Shields

Shields are PCBs you can easily stack on development boards. The application circuits populated on shields add extra functionality to easily prototype a project. In general, these are called "daughter boards." The terminology and layout depends on the environment platform and form factor. Shields for Arduino typically use the Arduino Uno R3 footprint. However, shields can have a different layout depending on the architecture. Stackable PCBs for the Raspberry Pi are referred to as HATs or pHATs while the BeagleBone refers to them as Capes. Check out our tutorial about shields for more information.

Getting Started with the MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor Ecosystem

April 1, 2022

The MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor, an Arduino-compatible, all-in-one electromyography (EMG) sensor from Advancer Technologies. In this tutorial, we will go over the features and related shields to connect the sensor to a muscle group.

Dialog ULP WiFi DA16200 R3 Shield Hookup Guide

October 7, 2021

Add WiFi to your project with this hookup guide for our Dialog's Ultra Low Power DA16200 R3 shield!

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Teensy Hookup Guide

October 15, 2020

A short guide for assembling and using the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Teensy and Qwiic Shield for Teensy Extended.

Spectrum Shield Hookup Guide (v2)

May 4, 2020

Want your project to react to music? Then the SparkFun Spectrum Shield is the product for you! Get going in no time with this Hookup Guide.

Arduino Shields v2

April 20, 2020

An update to our classic Arduino Shields Tutorial! All things Arduino shields. What they are and how to assemble them.

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Thing Plus Hookup Guide

January 30, 2020

A short guide for assembling and using the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Thing Plus.

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Arduino Nano Hookup Guide

January 30, 2020

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Arduino Nano.

SparkFun ESP32 DMX to LED Shield

March 28, 2019

Learn how to utilize your DMX to LED Shield in a variety of different ways.

Thumb Joystick Hookup Guide

February 20, 2019

Whether you're blasting aliens, driving a robot, or write your awesome classic Arcade Game for your Arduino, you'll find the analog thumb joystick a very useful addition to your projects!

AST-CAN485 I/O Shield (24V) Hookup Guide

February 14, 2019

The AST-CAN485 I/O Shield is an Arduino shield that will allow the user to interface the AST-CAN485 Dev Board with 24V inputs and outputs, which expands its usefulness into industrial systems.

LTE Cat M1/NB-IoT Shield Hookup Guide

November 20, 2018

The SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield equips your Arduino or Arduino-compatible microcontroller with access to data networks across the globe. This shield adds wireless, high-bandwidth cellular functionality to your IoT project!

Getting Started with the SmartLED Shield for Teensy

November 9, 2018

In this tutorial, we will connect different RGB LED matrix panels to PixelMatix's SmartLED shield and Teensy.

SparkFun Arduino ProtoShield Hookup Guide

May 17, 2018

The SparkFun Arduino ProtoShield PCB and ProtoShield kit lets you customize your own Arduino shield using whatever custom circuit you can come up with! This tutorial will go over its features, hardware assembly, and how to use the shield with an Arduino R3 footprint.

Qwiic Shield for Arduino & Photon Hookup Guide

October 19, 2017

Get started with our Qwiic ecosystem with the Qwiic shield for Arduino or Photon.

Wireless Motor Driver Shield Hookup Guide

August 17, 2017

Get started with the SparkFun Wireless Motor Driver Shield!

Ardumoto Kit Hookup Guide

April 14, 2017

Learn how to assemble and drive DC motors using the v2.0 Ardumoto Shield.

TeensyView Hookup Guide

March 16, 2017

A guide to using the TeensyView OLED board to display text and graphics.

Arduino Weather Shield Hookup Guide V12

March 2, 2017

Read humidity, pressure and luminosity quickly and easily. Add wind speed, direction and rain gauge for full weather station capabilities.

Simultaneous RFID Tag Reader Hookup Guide

February 23, 2017

A basic guide to getting started with the RFID Tag Reader breakout and how to read and write multiple RFID tags over multiple feet!

Mini GPS Shield Hookup Guide

December 15, 2016

A hookup guide for the SparkFun Mini GPS Shield.

GPS Logger Shield Hookup Guide

February 11, 2016

How to assemble and hookup the SparkFun GPS Logger Shield. Never lose track of your Arduino again!

CAN-BUS Shield Hookup Guide

October 8, 2015

A basic introduction to working with the CAN-Bus shield.

ESP8266 WiFi Shield Hookup Guide

July 16, 2015

Interface your Arduino with an ESP8266 to give it inexpensive access to your WiFi network and the Internet!
Viewing 37 Shields Tutorials. View All Tutorials.

Old Tutorials

Looking for the old, archived tutorials? Head on over to the archived tutorials on the main SparkFun site.
Please be aware that the tutorials you find there are no longer actively maintained.