DC & USB Boarduino Kits
Created by lady ada
https://learn.adafruit.com/boarduino-kits
Last updated on 2021-11-15 05:57:40 PM EST
©Adafruit Industries
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Table of Contents
Overview
3
Make It!
5
• Steps
5
Preparation
5
• Prep
• Tools
6
6
DC Parts List
9
DC Boarduino Assembly
13
USB Parts List
30
USB Boarduino Assembly
31
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Using with the Arduino IDE
About the Design
Microcontroller
Serial Converter
Fuse
RESET Button
LEDs
PWR Jumper
ISP Header
Downloads
Use It!
•
•
•
•
•
•
Using with the Arduino IDE
Using with a Breadboard
Adding USB with an FTDI cable
Arduino Compatibility
Programming
High Power
Ideas for Use
• Use Terminal Blocks
Downloads
• DC Boarduino
• USB Boarduino
Resources
©Adafruit Industries
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Overview
If you've ever struggled to use a solderless breadboard with an Arduino, you
understand how frustrating it can be! I designed this Arduino clone to solve this
problem in an inexpensive DIY fashion.
The Boarduino is an Arduino clone: when programmed with the Arduino bootloader, it
can talk to the Arduino software and run sketches just like the original.
©Adafruit Industries
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There are noticable differences between the Boarduino and the Arduino.
• Shields cannot be used as the form factor is so different
• There are two versions, a DC version and a USB version
For the DC version there isn't an on-board USB chip. This means you need to
use a USB-TTL (https://adafru.it/c02) cable or a MiniUSB (https://adafru.it/c03) (or
any other FTDI breakout board) which is not included. There are also no rx/tx
LEDs and no rx/tx 1K series resistors.
For the USB version, there is an on-board USB chip but there isn't a DC jack or
5V regulator, you can power it through the USB jack. There is a rx 1K resistor so
you can use this to talk to serial accessories.
• 16.00 MHz ceramic resonator is used instead of crystal, so cycle speed may be
off by +- 0.3nS (0.5%). This isn't relevant for UART timing, servo drivers, PWM,
etc. but could be an issue if you need nanosecond-precision timing. Note that
the Arduino software only provides millisecond-precision timing for general
sketches (1 second = 1000ms. 1ms = 1,000,000 ns)
The specifications for the DC boarduino include:
• Designed to plug into a breadboard for easy prototyping
• Petite size, only 3" x 0.8" (75mm x 20mm)
• All 'standard' pins are brought out - Digital 0 thru 13, Analog 0 thru 5, ARef, 5V,
Ground, Vin and Reset
• 2 LEDs, green power and red "pin 13" LED just like the Arduino Diecimila
• Standard Reset button
• ATmega328P, running at 16.00 MHz, just like the latest Arduino, the
Duemilanove (note that the product photo above hasn't been updated)
• 6-pin standard ICSP header
• Standard 2.1mm DC jack (just like the original Arduino) with 5V regulator to run
on 7V-17V power (DC)
• USB or External power, selectable with a jumper (just like original Arduino)
• 1N4001 diode protects against using incorrect wall adapter
• 6-pin header at the end for a USB-TTL cable (https://adafru.it/aIH)
• Auto-reset capability when used with a USB-TTL cable (https://adafru.it/aIH)
• Available as a low cost kit with standard parts, so its never out of stock
• All through-hole parts are easy to solder
The specifications for the USB boarduino include:
• Designed to plug into a breadboard for easy prototyping
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• Petite size, only 2.75 " x 0.8" (75mm x 20mm)
• All 'standard' pins are brought out - Digital 0 thru 13, Analog 0 thru 5, ARef, 5V,
Ground, 3.3V and Reset
• 2 LEDs, green power and red "pin 13" LED just like the Arduino Diecimila
• Standard Reset button
• ATmega328, running at 16.00 MHz, just like the Duemilanove
• 6-pin standard ICSP header
• Standard mini-USB jack
• USB or external power, selectable with a jumper
• 500mA fuse protects your computer from current overdraw
• Auto-reset capability
• Available as a low cost kit with standard parts, so its never out of stock
• All through-hole parts are easy to solder - SMT chip is presoldered & tested
when purchased as a kit
If you have a USB boarduino check this page for instructions! (https://adafru.it/cjT)
Make It!
Steps
This is a very easy kit to make, just go through each of these steps to build the kit.
Preparation
©Adafruit Industries
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Prep
Learn how to solder with tons of tutorials (https://adafru.it/aTk)!
Don't forget to learn how to use your multimeter too (https://adafru.it/aOy)!
(https://adafru.it/c06)Tools
There are a few tools that are required for assembly. None of these tools are
included. If you don't have them, now would be a good time to borrow or purchase
them. They are very very handy whenever assembling/fixing/modifying electronic
devices! I provide links to buy them, but of course, you should get them where ever is
most convenient/inexpensive. Many of these parts are available in a place like Radio
Shack or other (higher quality) DIY electronics stores.
Soldering iron
Any entry level 'all-in-one' soldering iron
that you might find at your local hardware
store should work. As with most things in
life, you get what you pay for.
Upgrading to a higher end soldering iron
setup, like the Hakko FX-888 that we
stock in our store (http://adafru.it/180),
will make soldering fun and easy.
Do not use a "ColdHeat" soldering iron!
They are not suitable for delicate
electronics work and can damage the kit
(see here (https://adafru.it/aOo)).
Click here to buy our entry level
adjustable 30W 110V soldering
iron. (http://adafru.it/180)
Click here to upgrade to a Genuine
Hakko FX-888 adjustable temperature
soldering iron. (http://adafru.it/303)
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder
You will want rosin core, 60/40 solder.
Good solder is a good thing. Bad solder
leads to bridging and cold solder joints
which can be tough to find.
Click here to buy a spool of leaded
solder (recommended for
beginners). (http://adafru.it/145)
Click here to buy a spool of lead-free
solder. (http://adafru.it/734)
©Adafruit Industries
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Multimeter
You will need a good quality basic
multimeter that can measure voltage and
continuity.
Click here to buy a basic
multimeter. (http://adafru.it/71)
Click here to buy a top of the line
multimeter. (http://adafru.it/308)
Click here to buy a pocket
multimeter. (http://adafru.it/850)
Flush Diagonal Cutters
You will need flush diagonal cutters to
trim the wires and leads off of
components once you have soldered
them in place.
Click here to buy our favorite
cutters. (http://adafru.it/152)
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder Sucker
Strangely enough, that's the technical
term for this desoldering vacuum tool.
Useful in cleaning up mistakes, every
electrical engineer has one of these on
their desk.
Click here to buy a one. (http://adafru.it/
148)
Helping Third Hand With Magnifier
Not absolutely necessary but will make
things go much much faster, and it will
make soldering much easier.
Pick one up here. (http://adafru.it/291)
DC Parts List
Check to make sure your kit comes with the following parts.Sometimes we make
mistakes so double check everything and email support@adafruit.com if you need
replacements!
Image
Name Description
IC1
©Adafruit Industries
More Info
Microcontroller
(preprogrammed
ATmega328P-20PU
with Arduino
bootloader
Adafruit (Programme
when purchased
in a kit).
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IC1'
28-pin socket
28 pin socket
X1
16.00 MHz
ceramic
oscillator
16 mhz ceramic reso
2.1mm Power
Jack
CUI PJ-202AH
1N4001 diode
Generic 1N4001
D1
5V regulator
IC2
©Adafruit Industries
7805 TO-220
package
7805
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C1 C2 Bypass
C5
capacitor
C6
(opt) 0.1uF ceramic
C3
C4
R1
©Adafruit Industries
Electrolytic
capacitor
47uF / 25V
(or higher)
100uF/6.3V
capacitor
(or higher)
(the image
shows a 10V but
6.3V is fine)
10K ohm 1/4W
5% resistor
(brown black
orange gold)
Ceramic Capacitor
Electrolytic Capacito
Electrolytic Capacito
Generic Resistor
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R2
R3
1.0K 1/4W 5%
resistor (brown
black red gold)
Generic Resistor
D3
3mm red LED
3mm red diffused
D2
3mm green LED
3mm green diffused
SW1
6mm tact switch
button
6mm tact switch
ICSP
6 pin header,
0.1"x0.1" spacing
2x3 pin header
40 pin male
header, 0.1"
spacing
0.1" male header str
Jumper
PCB
©Adafruit Industries
Circuit board
Adafruit Industries
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DC Boarduino Assembly
The first step is to solder the kit together. If you've never soldered before, check the
Preparation page for tutorials and more (https://adafru.it/cjF).
If you have a USB boarduino check this page for instructions! (https://adafru.it/c04)
Check the kit to verify you have all the parts necessary, then get your tools ready! A
board vise, soldering iron & solder , diagonal cutters, and a solder sucker
(desoldering tool) if you have one.
Place the PCB in a vise to make soldering
easy!
Heat up the soldering iron to 700
degrees, tin it if necessary.
Make sure the sponge is wetted.
Place the 2.1mm DC jack as shown, it
should fit in snugly. Make sure the part is
on the top of the board, so that you can
see the silkscreened images.
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Use the soldering iron to heat up each of
the 3 connections and poke the solder in
so that it melts into the holes.
Make sure all three pads are soldered,
with plenty of solder, the holes should be
filled up. This gives the jack mechanical
strength.
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Next, place the 1N4001 diode D1 . Diodes
are directional, they only let current flow
in one direction. This diode is used to
protect the Boarduino from damage.
Make sure the white stripe on the diode
matches the white stripe in the
silkscreened image below. In this picture,
the stripe is on the right.
You can bend the leads a bit which will
keep the part from falling out when you
turn the board over.
©Adafruit Industries
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Turn the PCB over and solder both legs
so that you get a nice shiny solder joint.
Use the diagonal cutters to clip off the
long leads, leaving just a bump.
©Adafruit Industries
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It should look like this.
Next, its time to place the 25V
electrolytic capacitor C3. Electrolytic
capacitors are polarized which means
they only work well in one direction. Put
it in backwards and they can explode!
You can tell how to place it because the
silkscreened image has a plus near one
hole and the capacitor has one long lead.
That lead is the positive lead. In this
image, its the one on the right.
Also insert C1 which is a ceramic
capacitor. Ceramic capacitors are nonpolarized so you don't have to worry
about putting it backwards.
Solder all 4 leads.
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And clip them short with the cutters.
Next is the 5V regulator. This takes the
power from the DC jack which may be
something like a 9V battery, and brings it
down to 5V, which is suitable for the
microcontroller chip. This part must be
placed as shown, with the metal heat
sink tab on the right.
©Adafruit Industries
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Turn over the board and solder all three
pins, then clip them off.
©Adafruit Industries
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Now you should soder in the 6.3V
electrolytic capacitor C4 as shown.
Remember its polarized so you must
place the longer lead in the positivemarked hole.
Then place the ceramic capacitor C5.
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder in the capacitors and clip them.
Next is the green 3mm LED D2. Like the
electrolytic capacitors, LEDs have
polarity and they wont work if soldered in
backwards. The long lead is the positive
lead, make sure it goes in the hole with a
+ next to it.
©Adafruit Industries
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The 1K resistor R2 goes in, its the LED's
matching resistor. Bend it over as shown
to place it.
Solder in the resistor and LED and clip
the leads.
©Adafruit Industries
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Next you have to make a 3-pin header.
Use the diagonal clippers or a pair of
pliers to break apart the single row
header.
Place the 3 pin header at the other end
of the board as shown. the short end
goes into the PCB, and the long ends
extend up.
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Solder the jumper header in place. You
won't need to clip because the leads are
short already!
Place the jumper/shunt as shown, so that
its on the EXT pair of pins.
©Adafruit Industries
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Take the board out of the vise and plug in
a power source such as a 9V DC
positive-tip wall adapter or a 9V battery
with a 2.1mm barrel jack. You should see
the green LED light up.
If no LED lights up check:
Is the battery or wall adapter good?
Is it positive tip?
Is the diode in correctly?
Is the LED in correctly?
Are all the parts in place?
I don't suggest continuing if you can't get
the green LED to light as it indicates a
problem!
Place the red LED D3, taking care to
make sure the long lead is in the
positive-marked hole. Also place the
matching 1K resistor R3
Also place the 16.00MHz ceramic
oscillator X1 (which is non-polarized) the
third ceramic capacitor C2 and the 10K
resistor R1
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder and clip the leads.
Place the 28 pin socket. This is to allow
you to replace the microcontroller if
necessary. Make sure the notch in the
socket matches the notch in the
silkscreened image. In this picture, its on
the right.
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder in the socket by tacking two
opposite corners and then soldering the
rest of the pins. Press the socket into the
board to make sure its flat up against it.
©Adafruit Industries
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Cut another header off, this time a 6-pin
piece.
Place the 6mm reset button, the 6-pin
ICSP header and the 6-pin strip for using
an FTDI USB cable.
Solder the parts in.
©Adafruit Industries
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If you'd like to take advantage of the
auto-reset capabilities added to the
Arduino software, install ceramic
capacitor C6.
Now is a good time to insert the IC.
Bend the legs gently against a table and
line up the notch in the chip with the
notch in the socket. Carefully seat the
chip, making sure all of the legs are lined
up in the socket.
Cut 4 more pieces of header, a 10-pin, 8pin, 6-pin and 4-pin. Insert them into a
solderless breadboard as shown so that
the long legs are in the solderless
breadboard sockets.
Place the Boarduino on top, so that the
header matches up with the solder holes
in the PCB.
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder all of the pins of the header,
making sure that the board is sitting flat
against the header.
Carefully remove the boarduino by slowly
rocking it back and forth to release it
from the solderless breadboard.
You should now try to power it up again,
and you will see the green LED light.
Press the reset button, the red LED
should blink a few times. If you don't see
the red light blink make sure the chip is
in the right way.
USB Parts List
Check to make sure your kit comes with the following parts.Sometimes we make
mistakes so double check everything and email support@adafruit.com if you need
replacements!
Image
©Adafruit Industries
Name Description
Part #
Distributor
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IC1
Microcontroller
(preprogrammed
Digikey
with Arduino
Mouser
ATmega328P-20PU
bootloader
when purchased
Adafruit(Pr
in a kit)
IC1'
28-pin socket
Generic
Digikey
Mouser
ICSP
6 pin header,
0.1"x0.1" spacing
Generic
Digikey
40 pin male
header, 0.1"
spacing
Generic
Digikey
Jumper
Generic
Digikey
Mouser
Circuit board
Custom
Adafruit In
PCB
USB Boarduino Assembly
The USB Boarduino is almost completely assembled. Finishing it up should only take
a few minutes.
Check the parts in the bag, you should have the tested USB Boarduino board, a stick
of 0.1" header, a 2x3 ISP header, a 28pin socket and a preprogrammed ATmega328p.
©Adafruit Industries
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If you want to socket the microcontroller (we suggest it) Place the socket so that the U
notch matches the U printed in the silkscreen. If you don't think you'll ever need to
replace the microcontroller and you want a slimmer package, skip this stip.
If you have sharp nails you can bend over two of the socket pins to keep them in
place.
©Adafruit Industries
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Solder all 28 pins well.
Take the microcontroller out of the foam and carefully bend all the pins so they are
straight. We like to grip the chip by the edges and press it against a tabletop.
©Adafruit Industries
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Once the pins are straight, insert the chip by matching the U notch in the chip with the
U notch in the socket.
Next, you can attach header pins to make the USB Boarduino fit nicely into a
breadboard. If you want to solder wires to the pins instead (free-wiring) you should
skip this step.
Break the break-away header into four pieces: 4 pin, 6 pin, and two 8 pin.
Stick them into any breadboard as shown, they should match up with the USB
Boarduino so compare as you place the pieces.
©Adafruit Industries
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Slip the USB Boarduino on top, it should easily fit.
Solder all the pins!
©Adafruit Industries
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Using with the Arduino IDE
You can use any version of the IDE, when you plug in the USB boarduino it will show
up as COM port (install the FTDI drivers that come with the IDE package if you're
running Windows or Mac and have not done it yet).
Select Diecimila/Duemilanove with 328P in the Boards menu!
About the Design
Microcontroller
The chip is a ATMega328P which is a standard Arduino-core chip. It comes
preprogrammed with a slight modification of the Arduino "Duemilanove" bootloader
which takes up 2K. We did not use the bleeding-edge OPTIBOOT as we'd like to wait
until its more stable.
The chip is clocked with a 16MHz crystal.
Serial Converter
The serial converter is soldered on board, it is a FT232RL. It works great as a USB/
serial chip. There are two LEDs connected to it, labeled RX and TX which will blink
when data is received or transmitted. A capacitor between the DTR pin and the AVR's
Reset pin acts as the auto-reset for reprogramming, which is standard on all classic
Arduinos.
©Adafruit Industries
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Fuse
The USB boarduino has a 500mA fuse between the USB 5V pin and the rest of the
board. If you draw over 500mA it will trip (it tends to trip at about 1 Amp).
RESET Button
There is a single button that you can press to reset the board, the board has the
Arduino bootloader auto-reset capability so you don't need to press this before
uploading.
LEDs
There are two LEDs on either side of the USB port. The green one indicates power (its
lit if the board has power) and the red one is connected to pin 13 just like classic
Arduinos. You can use the pin 13 LED for debugging. It will also blink during
bootloading and right before the bootloader starts.
©Adafruit Industries
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PWR Jumper
The PWR solder-jumper is a bonus for advanced users, it allows you to run the USB
Boarduino at a different voltage. It is by default shipped with a trace connecting the
two jumper sides, which means that the AVR is running at 5V from the USB port. If you
would like to say, run the AVR at 3.3v, you can cut the jumper with a sharp xacto/craft
blade (check with your multimeter that it is no longer shorted) and then on the
breadboard, connect the *VCC* pin to the 3v pin. This will run the board off of the
FTDI chip's internal 3.3v regulator, which we should warn you can't supply more than
maybe 50mA. Also, be aware that running a 16MHz AVR at 3.3v is considered
'overclocking'. We've never had a problem with it for hobbyist use but just be aware
that this is outside the guaranteed performance of the microcontroller.
ISP Header
If you want to use the chip as a non-Arduino, rather you just want it as an AVR
devboard, you can reprogram it via the ISP port. We provide a 2x3 pin standard ISP
header. Pin 1 is indicated with a circle.
Downloads
All files are at the GitHub repository (https://adafru.it/cjU) Click Download to get the
files!
Use It!
The Boarduino is basically like an Arduino. By default it comes with a chip
preprogrammed with the Arduino bootloader (also known as an STK500v1
bootloader) but you can use it as a general purpose AVR module.
©Adafruit Industries
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Using with the Arduino IDE
You can use the board as a "Diecimila / Duemilanove" compatible. Dont forget to do
the 'autoreset hack below or it wont auto-reset when its time to program.
Remember to check if you have a '168 chip or '328p chip (look at the chip!) ... If you
have a '328p select "Diecimila/Duemilanove with 328P" or you will not be able to talk
to it!
Using with a Breadboard
The Boarduino is designed to be inserted into a solderless breadboard, any standard
breadboard will be suitable. Simply insert into the breadboard, making sure that the
header pins are straight so that they can be easily inserted.
To remove, grab both ends of the board and gently rock back and forth. This will keep
the header pins from bending.
©Adafruit Industries
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Adding USB with an FTDI cable
The easiest way to start loading Arduino sketches into the DC Boarduino is to use a
FTDI USB cable. These cables have the USB chip inside the cable and a 6-pin socket
on the end.
This socket plugs into the Boarduino as shown, and then you can simply plug the USB
A connector into your computer. Use the same drivers that you would use with a
normal Arduino.
©Adafruit Industries
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Don't forget to place the jumper into the USB position so you can powr it from the
FTDI friend or cable!
Arduino Compatibility
The bootloader installed is a cross between the NG and Diecimila. There is a 7second timeout after pressing the reset button but once a sketch is uploaded it starts
immediately.
If you'd like to have the auto-reset capability, make sure C6 is soldered in. With Mac's
and Linux it should just work fine.
If you're using Windows you'll need to make a slight change to the driver preferences.
In the Device Manager, select the USB COM port.
Then right click and select Properties.
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Click on the Port Settings tab, and click on Advanced...
Make sure Set RTS On Close is selected.
Note that, sadly, the Boarduino will not automatically start the sketch after upload if
you do this. Its a bit of a tradeoff and you may find that pressing the reset button is
faster and getting auto-start is better for you.
©Adafruit Industries
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Programming
There is also a standard 6-pin ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) cable that can be
used to burn a new bootloader or just reprogram the chip.
High Power
If you are planning to draw a lot of power from the 5V regulator, say for servos or
many LEDs, you may want to add a heatsink to the 7805. Just bend the regulator
back a bit and slip one on.
©Adafruit Industries
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Ideas for Use
Here are some projects built with Boarduinos...just to give you an idea of what's
possible!
Use Terminal Blocks
Terminal screw-blocks allow lightweight ultra-quick prototyping: just tighten the little
screws to add or remove components! Use Phoenix brand 0.1" terminal blocks, part 17
25672 (https://adafru.it/cjG) (4-position),1725698 (https://adafru.it/cjH) (6-position), 172
5711 (https://adafru.it/cjI) (8-position), 1725724 (https://adafru.it/cjJ) (9-position).
©Adafruit Industries
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Downloads
DC Boarduino
• Schematic (https://adafru.it/cnr) and Board (https://adafru.it/cns) files in EAGLE
CAD format
• Schematic as PNG (https://adafru.it/cnt)
• These are released as-is under Creative Commons 2.5 - Attribution - Share Alike
USB Boarduino
• Schematic (https://adafru.it/cnu) and Board (https://adafru.it/cnv) files in EAGLE
CAD format
• Schematic as PNG (https://adafru.it/cnw)
• These are released as-is under Creative Commons 2.5 - Attribution - Share Alike
• Fritzing object in the Adafruit Fritzing Library (https://adafru.it/aP3)
Resources
• Official Arduino site (https://adafru.it/aL6)
• Freeduino (https://adafru.it/cjQ) - True Open Source Arduino designs
• Modern Device (https://adafru.it/cjR) - Other Arduino Clones
• FTDI TTL-232R cable (https://adafru.it/c02)
©Adafruit Industries
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• Arduino Tutorials (https://adafru.it/aKU) - These are for traditional Arduinos but
can easily be adapted for use with a Boarduino
• Arduino hacks (https://adafru.it/cjS)
©Adafruit Industries
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