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.
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 Arduino Nano Hookup Guide
January 30, 2020
Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Arduino Nano.
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.
Pi Servo pHAT (v2) Hookup Guide
July 11, 2019
This hookup guide will get you started with connecting and using the Pi Servo pHAT on a Raspberry Pi.
Qwiic pHAT for Raspberry Pi Hookup Guide
May 23, 2019
Get started interfacing your Qwiic enabled boards with your Raspberry Pi. The Qwiic pHAT connects the I2C bus (GND, 3.3V, SDA, and SCL) on your Raspberry Pi to an array of Qwiic connectors.
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!
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!
Photon IMU Shield Hookup Guide
July 2, 2015
Learn how to use the SparkFun Photon IMU Shield for your Photon device which houses an on-board LSM9DS1 system-in-a-chip that houses a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and 3-axis magnetometer.
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.