable you to probe other parts of your circuits (the signals can be either 3.3V or 5V) that aren't connected to a GPIO pin.
The RESET signal has its own pair of LEDs to enable you to see if the reset line is being asserted.
DEBUG HEADERS
The debug headers make it easy to probe the GPIOs and power supply circuits with a DMM, oscilloscope, or logic analyzer. Easily connect an I2C or SPI protocol analyzer and start decoding those pesky communications! If you're unable to decode the I2C or SPI interfaces, connect an oscilloscope probe to them and verify that the waveforms look right or possibly swapped!
The debug headers can also be used to connect other boards like sensor evaluation boards that aren't shield-compatible...just use a jumper wire!
Two GND posts make it easy to ground test equipment such as DMMs and oscilloscope probes.
A0-A5 DISCONNECT SWITCHES
When using A0-A5 as analog inputs, you might not want a 100Kohm pull-up resistor affecting your circuit...turn off the corresponding DIP switch to electrically isolate it!
PROTOTYPING AREA
The 252-hole prototyping area is surrounded by all of the GPIO signals and power supply pins, making it easy to wire in your own custom electronics. The pads are laid out in 18 columns of a 3-3-2-3-3 layout for maximum flexibility. For maximum flexibility, place a 170 tie-point breadboard (not included) on top of the prototyping area, solder male or female headers into the GPIO and power supply holes (whichever suits you, a 40-pin stick is all it takes) and now you have a reusable rapid prototyping area!
RESET PUSHBUTTON AND LED DISABLE JUMPER
A reset pushbutton that protrudes beyond the standard shield size makes it easy to reset your system!
The board consumes as much as
125mA from the Vcc rail. If your design needs that extra power, place a
jumper across the pair of male header pins marked "DIS" to disable
the power supply feeding the LEDs and their drivers, dropping the current
consumption to below 1mA.
STANDARD ARDUINO UNO HEADER FOOTPRINT
The standard Arduino UNO compatible shield headers are right where they should be, allowing the board to sit in the middle of a "shield sandwich" nicely while the status LEDs extend out for easy at-a-glance viewing.
USERS OF THE BOARD
Perfect for educators to teach electronics and programming! Better than blinking a single LED, the quintessential "Hello World" for electronics. Take control of 20 pairs of LEDs and build creative light shows!
USES FOR THE BOARD
Use the debug features to narrow down where the problem lies - is it a hardware or a software problem?
Prototype circuits easily in the prototyping area: