Arduino Shields - Expansion Boards for Arduino. TV prefix NVIDIA SHIELD TV: Media Player and Game Console Examples of using Data Shield Arduino

If you have become the happy owner of Arduino, you probably heard about the extension boards - the so-called Shield (Arduino Shield), with which you can expand very quickly functionality Your Arduino.

As a rule, most of the shorts are manufactured for a specific fend factor board. In most cases, this is Arduino Uno microcontrollers. The idea of \u200b\u200bShildov is that you buy a separate module that "sits" from above to your microcontroller. You can use several shields at the same time, setting them one on another. As a result, you get a multifunctional "Cake" Arduino.

Official shield from the creators of Arduino. - this is a great option to ensure the independence of your project from your personal computerSince it makes it possible to establish an Arduino connection with the Internet. An interesting feature of this shield - the presence of a slot on it for MicroSD cards. So if your project is processed by a large amount of information, for example - MP3 files or video; Or you need to store large data arrays for projects such as, for example, the LED cube, you can store the data on the SD card.

You can ensure the work of the hosting for a web server using Ethernet Shilda.

Before you rushed to buy Ethernet Shield, I warn you from personal experience: Ethernet Shildy is dependent on versions. At first I bought Shild V3 T it turned out, he did not approach my Arduino Uno V2, as two Pina added on the version of the board V3. By the way, Ethernet Shield is more expensive than the ARDUINO controller itself, so I had to buy a new Arduino, and leave the old version for other projects.

So check the version of your board and Ethernet Shield, which you are going to buy.

The relay is the basis of the node of many devices for home (and only home) automation. The relays are used in Arduino Persections, which require electrical circuits with a large power. If you once connected the relay, you know that it requires additional blockage: transistor, diode, etc. If you need a multiple relay for the project, the circuit board (Bredboard) will quickly turn a bunch of conductors and contacts in which it will be very difficult to understand.

4 RELAY SHIELD (SHILD on 4 relays) provides you with all the necessary contacts for connecting 4 peripheral devices. Each relay makes it possible to connect equipment that works with current up to 3 amps. Of course, you can use the SWILD relay and for low-power electrical circuits. In such a format, they are often used to replace switches.

Warning: Be careful with Relay-Shield contacts. If they are randomly closing or improperly connecting an external load, you can damage your Arduino.

Protoshield (Protoschild) does nothing in itself. Therefore, it is so flat;). Very useful shield. After you have created your prototype using the circuit board and heaps of wires, it is worth thinking about its presentability and convenience. At this moment, Proschild is useful for you. You collect the entire scheme on it and satisfy it on top of your Arduino as any other screen. That is, it is a great option to create your own Shield!

LCD Shield.

Why do you need LCD Shield? Everything is simple: to display information from Arduino not on a personal computer using a serial monitor, and directly to the peripheral screen! It's really cool! But! Using external screensYou usually need 7 or more contacts with Arduino. It really limits the possibilities of further connection of peripheral devices. This LCD Shilde uses the I2C data transmission protocol, that is, only 2 pins are used to connect it! In addition, in parallel to the same contacts, you can connect other equipment that works on the same data transmission protocol.

In addition to the screen, 4 "control" buttons and the "Select" button are installed on LCD Shilde. Thanks to this, you have an additional interactive interface and directly connecting to a PC when working with shind can be avoided. If the monochrome display does not impress you, you can safely upgrade shield by installing 1.8 inch TFT 18-bit Color Screen.

Here at this stage you must understand that not all shields are 100% compatible with each other. Some of them need to be installed on top of your Arduino "Pie". It is to such shields that the LCD shield refers.

Energy Shield expands your capabilities from the point of view of supplying projects on Arduino. SWILD allows you to connect various power supplies and provide them with Arduino. One of the most striking applications is to ensure the recharge of mobile phones and gadgets.

Provides the ability to control multiple motors using Arduino. On Shield installed all the necessary regulators, switches, fuses. In general, Motor Shilde has everything to ensure simple engine control and to protect them.

In many projects, you need to handle large arrays of information, which is not enough to store in Arduino memory. It is in this case that you may need SD Card Shield. It is compatible with SD format memory cards, MicroSD sdhces. SD Card SWILD uses a simple SPI interface for connecting and transmitting data.

This screen provides you really enormous opportunities, allowing you to configure data transfer from Arduino using WiFi technology. I am sure you will find him worthy of use. Starting from remote control Your drives in robotic projects and ending data transfer from sensors and sensors about a state of one or another object in real time. WiFi Shield connects to the serial port.

GPRS SHIELD gives Arduino the ability to use GSM / GPRS networks that are used for mobile phones. As a result, you can do and receive calls and text messages! As a rule, GPRS Shildy is equipped with antennas.

E-Ink Shield is a very interesting development that uses electronic ink technology (the same technology is used in e-books). The main advantage of E-Ink Shield - you get a display that requires minimum energy to power and provides excellent format for displaying and reading text. Similar shields can display text even without using external food!

Music Shield gives you the opportunity to play music in excellent quality through Arduino. Shield supports a wide range of music formats for playback. Naturally, in Music Shilde is provided with an SD card slot. So you can easily download your library without using an additional SD SDA.

Leave your comments, questions and share your personal experience below. New ideas and projects are often born in the discussion!

This is the subspecies of the extension boards that are docked with Arduino as a sandwich.

In our opinion, the extension boards can be divided into two types:

Passive

They do not carry a special semantic load and are made to a greater extent for the convenience of users. A vivid example of this is:

Serves to conveniently connect various sensors and modules using

Expanding functionality

Significantly expand the possibilities of Arduino. Bright examples are:

Allows you to connect ARDUINO to the phone with Android support, as well as connect various USB interface devices

Expanding the functional shields, as well as Arduino modules (), have a specific element on their board (motors driver, Ethernet controller, display, etc.) with all the necessary strapping for its operation. Unlike modules that can be connected to arbitrary ARDUINO Pins, Shild's conclusions, in most cases, are tightly tied to Arduino outputs. This is a payroll for a very simple and convenient connection. If you want to collect your project in the form of a sandwich from Shildov, then you need to pay attention to this in advance and check that the fees do not use the conclusions of the same name.

Paper data significantly expand the Arduino fee functionality. From bright examples you can allocate

adds the ability to connect to Arduino motors

Allows you to manage Arduino board via the local network or the Internet

Challenge information on text 1602 display, additionally equipped with buttons

Allows you to connect Arduino to the phone with Android support, as well as connect various devices with uSB interface

Media Playing with Game Services

The first public announcement of the NVIDIA Tegra X1 single-gryl system took place more than two years ago. Unfortunately, with the realization of real products, despite the impressive hardware characteristics, things went very slowly. However, the company continued to make efforts in this direction and recently introduced a new model in the series - NVIDIA SHIELD TV, which is already available for purchase including in our market.

This compact device is positioned as a multifunctional console for the TV, so that a couple of words convey all its possibilities are not easy. From the key features, the company notes support for 4K and HDR, a powerful graphical subsystem, voice control, Games via the GEFORCE NOW cloud service and broadcast games from a computer via GameStream, a remote control and playing controller, work running Android TV and support for cutting video services.

Note that the company uses one word "Shield" to refer to several devices of different generations and their controllers, which can be a little confused users. This article discusses the model with the article P2897.

Specifications

Prefix works under the control of SOC NVIDIA Tegra x1. This microcircuit is made according to the process of 20 nm, has two blocks of four computing kernels (Cortex A57 and Cortex A53) implemented in Arm Big.little architecture. Their maximum frequency of operation is 2 GHz. Apparently, in this chip, the migration mode is implemented between clusters, so only four cores work simultaneously. Note that in the system settings there is a performance selection option. In this case, this parameter affects the speed in the applications.

Also in SOC there is a powerful graphics processor - 256 Maxwell cores operating at a frequency of 1 GHz, support for API DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and OpenGL ES 3.1, video decoding up to 4K inclusive with 60 FPS and Codecs H.265 and VP9, \u200b\u200bvideo output to 4kp60 and VP9 1080p120. There is a module for video encoding, which can be useful for organizing video broadcasting from the console. By computational performance, this block exceeds the gaming consoles of past generations and compare with top video cards for a ten-year-old PC.

The amount of operational memory of the console is 3 GB. Today this value is already difficult to name only flagship, but taking into account the mainly of the same task mode of operation should not be. To store firmware and user data in a conventional model, a flash drive is installed on 16 GB, on which the user is available about 11 GB. If you plan to intensively use Android games, it may be necessary to install an additional drive.

Note that there is also a "Pro" modification line, which has a larger body. It uses hybrid hDD 500 GB. Note that we are talking about the main drive of the device, including the system partition. This volume can be useful for the storage of games and Android applications, as well as media files. Also this version is equipped with a card slot microSd memory and supports the management of the IR channel.

You can increase the volume of local storage using USB drives - the console is equipped with two ports with support for version 3.0. They can come in handy and for connecting different peripherals. But the slot for memory cards in this model is not.

To connect K. local network and the Internet device has a gigabit wired port and built-in dual-band wireless adapter With 802.11n / AC support. At the same time, the latter has two antennas implemented on the main printed circuit board. So in the MIMO configuration, it is capable of providing an 867 Mbps connection speed. But of course this will require an appropriate router. We also note the presence of Bluetooth 4.1 with BLE support, which, in addition to maintaining regular consoles, can be used to connect headphones, keyboards and other equipment.

Connecting to a TV or a different display device is carried out via the HDMI 2.0B interface with HDCP 2.2 and CEC support. Note that the maximum video output mode here is 4kp60. There are support for HDR technology.

A centrifugal fan is used to cool the powerful filling. It has automatic adjustment of the speed of rotation and in most cases (from inaction to work under load, the launch of graphic tests, games and other resource-intensive programs) it was not heard. Although the body of the device in some places is a bit heats up, there were no negative consequences. The formal value of TDP for the processor used is 15 W.

The standard power supply has a power of 40 W. A real level of power consumption of a test instance without connected additional external devices, measured "out of the outlet", ranged from 5 W in sleep or inactivity mode to about 20 W during the 3DMark Sling Sling Shot Extreme test.

Prefix works under control operating system Android 7.0 in a special connection-oriented to TV version of Android TV. There is an online update point in the firmware. Testing was conducted with version 5.1 (24.27.403.124). Note that the company clearly pays serious attention to the support of its products and after their release. The outcomes OTA updates not only correct the shortcomings of past versions, but also add new features and capabilities.

Equipment and appearance

Formally, NVIDIA does not boast of rich experience in the supply of its products for the mass segment in retail stores. However, the dense interaction with partners on these issues caused its fruits - to the packing NVIDIA Shield TV there are no comments: strong cardboard, strict design in the style of minimalism, glossy inserts in photos, a short description and all that.

I didn't like it only that open the box is not so simple - the two parts of it are very tightly adjacent to each other.

In the box in special inserts are all the elements of the configuration: the device itself, a corporate power supply for it with replaceable blocks for outlet of different standards, minimum documentation, remote control and gamepad with charging cable (standard USB-Micro-USB 1.5 m long .

The parameters of the power supply of the console - 19 in 2.1 A. The connector has a non-standard, and the cable length is 1.8 m. On the one hand, it allows you to provide a stable power supply and a reliable connection, and on the other, it requires only the original version.

We will tell you more about management devices further. In any case, it is worth recognizing that such a package is worth writing in the pluses of the device. Additionally, you can purchase the same console and controller, as well as a special stand for the vertical device installation. The full version of the documentation is available on the manufacturer's website in the form of hypertext documents. Note that there is a version in Russian.

The prefix received a black plastic body with strict geometric shapes. His dimensions Make up 158 × 98 × 26 mm, and the weight of the device is about 250 g. In general, it is comparable to the common models of the media receptacle and significantly less modern stationary gaming consoles, not to mention computers. So, if you wish, you can even take with you on travel.

Plastic is predominantly matte, but the sides and insertion on the top panel glossy. Under its protruding angle is the status indicator, as you can guess, green. By the way, its brightness can be adjusted through the settings. It glows while operating the console and turns off in sleep mode. The flat portion of the bottom is covered with a rubber insert, which provides a reliable retention of the device on the shelf.

Rear and on the bottom side are visible ventilation grids. We draw attention to the fact that a powerful stuffing is used in the device, so it is not recommended to close the grilles.

All connector connectors are located on the rear panel. Here you can find: two standard USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port, local network port, power supply inlet. The regular remote controls are operating along the radio channel, so install the prefix in the open space and provide direct visibility is not required.

When working in media printing mode, you can use a complete remote control. It has a compact dimensions (143 × 36 × 9 mm) and a small weight (52 g). Bottom part Its housing is made of matte metal, and for the top panel black matte and glossy plastic applies. The power is carried out from two CR2032 format batteries, which are installed in the tray of a special form in the near-theder to the user. According to the manufacturer, they are enough for a year of work.

In the front end of the remote, there is an IR LED designed to control the TV or other technician. We will tell you more about these possibilities further in the text. Near it there is a Bluetooth pairing indicator. The following controls are installed on the top of the navigation crestus, with the confirmation button in the center, the "Back" and "home" buttons, the voice search button, and the vertical field between the matte inserts at the bottom of the remote control is used to adjust the volume and operations "Playback / Replay / Pause". All buttons have a matte coating and easily are on the touch.

As we see, a traditional set for Android devices is fully implemented here. In addition, double clicking on the "home" allows you to access the list of recently running applications, and its long-lasting retention opens the service settings for recording and online broadcasts video from games supporting voice and video comments.

Note that it can be sold separately and a slightly modified remote - without an IR transmitter, with a way out for connecting wired headphones and with battery powered.

Since one of the main scenarios of the use of the prefix are games, then, of course, it was not without branded gamepad. High quality manufacturing and reliability you understand right away, as soon as you take it in hand. The design of matte black plastic looks completely monolithic, as if chopped out of a solid piece of material.

Dimensions can be considered standard for this device class. The width is approximately from 11.5 to 15 cm. The maximum thickness of the handles is about 4 cm. The weight of the controller is slightly higher than that of the prefix itself, - 262 power is carried out from the built-in battery, the manufacturer declares 60 hours of autonomous work. For charging, a standard USB-Micro-USB cable is applied. The adapter requires about 450 mA, so that any model is suitable. Add realism in games will help the vibromotors built into the controller.

A set of basic controls includes - crosslinor on the left, A / B / X / Y buttons on the right, two analog joysticks with support for pressing, on the bumper and analog trigger on the left and right. This device also has a built-in microphone and a voice search / control activation button - it is located on top in the center of the gamepad on a silver plastic insert. Above the button LED pairing indicator.

In the center below between the joysticks installed two Android control buttons ("back", "home"), as well as "play / pause". The glossy strip over this block has a sensor for adjusting the volume. Additional actions with "home", as well as on the console, implement the transition to the list of programs and control the recording or broadcast video from games. In addition, this controller also has a built-in IR transmitter to control the external audio video technique.

At the top end in the center there is a micro-usb port for charging and connecting to a PC. On the opposite side, the bottom, there is a standard minijack of 3.5 mm for connecting headphones or headset (in the second case, the LRMG / OMTP standard applies). Note that the headset buttons in this case do not work. However, the loss is small, as the control is on the controller itself. Given the many ways to connect devices to play and write sound, you should read the table with the documentation with the priorities for different modes.

Currently, the device can be used with computers when connected by wire. Support for work via Bluetooth promise to implement soon. In total, the prefix supports the simultaneous connection of four controllers.

It is also worth saying that the controllers have their own firmware with the ability to update through the console. In the same menu, you can recognize their battery level.

Software

The console uses a job-oriented with the Android TV branded launcher Google, which is somewhat unpaid for users of the "ordinary" Android. The appearance of the homepage resembles other connected to the TV device. There are several zones with large icons on the screen. If there are quite a lot of them, then in each zone there will be its scriage to the right.

The upper unit displays dynamic recommendations from programs installed on the device. These can be applications, movies, TV shows, games and other similar information, as well as information about the availability of updates for console or controllers. Moreover, the results depend on actions in your account on all devices attached to it. If necessary, you can "post" from publishing to this block specific applications.

The second block consists of icons set on the console program. The third block presents game applications, including the NVIDIA Games portal program. Everything is a single list without the possibility of grouping, but here you can change them. You can also turn on automatic sorting according to the start frequency. You can learn the names optimized for the game platform.

The final block is access to the device settings, view information and connected controllers, wireless connection status, power management (switch to sleep mode and reboot).

In addition, you can run the search service with voice input or input from the keyboard from this screen. Note that the search on the Android TV platform is supported not only in Google services and well-known sources on the device, but also in applications, if it was implemented by their developers. The user can disable the service access to specific programs in the settings.

In the firmware, as expected, Google services are fully implemented. However, note that the application store for Android TV differs in content from the option for "ordinary" mobile devices. This version of the operating system is trying to even more "hide" from the user its internal structure.

In addition, the menu does not displays some applications that are already installed on the console. So, to access them, a third-party manager may be needed, such as Sideload Launcher. In particular, the Google Chrome browser will be visible. If necessary, you can try to correct the situation by installing programs through files APK.But it may be unsafe. Also remained unclear about the purchase of one application in Android and Android TV stores. It is likely that special versions of programs optimized for Android TV can be sold separately.

The following are the following: Google Play (Store, Movies, Music, Games), YouTube, Netflix, Plex (Client and Server), Photos & Videos, and of course the most important - NVIDIA Games. It is the last utility that opens access to games catalogs in various versions - local, streaming from the GeForce Now service and from a personal computer, and also provides information on the most interesting projects for this platform.

In addition, there are many background utilities in the firmware, which are used to maintain controllers, implement the broadcast of games, organizing video recording and solving other tasks. ROOT access here, of course, no. In the network you can find instructions for obtaining it and other similar operations. As for the developer menu, it can be opened with a standard way.

In addition to the options described above, the company also indicates the ability to act as an "smart home" element. At the January exhibition CES, it was announced about integration into the Google Assistant and SmartThings Hub technologies in the following software updates. In this case, it will be possible to control the voice from any room using the NVIDIA Spot accessory - installed directly into the wall outlet of the special wireless module.

Connection and configuration

The minimum connection option for operation - power console and HDMI cable (not included) to the TV. Optionally, you can use the wired network and various USB devices. Note that the apparent power button does not have the device. In the shell menu there is an item "Go to standby mode", and if you go a little deeper into the settings, then there you can find and "turn off the power". That's just back to turn on the device with the remotes will not work, so most of the users have it will be in standby / sleep mode, when it is not used. By the way, there is no reset buttons or reboot here. Probably the manufacturer is confident in the reliability of its product. During testing, these opportunities have never been required.

When interacting with TVs, it may be useful support for the HDMI-CEC protocol, so that you can adjust the volume of the TV from the remote control. There is also a reverse option - navigating menu and control video view from the TV console. In addition, the regular console console can be retrieved to transmit IR volume control signals and power to your audio video equipment. To do this, you will need to select the appropriate code through the menu. The list presents many popular brands of televisions, receivers and sound panels. But it is not worth it to expect all this to work with your equipment.

In addition to the regular control panels, you can apply Google's branded utility for remote control of devices with Android TV. It has the implementation of the navigation, the emulation of the touch panel and the on-screen keyboard. Plus, you can use control with Logitech Harmony, supporting Bluetooth.

Ports USB 3.0 consoles can be used to connect drives, webcams, input devices, sound cards and other equipment. If you need to work with more than two devices, you can use hubs.

The drives are supported by NTFS, FAT32 and EXFAT file systems. At the same time, you can implement not only access to the files on them, for example, to a large-scale media library, but also apply a special replacement mode of a regular embedded external storage to an external disk. In the second case, the drive will be formatted and encrypted to work only with this prefix.

If you have a USB USB cable with the same Type A ports (note that this is a rare option quite), you can connect the console to your computer to write to its memory content, as happens with conventional smartphones. For this, the first of two ports is applied.

In addition, there is an interesting option to provide network access to the internal memory from other devices on the local network according to the standard SMB protocol (username and password for protection can be specified in the settings). Speed \u200b\u200bwhen working in a gigabit network in this case will be at the level of 50 MB / s.

Webcams require their compatibility with the UVC class. For example, Logitech C920 is suitable or even emeted C525. You can use high-resolution models. Support for input devices allows you to connect standard keyboards, mice and even gamepads. For example, we have "out of the box" earned a wireless Logitech F710, allowing you to add a second character right while playing from the LEGO series. If the normal keyboard is not connected with you, the standard assembly appropriate appears if necessary.

Interestingly, the firmware provides a regular way to remote file access - built-in support for network storage. So you can mount your network drive (or several) to the SMB console. As a result will appear new virtual folders And all programs on the device will be able to use files from them. This is one of the simple options for implementing a network media player for the existing media library. Although there is a couple of comments - a list of available resources on the network drive is formed only at the time of connection. If you later add some new shared folder on it, you will need to delete and create a connection again. At the same time, it will be attended by all the available folders available to the user on network drives in one large list. In addition, the prefix creates service folders with the name "Android" on each total resource. We also encountered the disappearance of resources after restarting the device, which is certainly unacceptable for a permanent use scenario.

The prefix uses the full-time android TV setup capabilities. In general, this menu is similar to the version in the usual Android. In particular, there are options for setting the time, language (Russian is in full), keyboards, speech, search, network connections, application management and their rights and so on.

Part of the specific parameters we have already mentioned - the mode of operation of the processor and the brightness of the indicator (you can completely turn it off). Also, there is a setup of pair of options for the main screen, controlling controllers, setting up a screensaver, setting video output options, control of external devices and other features. As for access to services and synchronization, the support of Google and NVIDIA accounts is implemented here.

When you first turn on or after resetting the settings, two options for starting work with the prefix are offered: Local setting using a remote control or controller and using another device with Android and google services. The second option allows you to not use the screen keyboard consoles for entering the account data and other parameters. After configuring the Android itself, you will need to specify the NVIDIA Games account data to access its resources.

Performance

Considering that the device is unique in its characteristics, a special point in assessing its performance for comparison with other models in traditional Android tests. NVIDIA SHIELD TV will choose support for 4K and NVIDIA gaming services, and not for "parrots" in benchmarks. But traditionally, we still pay attention to these moments, so this time will not miss.

First of all, we note that for this device, the question of the speed of work has a sufficiently specific value. If we talk about the scenario of the media player, it is more important here to have a high-quality video decoding unit that will cope with the necessary formats. For streaming gaming services, the speed of processor cores and graphic blocks is also not significant. The only scenario, where it is important to have a fast platform - Android games. But here there is often a situation where the developers of gaming applications are focused on the average level of devices and therefore the real requirements for their projects are small as the quality of graphics. NVIDIA to provide "best impressions" for users of its platforms is published under the NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios brand, which use Soc Tegra X1 and look very impressive.

For comparison, the table below shows the results smartphone Xiaomi. MI Note 2 on a quad-core platform Qualcomm Snapdragon. 821 With the Adreno 530 graphics accelerator and the media player indicators are found on the wide range of Amlogic S912.

Testing NVIDIA SHIELD TV was carried out in two available modes - "Max. Performance "and" Optimized ", which were selected in the settings. 3DMark, PcMark, GfxBench, Antutu and Geekbench were used as benchmarks. Results are given in the table.

	NVIDIA SHIELD TV Max.	NVIDIA SHIELD TV Wholesale.	Xiaomi. MI Note 2.	Amlogic S912
3DMark Sling Shot, scores more - better	4928	4653	2634	594
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme, scores more - better	4100	3878	1820	-
PCMark Work 2.0, scores more - better	7388	6631	5268	-
PCMark Computer Vision, scores more - better	5607	5639	3260	-
GFXBENCH CAR Chase, fPS, more - better	29	27	17	-
GFXBENCH MANHATTAN 3.1, fPS, more - better	45	42	26	-
GFXBENCH MANHATTAN, fPS, more - better	56	54	36	-
ANTUTU BENCHMARK, scores more - better	138608	131126	122938	42664
Geekbench Single-Core, scores more - better	1488	1429	1844	456
Geekbench Multi-Core, scores more - better	4061	3967	4246	2307

Superiority over Adreno 530 in graphics tests is from 50% to 110%. In PCMark, the NVIDIA solution is also noticeably faster than the product with Soc Qualcomm.

At the same time, in Antutu, the winnings are relatively small, and in GeekBench, which takes into account the possibilities of the processor cores, we see the expected lag of the NVIDIA solution operating at a lesser frequency. Media player on the Amlogic chip in these tests is very much and how competitor cannot be considered. However, there are such products at times less.

In addition, we tested the speed of the wireless controller console. The check was carried out in conjunction with the Zyxel Keenetic Ultra II router, which supports the speed of 300 Mbps and 867 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz bands and 5 GHz, respectively. The test was carried out at a distance of about five meters through one non-vacant wall and a wooden door.

	802.11n, 2.4 GHz, compound by 144 Mbps	802.11ac, 5 GHz, connection to 867 Mbps
Broadcast	37 Mbps	60 Mbps
Reception	26 Mbps	110 Mbps
Transmission and reception	41 Mbps	99 Mbps

As we can see, due to regional restrictions in the 2.4 GHz range, the device can use only 20 MHz channel, which affects performance. In this case, it is 25-40 Mbps. This will be enough for many cutting services, but for streaming games games will not be enough in maximum quality. Switching to the 5 GHz range significantly changes the picture. The maximum speed of obtaining data to the prefix in this case exceeds 100 Mbps, which allows you to implement all the stated scenarios of its use.

As for the wired connection, the console, for example, when working with a network drive, provides maximum speed for a gigabit speed of more than 900 Mbps.

Additionally, we give the test results of the SpeedTest.net test, obtained on the cable, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz (three launches in each mode). The Internet access channel had a speed of 100 Mbps.

Use in media player mode

The SOC installed in the console is one of the few solutions on the market capable of decoding video with H.265 codec in 4K format with 60 FPS and output it to TV via HDMI 2.0B in the same mode, with the use of HDR technology. The question of the existence of such entries and their advantages is beyond the scope of this material, but maximalists this model Let's like it. The general list of microcircuit features includes decoding of popular codecs H.265, H.264, VP9, \u200b\u200bVP8, MPEG4, MPEG2, and support for all popular audio codecs, Hi-Res audio to 24/192 inclusive, as well as the withdrawal of multichannel digital sound (including Dolby ATMOS and DTS: X) via HDMI on the receiver. In addition, the prefix supports external audio cards / DAC with USB interface. But the licenses for decoding multichannel sound in the product is not. To solve this problem, you will have to take advantage of third-party software.

Note that the device check for this article we conducted with several TVs, including sAMSUNG model UE40KU6020K, in which there are 4K and HDR, as well as the receiver not the most recent generation, but with the support of common HD-sound options. The 4KP60 permission on the compatible TV turned immediately, and to activate the HDR, it was necessary through the TV menu to change one item in the settings. By photograph above, you can estimate the comparative sizes of the console and 40 "TV.

Testing in KODI and PLEX has shown that the specified hardware capabilities can really be implemented in this media. 4K video format with H.264 and H.265 codecs is played smoothly. Main10's profile for H.265 is correctly decoded, which implements a 10-bit color depth. There are no problems and with having a high bitrate (100-200 Mbps) content.

On special videos with gradients, if you really try, with a pair of meters you can see the differences in the output in modes with different colors depth. But you need to try very much and believe that they are.

Multichannel sound is successfully displayed on the receiver, including in HD versions, the travel frequency auto-break frequency depending on the parameters of the file in KODI works. About the format of the 3D company does not say anything, and interest in it has recently decreased significantly, so we will not check. In any case, "half" formats that do not differ in fact from conventional media files, it will be possible to view, including 3D mode on TV side.

An important role in this scenario plays software. Oddly enough, if you do not count the Plex, which we will tell later, no interesting media players for ordinary files in the basic firmware are not provided. There is only a standard for Android "video player", which, combined with the "Photos & Videos" conductor, can theoretically be used to solve this task, but the process will be very uncomfortable. However, in the store, except Kodi and Plex, there are also MX Player, VLC and other well-known products, so there is some choice here.

As for PLEX, the device is installed on the device and the server and server of this brand, which is a good option for those users who require a beautiful design of a media library, a comfortable player, compatibility with different platforms and remote access. In this ecosystem, you can create multiple servers and provide work with them from different players through a single account mechanism. Everything works according to a well-known scheme, but it may be necessary to spend time on the selection of server and client parameters for maximum quality. Note that in this case, interest is the client that can be connected to servers located, for example, on a network drive. Seriously consider the scenario of using the server on the prefix we would not become. Although with the connection of external USB disks large tank It is also possible.

For the sake of fair, it is worth saying that for the "heavy" video of the 4K video format, a more convenient and stable work seemed to us through KODI with the connection of remote folders on the network drive with regular means of this shell. At least in this case, no one is trying to translate anything and the capabilities of SOC are revealed as efficiently as possible.

The reason for the unusual situation with local players is easy to understand if we recall current trends on the transition to online services. Indeed, the Android TV platform is focused on streaming services. It would be possible to note that for this option, the possibility of decoding in SOC today is redundant, but, recalling the speed of technology development, they no longer seem unnecessary.

From foreign services in this format broadcast, in particular, Netflix and Amazon Video. In the first monthly subscription with Ultra HD costs 11.99 euros (normal - 7.99, HD - 9.99). It is possible to check the work within a month. From the technical requirements, besides the player itself, the minimum access trip to 25 Mbps and HDCP 2.2 on the TV is indicated. Real users note that often the smaller strip is often used, comparable to HD versions. As for affordable content, it is not so much as I would like. At the end of last year, about 80 items were present in the list (half of them - serials, a quarter of the documentary, the eighth part are films). It should also be noted the presence of content with multi-channel 5.1 sound. Amazon Video broadcasts 4K only in some countries. At the end of last year, 33 films were presented in this format. This service can be obtained separately in the form of Prime Video ($ 8.99 per month) or as part of PRIME ($ 10.99 per month or $ 99 per year), but some films require a separate payment. There are other 4K support services, including YouTube, Ultraflix, Hulu, Vudu and Sony Ultra. The appearance of the content of this format and Google Play Movies is expected. By the way, it implements an interesting opportunity - while watching movies (at the moment not all) you can view information about the actors on the screen and the music used.

As for domestic services, there are already quite a few options for Android TV programs - Megogo, Showjet, SPB TV, Videomore, Ameditec, "Beeline TV", "NTV", "Channel One" and others. Interestingly, many programs have a completely identical interface. This is probably due to Google's recommendations for the application interface for this Android version. Note that of course all these services also exist for other platforms, and the use of them with the prefix NVIDIA SHIELD TV does not have significant advantages, except for the convenience of management in Android TV. There are practically no full broadcast information in 4K format in these programs. There were only such data about the showjet service, but due to the lack of a format filter, confirm the presence of 4K content in it and evaluate its number is impossible.

The manufacturer also notes the possibility of viewing the essential broadcasts using an external digital tuner, but no details about this mode, among other things, a list of compatible equipment is not given. In the presence of a variety of IPTV services, this option can only be interesting in the absence of quick access to the Internet.

In addition to the described features, the prefix can act as a receiver to broadcast video, music and applications from mobile and portable device using Google Cast (Chromecast) technology, including for 4K format. Interestingly, with the Xiaomi Mi5 with the Qualcomm chip, the screen transfer function did not work, and on the Zopo ZP920 everything turned out on MediaTek. Of course, it will not work, because the delay is noticeable, but for presentations, view photos, sites and videos, the function can be useful. Note that sending data to this protocol is also implemented in programs for iOS and desktop PCs. True, we did not find options on the disconnection of this mode or password access. It turns out that any user of the local network at any time can interrupt your game, which is still wrong.

Conclusion

As a result of testing, it is possible to say with a certainty that the novelty made a very good impression and can be deservedly called a unique solution. The device has a compact size, interesting design and excellent controllers in the basic supply. Work running Android TV is really noticeably more convenient when connected to the TV. In most cases, there is no need to connect the keyboard or mouse. Plus provided voice control. In addition, here we have a powerful hardware platform, especially in the graphic part - both in the tasks of video decoding and in three-dimensional games. From other platform features, we note a quick wireless controller, the presence of two USB 3.0 ports and the Bluetooth adapter.

The media player perfectly showed itself in video viewing tasks and may well take the place of the universal source for home theater, but the user will still have to spend some time on the selection of convenient software and its configuration. This is one of the very few options that can make a worthy company with modern models of televisions with support for 4K and HDR. Of course, the issue of the availability of the appropriate content, but to have a stock in this case, perhaps will be useful. As for streaming services, at the moment most of them are able to massively provide only Full HD and the prerequisites of a sharp change in the situation are not visible.

Assessing the cost of a device, having a similar wide range of diverse capabilities, is always not easy. And in this case, the prefix also has unique features that are only available on it. At the time of preparation of the article, the price of the considered version of NVIDIA Shield TV in the official Russian online store was 18 thousand rubles with free shipping in Russia. The price is noticeably higher than that of mass media players, but lower than in 4K solutions of famous brands. Direct comparison with game consoles is still not very correct in terms of the performance of the latter, as well as the presence of exclusive projects and some additional technologies. If you consider NVIDIA Shield TV "Device for Games" without taking into account these features, this prefix wins in terms of consoles. Pro gaming computers You can not mention here. An additional advantage in this case will be the support of the GEFORCE NOW service, which allows access to many projects, although there may be no special benefit from the price of the price of games here. If we talk about the combination of the characteristics and taking into account the possible distribution of content 4K and the extension of eco android systems TV, as well as increasing the number of games supported by the GEFORCE service, we would say that the current value of NVIDIA Shield TV is fully justified.

Companies managed to create a truly unique device, which is analogs in the market it is impossible. So, despite some roughness in the implementation of part of the functions, NVIDIA Shield TV deservedly receives our editorial award Original Design.

In conclusion, we offer to see our video review of the media and game console NVIDIA SHIELD TV:

Many of the companies that in previous years have been known primarily or exclusively as manufacturers of computer components, recognized a new rule of success in the custom electronics market: while the user experience of mobile and desktops is less limited by productivity, it is not enough to produce good iron. More convincingly in the eyes of buyers looks like an offer of a finished product built into the ecosystem of software and cloud services.

NVIDIA sequentially integrated the elements of this model to its main business - graphic processors that are now surrounded by a mass of related software technologies, starting with a specialized API for all tasks associated with GPU, and ending with a GEFORCE EXPERIENCE client, which is actually a way to organize game functions in a convenient An inexperienced user of the console fit.

By creating a shield portable console, and then the SHIELD Tablet K1 tablet, NVIDIA pursue the soil for the next initiative - become a supplier of specialized gaming devices and content along with Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. And if the Mobile Shield sympathizes first of all the Gikik audience, then the TV consoles of Shield TV, which has become the latest addition to this line, is a chance to widely recognize.

The fate of SHIELD TV lies at the intersection of two functions - Streaming 4K-video from the LAN and the Internet and the game in the format of a full-fledged home console. However, SHIELD TV does not pretend to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Competition. Let Nvidia have all the technical capabilities to take such a step, the company chose another direction. Shield TV is designed primarily for broadcasting games from a platform with a better platform. than any console,performance and capabilities - PC. Originally NVIDIA offered the fighting games with home ComputerBut now the GEFORCE NOW cloud service comes to the fore, which has grown from the NVIDIA Grid experimental project.

Shield TV prefix was represented in the spring of 2015 and was not officially supplied to Russia. Today we will look at its updated version available to Russians, and find out what it is - computer games In the cloud.

⇡ Specifications, prices

At the heart of the console lies the system on the Tegra X1 chip, manufactured by TSMC 20 Nm. Shield TV is one of the few devices where this SOC has been used, belonging to the rare among the chips on the ARM power consumption class (TDP Tegra X1 is 15 W), which limits it with ultra-compact laptops and embedded computers. Other famous examples - DRIVE CX / PX car boards from NVIDIA and laptop transformer Google Pixel S. Finally, we can quite confidently assert that it is the Tegra X1 that has been the basis of the Nintendo Switch console.

If we consider that Tegra X1 has existed for two years already, and this is a long time on the consumer market, it is unlikely that we will meet it again in any other product, so we will not consider the chip architecture in detail and restrict ourselves to a comment to several key facts.

It is known that NVIDIA has long worked on its own CPU - Denver architecture. Instead of four or more cores that are able to perform a small number of instructions at the same time (as accepted in ARM licensed by Arm), Denver is completed with two extremely "wide" conveyors (up to seven instructions for the tact). Such an approach that has previously proven itself in the series apple A6-A10 chips,provides high performance and energy efficiency in both multi-threaded and single-threaded loads, the standard Armov nuclei cannot boast. However, before introducing into commercial SOC, the Denver architecture has doser only relatively recently (last fall) when NVIDIA has released Tegra X2, where Denver is combined with the Pascal GPU.

Tegra X1, on the contrary, includes eight licensed nuclei - four high-performance ARM Cortex-A57 kernels and four energy-efficient Cortex-A53. This is standard As part of the architecture Big.little combinationwhich can be found in many mobile SOCs (for example, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 or some Samsung EXYNOS OCTA series chips). However, Tegra X1 stands out among such chips by the method of distribution of flows between high-performance and economical core clusters. If other SOCs are presented to the OS planner, the entire set of kernels (Global Task Scheduling), then in working with Tegra X1, the OS Scheduler only one or another cluster, switching between which occurs automatically. The effectiveness of this approach in the case of Tegra X1 is based on the connective bus of its own development, providing cache coherence.

However, in two years, the Mobile SOC industry has left far forward, and Tegra X1 no longer claims to lead in the performance of CPU in the face of modern competitors (such as Apple A9x, Apple A10, Qualcomm Snapdragon 825), as well as new NVIDIA chips - Tegra x2 and Tegra P1. Nevertheless, the Tegra X1 in the SHIELD TV has an advantage in the form of a capacity limit, not limited by the battery and passive cooling. The TDP chip is 15 W, and the Cortex-A57 kernel reach the frequency up to 2 GHz.

But the main advantage of Tegra X1 is an extremely powerful graphics processor for this class on the basis of the Maxwell architecture, which, like the following GPU NVIDIA architecture, was created with an emphasis on mobile SOC. Tegra X1 contains two SMM blocks identical to those in the discrete GPU Maxwell architecture, and at a frequency of 1 GHz is characterized by peak speed in 512 GFLOPS. For comparison: this is the level of top gaming video cards of Sample 2006-2008. - GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 9800 GT. Moreover, even the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles have slower GPU (400 and 240 GFLOPS, respectively).

NVIDIA Tegra x1, graphics processor

However, the charming of the unification of building blocks GPU among all NVIDIA chips not only in performance. Tegra x1 is compatible with both OpenGL ES and with more powerful desktop APIs - such as OpenGL 4.5, DirectX 12, Vulkan and CUDA, which makes it easier to porting games from a PC to Tegra X1 running Android. However, in terms of support OpenGL and DirectX, NVIDIA chips are no longer unique, since competing SOC has already acquired such functionality.

Other distinctive feature Tegra X1, which is relatively recently appeared in discrete GPU, consists in supporting the format of half accuracy numbers (FP16), operations with which are performed by CUDA cores on double speed relative to FP32. At the same time, the good part of the Android games operates the FP16, and not FP32 - the format, standard for the shader code of desktop applications.

Separate pride of the creators of Tegra X1 - her multimedia block. SOC is capable of decoding H.264, HEVC formats (including 10-bit color) and VP9 when resolved up to 4k and frame rate of 60 Hz, and encode all of the listed in 4K with a frequency of 30 Hz. Among other modern SOCs, which may be in TV-consoles, comparable features, perhaps only Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and above. The most famous and successful contentee of Shield TV in this capacity - Apple TV - does not support 4k and HEVC at all as such.

Shield TV can not only decode 4k-video, but also output it with a frequency of 60 Hz through hDMI interface 2.0b in its entirety of its capabilities: color with an accuracy of 10 bits per canal and subdiscretionation (Chroma Subsampling) 4: 4: 4, high dynamic range (HDR). In addition, Tegra X1 supports content protection according to HDCP 2.2, which is a prerequisite for Netflix and similar streaming services in 4K. Sound SHIELD TV gives an HDMI cable or on an external audio card with a USB interface or through an analog connector on the gamepad.

Manufacturer	NVIDIA
Model	Shield.	SHIELD PRO.
SOC.	NVIDIA Tegra X1.
CPU.	4 × ARM Cortex A57 (2.0 GHz, 2 MB L2); 4 × ARM Cortex A53 (2.0 GHz, 512 KB L2)
GPU	GM20B (Maxwell architecture): 256 CUDA cores; 16 texture overlay blocks;
RAM	LPDDR4 SDRAM, 1600 MHz, 64 BIT, 3 GB
Storage device	eMMC 5.1 SSD, 16 GB	2.5 "SATA HDD, 500 GB
I / O ports	2 × USB 3.0 (Type-A)	2 × USB 3.0 (Type-A); 1 × USB 2.0 (Micro Type-A); 1 × micro SDXC; 1 × Infrared Port
Net	IEEE 802.11a / B / G / N / AC (2.4 and 5 GHz, MIMO 2 × 2); 1 × Bluetooth 4.1 / Ble; 1 × Gigabit Ethernet
Mass, G.	250	654
Overall dimensions (d × in × g), mm	159 × 98 × 25,93	210 × 130 × 25
Operating system	Android 7.0.
Warranty period	1
Retail price (USA, without tax), $ *	199,99	299,99
Retail price (Russia), rub. **	17 990	25 990

* According to www.nvidia.com.

** According to www.nvidia.ru.

SHIELD TV prefix exists in two modifications that differ price and drive type: the debut version of 2015, which is now called SHIELD PRO, and the new shield in the reduced housing. The Pro option contains a 500 GB hard disk, and "simply" shield TV - 16 GB Flash-memory. However, in the latter case, there is no speech about the full SSD with the PCI Express bus, since the ROM is connected to the Tegra X1 via the EMMC 5.1 interface with the bandwidth of 400 MB / s. Such limited amount of non-volatile memory reflects the purpose of the device for cloud services, and not for local installation games. In the latter case, if the games are "heavy" enough, you will have to rely on the outer hard disk or flash drive. By the way, external drives can be formatted both in the EXFAT system and NTFS.

Both models have a Gigabit Ethernet connector and support IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO 2 × 2 ( bandwidth 866 Mbit / s at a frequency of 5 GHz).

Devices are sold through the NVIDIA website at prices $ 199.99 and $ 299.99 or 17,990 and 25,990 rubles. It is quite expensive for the TV console. For example, Apple TV with ROM volume 64 GB costs $ 199 or 15,490 rubles. However, the gamepad is attached to SHIELD TV, not to mention incompatible more powerful processor, expansion and communication capabilities.

⇡ Appearance, delivery set

The updated version of the Shield TV consoles is not different from SHIELD PRO, but thanks to changing hard disk On SSD, the size of the housing (already compact, since the power supply - external) in the plane managed to reduce by 30%. The box can be installed both horizontally and vertically - with the help of a pre-acquired for $ 19 stand.

Mechanics and ergonomics of the controller are still at the height. NVIDIA only made the controller less than last version and replaced the built-in touchpad sensitive strip, which adjusts the volume. Mouse cursor, when it is needed, moves with right-wing. The gamepad has a built-in DAC / ADC to connect headphones or headset, a long-range microphone and an IR port for controlling audio vote.

Also, unlike early gamepads, included in the SHIELD TV 2015 and Shield Tablet K1, the device is connected to the Bluetooth prefix, and not Wi-Fi Direct. The latter has less latency, but now the gamepad can easily connect to the PC on the radio channel, and not only the wire. The prefix can simultaneously work with four controllers.

If you connect a regular keyboard and mouse (both USB and Bluetooth), they will work in Android games, and when broadcasting games from the cloud or local network. In the Android TV interface, the use of the mouse is possible, but it is not encouraged: in some applications, the pointer is either at all appears, or periodically freezes.

The remote control also changed the prefix in the new edition (the old version comes with SHield Pro), removing the Mini-Jack connector and replacing a non-removable battery with charging from the USB portal flat battery. In order to save the last, the remote control automatically falls asleep if not in the user's hands. As in the gamepad, the remote has a long-range microphone and a sensitive volumeproof control strip.

Although the manipulators are connected to the prefix through the Bluetooth interface, and in the gamepad, and the universal IR transmitter is built into the remote control, with which you can adjust the volume of the TV or audio sequer. And on the contrary, it is possible to control some features of the console using the remote control of any of the devices in the HDMI chain, provided that the latter support the HDMI-CEC standard.

In addition to the "native" devices, Xbox gamepads are supported in Shield TV (using a USB receiver), a number of other controllers, joysticks and webcams.Many universal consoles Du is also compatible with the prefix, but it is necessary to remember that the built-in IR receiver is only in Shield Pro.

Shield is a fee of addition. I suggest split shields on full-size and individual modules. Full-sized with their outlines repeat the Arduino fee form, whether uno, nano or mega. Separate modules are arbitrary cards created to perform a specific set of functions. Both those and others can be both universal and to perform narrow-controlled tasks.

In stores you can find a great set of shields, and with certain qualifications you yourself can make pCB, in the form and location of the conclusions, repeating Arduin and collect its unique one. The picture shows with a set of shinds.

Let's start with Shild, which does not carry any special functions, and created for the convenience of installing your projects. So the first in our review will facilitate the installation of projects with the Arduino Nano board, the truth is the sense of small size "Nano" in this case zero.

On the board there is a connector for connecting the plug from the Pirtania block, a voltage stabilizer, as well as terminal blocks. They are signed and correspond to the conclusions of "Nanny". In addition, there is a "Reset" button and the "Power" LED.

The second shield is designed for UNO fee. It is located an inside of the project and conclusions, duplicating those that the Arduian itself is a convenient solution.

Any analog sensor needs nutrition and minus contact when there are many of them - there is so much to figure out the scheme will be very difficult. Therefore, designers came up with Shildy for such solutions. All inputs and outputs are displayed in them, and the supply contacts are duplicated and placed nearby.

Here is an example of such a board for Arduino version of mega.

Wired and wireless communication

Using these boards, you can organize the control of the microcontroller over the network through the Ethernet cable, for example, or wireless, via GSM communications, inserting a SIM card.

This board is called W5100 - contains an Ethernet module and an SD cardroom module. This means that you can store data, such as the sensor measurement log on the memory card and manage the system through the Web interface. To associate Arduino with him, use the libraries:

Ethernet Library;

Note Externally, it repeats the concept Arduino Uno. R3, in addition, it will fit on Mega.

If the W5100 seems to you too large - then the ENC28J60 will take less space. Unfortunately there is no SD module in it.

The minus is that it cannot be mounted on the fee, and is made in the form of a separate module.

W5500 is another version of Ethernet-Shield. In essence, this is a modified version of W5100, optimized in terms of speed and energy efficiency.

Pay attention to full-size shields all pins are duplicated with a terminal block. Unfortunately, Shildy use ports. Specifically, this will use MOSI, MISO, SCK, and PIN 10, for the CS signal (selection of the addressee for communication).

If you need a wireless connection - your choice is Wi-Fi Shield, if there is an Internet and router, and if this does not have - GSM modules or GPRS shields.

The photo is official Schild. It is installed on it a slot under a Micro SD memory card, and it binds to the microcontroller, it is in SPI protocols, through Mini-USB you can update its software. Supports 802.11b / g.

GPRS-SCILD from "Ampere" you see above. You can replace the antenna to more powerful. Closer to the viewer, a slot for a SIM card is visible, a little further slot under the CR1225 battery. The battery on the board is needed for the watch of real-time clock, and this is an important addition to the possibilities of GPRS-Shilda. You can send SMS to it and from it.

With this board, you can control and give commands (or any other project of your implementation) while on any removal. It is important that you are in the zone of cellular reception.

How to store data on Arduino?

In projects, not all information is placed in the memory of the microcontroller. Sometimes it is required to store some of the amounts of information. The first thing that comes to mind is already said - this is a record of information from the sensors to further explore how the environment varies from the clock, days, years. An excellent example is home meteorological station. This is useful not only to researcher scientists, but also lovers for general education and development.

It is rather not shield, but the module. It is miniature and easy for repetition, by the way, here is its scheme.

There are full-size shield storage. Works with SD cards, on board there is a real-time clock module that feeds from the CR1220 voltage battery in 3 B, which is a good bonus.

Manage a powerful load with a microcontroller

The first thing that can come to mind is a relay. With their help, you can switch both DC circuits and with household power grid 220 volts they will cope with a bang.

Specifically, the module that is shown below can switch 1 kW 220 in the load (or 5a) for each of the channels, you can either fly several channels to enhance the power, or include this relay. In this case, the relay from Shilde will play the role of intermediate amplifiers.

Of course, you can switch the relay as I described in the article, through the transistor and choose the current relay, but to use the finished fee will be more reliable, more convenient and looks better.

The relay has one disadvantage - a limited number of triggers is a consequence of the burnout of the contacts. This happens due to the occurrence of the arc, when the powerful load is blurred (especially inductive nature is the engine, etc.). You can make such a shield according to the following scheme:

But how it looks assembled:

Poem To turn on the load of alternating current, thyristors and simistors can be used. One problem - it is impossible to connect directly to Arduin, when the PN transition is trigged, 220 V can be on the microcontroller board and burn it. Exit from this situation - use of the optosystem.

Since this task often becomes in front of the inventors, a ready-made solution was developed - Symstore Shield, its full name - Icstation 8 Channel El Escudo Dos Shield for Arduino. It was originally intended for controlling the luminescence of "flexible neon".

It has 8 channels to which the AC network is connected and the load.

Shildy for engines

The electric motor control is not always an easy process. In some situations, you may not have enough Pins to implement the task, or the control algorithm is quite complicated. With such fees, you will overcome the project of your robot much faster.

Motor-shield for Arduino can control DC electric motors (4 pieces) or two stepping motors.

It is built on the basis of two L293. This microcircuit is an assembly of two H bridges, it allows you to control the possibility of reverse with two DPTs or 1 step bipolar engine. Connection schemes correspond to:

And in the upper left corner of the board there are two shods for servo drives (plus, minus and control signal). A red circle is encountered where the jumper jumper is installed. If it costs, then this board is powered by Arduino baseboards, and if not - from an external source by 5 V.

With this module, from the domestic manufacturer, you can control two DC motors, in it, too, there is a jumper combining microcontroller power lines or disconnecting them - to power from a separate source.

You can control the engines that are calculated on the range of voltage from 5 to 24 volts. Instead of 2 DC motors, you can use 1 single-phase steps or pointing channels and connect 1 powerful DC motor with a current to 4a, and this is not enough - 48 W at 24 V. power supply voltage

To connect a servo, you need three wires - plus, minus and signal, but what should I do if you have a lot of serv? Your fee will turn into a mess from the jumpers. To avoid it is a multi-seater screen.

Here, too, there is the possibility of separating the power circuits, as it was in the previous version. Total can be connected 18 servo drives (on the board numbering from 0 to 17).

Everywhere there is its own specificity, Shildy for unusual tasks ...

In ATMEGE328, the heart of our fee is ADC. The main problem is that on the board Arduino Uno we see only 6 analog inputs. What if we have more analog sensors?

You can collect two Arduino in unified Network. One to use as the main one, and the second auxiliary to change and from the first to send measurement signals to the server or display them on the screen ... But it is difficult: you need to spend memory for additional rows of the program code to implement such a system.

And what if you multiply each entrance to 16? Total we can have up to 16 * 6 \u003d 96 analog inputs. This is actually using a multiplexer. It simply switches in turns of 16 analog channels to one analog output, which you connect to the same input of any kind of inputroller.

ATMEGA microcontroller O-is very difficult to release a voice recognition function, but Arduschiki may not despair, there is a special solution - EasyVR Shield 3.0.

This is ready, but an expensive decision, at the time of writing it is worth almost 100 dollars in Russia. First, Shield will record your command, then compare it with the fact that it is written in memory, determining the number - performs it.

You can arrange a "dialogue with a computer", it can reproduce what is recorded in it. Without additional amplifiers, it is recommended to "communicate" with this fee from a distance of not more than 60 cm.

Display Image

LCD Keypad Shield is a real control panel. It is located on it LCD1602 (16 characters in two lines), and a set of buttons. Because of them, quite a few ports are involved, for example, A0 and with D4 by D7 under the keyboard, and the port of the D10 is the PWM light brightness controller. D8 and D9 - reset and inclusion.

In fact, there are many displays compatible with Arduino. Rather those that are written most of all information and you will easily run them in your system. Pretty popular in the circles of homemade display from Nokia 5110, there is also OLED and TFT screens that run on I2C. But they are not in the "Shildov" performance.

Autonomous food

Pretty unusual shield in this selection, which performs the usual task. Power Shield is with all the necessary protection and charging connector. It seems to be nothing special, but this will ensure the completed view of your project, and the power circuit does not have to be placed next to the main boards.

Conclusion

The use of shuddes for all project tasks will avoid an unnecessary number of jumpers and connections, and this will reduce the number of errors and unnecessary jumpers. After the assembly, you will get a multi-storey sandwich from factory work boards. This approach is sometimes called the "modular design". By the way, it will facilitate the service, repair and commissioning of equipment.

Enthusiasts practice design, wiring and assembly of unique modules. This is one of the reasons for the high popularity of Arduino not just as platforms for homemade, layouts and prototypes, but also as platforms for ready-made solutions.