The Arduino (Best Known As A "Credit Card" Computer) Is Changing

Arduinos, New Arduinos, and Pin Header

21stdigitalhome.blogspot.de | June 19, 2016

[Blogger's note: The Arduino along with the Raspberry Pi has been making its way into library Makerspaces. Each offers different options and fits into education programs to teach working with computer hardware in a low-cost format. These credit card computers provide easy access to the system hardware, bus, and controllers. Laptops and Desktops do not allow this kind of accessibility.]
With a new crop of Arduino compatible boards in "non-traditional" form factors, you may need to consider what type of header pins you want to use on the boards.
Pin header is typically used for:
Easier connection to a breadboard or to connect wires (electrical)
Connecting other boards via stacking (mechanical)
Below is the classic Arduino stacking header shield (for prototyping) and that board stacked on an Arduino R3 (right). The shields for the classic Uno R3 are an 8 pin + 10 pin header on top (half-pin space between), and a six pin and 8 pin header opposite (one pin space between, some boards put a nonfunctional header pin between like on the new Arduino Uno WiFi). Boards made since the Arduino Zero have an additional ATN pin on the side closest to the power jack.

"Finally, a point about breadboardable Arduino boards vs. stand-alone dev boards like the Decimila and its mini "proto shield" breadboard. The Decimila is a nice and compact combination of an Arduino, power supply and breakout connectors for the pins, but the tiny breadboard that fits on the proto shield is too small but all but the simplest projects." Source: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/705844:BlogPost:39703

"...the classic Arduino stacking header shield (for prototyping) and that board stacked on an Arduino R3 (right). The shields for the classic Uno R3 are an 8 pin + 10 pin header on top (half-pin space between), and a six pin and 8 pin header opposite (one pin space between, some boards put a nonfunctional header pin between like on the new Arduino Uno WiFi). Boards made since the Arduino Zero have an additional ATN pin on the side closest to the power jack." Source: http://21stdigitalhome.blogspot.de/2016/06/arduinos-new-arduinos-and-pin-header.html

<more at http://21stdigitalhome.blogspot.de/2016/06/arduinos-new-arduinos-and-pin-header.html; related articles and links: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/705844:BlogPost:39703 (Review: new Arduino Nano board. June 21, 2008) and http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-stackable-pin-headers-for-Arduino-on-t/ (How to make stackable pin headers for Arduino on the cheap. May 4, 2010)>