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!
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 OLED Shield Hookup Guide
July 2, 2015
The Photon OLED Shield has everything you need to add a small yet crisp OLED screen to your Photon projects. This hookup guide will show you how to get started.
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.
Teensy Arduino Shield Adapter Hookup Guide
June 18, 2015
A basic introduction and assembly guide for the SparkFun Teensy Arduino Shield Adapter.
MP3 Player Shield Hookup Guide V15
April 6, 2015
How to get your Arduino groovin' using the MP3 Player Shield.
MicroSD Shield and SD Breakout Hookup Guide
March 25, 2015
Adding external storage in the form of an SD or microSD card can be a great addition to any project. Learn how in this hookup guide for the microSD shield and SD breakout boards.
GPS Shield Hookup Guide
March 9, 2015
This tutorial shows how to get started with the SparkFun GPS Shield and read and parse NMEA data with a common GPS receiver.
XBee Shield Hookup Guide
June 5, 2014
How to get started with an XBee Shield and Explorer. Create a remote-control Arduino!
BeagleBone Black Proto Cape Hookup Guide
May 22, 2014
Learn how to get started making your own capes for the BeaglBone Black using the BeagleBone Proto Cape.
MiniGen Hookup Guide
May 22, 2014
Using the MiniGen, SparkFun's Arduino Pro Mini signal generator shield
What is an Arduino?
February 26, 2013
What is this 'Arduino' thing anyway? This tutorials dives into what an Arduino is and along with Arduino projects and widgets.
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.