Tonight, I was trolling the internet and finally found the solution. There's a post here that explains how to use a Terminal window to disable horizontal scrolling only. Turns out it works great!

For those less command-line comfortable, I wrote a small Applescript application that does the same thing. All you do is run the application; click the preferred setting; then restart your computer (or, turn your mouse off/on) and, viola!, settings changed.

Maybe there will be an official solution to twitchy scrolling, but in the meantime this workaround has made me a happy camper!

Click here to download the application for OS X. It's in a .dmg, so when you double-click it, it will open to show the application within. Drag the app to your desktop and run it.

Note: not to damper any enthusiasm, but I have to say the application works fine for me, but, of course, is supplied as-is without any warranty of any kind.

The Arduino is a popular, in-expensive, open-source microcontroller board and software development enviroment. Arduino boards come in a variety of styles and are available from numerous suppliers including SparkFun Electronics. One recent version of the Arduino is the ArduinoMega. The "Mega", just as it's name suggests, is an Arduino, supersized. More digital I/O pins. More PWM outputs. More Analog inputs. and 4 UARTS (hardware serial ports). And, if that wasn't enough, more memory.

Despite the Mega's larger size, it actually still fits Shields designed for the smaller Diecimila and Duemilanove Arduino board. However, if you've got the expanded Mega, why limit yourself to a standard shield? SparkFun sells a MegaShield that's deisgned specifically for the Mega which provides access to all of the Mega's pins and makes for a handy prototyping platform (SparkFun also sells the Arduino Mega if you need one). Unlike the standard ProtoShield, however, it is bare-bones. It includes a dedicated reset switch and power LED, and only a single LED hard-wired to digital pin #13 to use in experiments. But, that also makes for a board that's easier to assemble and more flexible. Even though assembling the MegaShield is pretty straight forward, there are a few things that might not be totally obvious, so here's a short tutorial to help you through the process.

Here's the kit looks as it comes from SparkFun:

And, here's the exploded, annotated version (click on a picture to see it big in a popup):

Included in the kit are:

• (1) Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
• (1) momentary switch
• (2) LEDs (one green, one red)
• (2) 330 ohm resitors (orange, orange, brown)
• (1) 10k ohm resistor (brown, black, orange)
• (11) 8-pin stacking headers

Make sure you can identify all the parts.

In addition to the standard parts, if you want to use the MegaShield for solderless breadboarding, you can add a couple of mini-breadboards (there are several colors available from SparkFun, here). Two of the small breadboard end-to-end fit nicely. Also, handy for breadboarding are some jumper wires. I'm writing an instructable about how to make your own quality jumper wires, but you can also purchase them from SparkFun, just search on jumper wire.

I'm assuming you can solder. If that's not a valid assumption, or if you want a refresher, check out the short instructional videos on the NASA radiojove project site. There are also numerous other soldering tutorials around if you search. You should also have basic tools like some clippers that allow you to clip leads close to the board, and some small needle-nosed pliers. Also, not essential, but helpful, is some kind of vise to hold the board while you work on it.

Before we get started, I recommend skimming through all the steps first, just so you get the big picture.

Second Stage: Preparation

OK. Now that you've got the lay of the land, let's go.

There are a few preparations you can make that will expedite the assembly process:

First, you can identify the resistors and bend the leds for inserting into the board. You can use your fingers (I usually do), or pliers if you want to be precise.

Next, you're going to need to modify a couple of the stacking headers. SparkFun supplies 11 8-pin headers. Turns out one of the blocks of holes (closest to the switch) is only 6-pins long. Also, At the end of the board there is a 36-pin block(2x18). For that, you have to make 2 2-pin sections to fit the additional holes when you use the 8-pin headers for the others (2x8 + 2 = 18).

The following picture shows cutting an 8-pin header down to size. Note that when you break apart a female header, you lose a pin in the process. This can make cutting in the right place a little counter-intuitive. For example, if you think you need to cut off two pins from the 8-pin header to make 6 pins, you might be tempted to put the cutter next to the two pins and clip. Unfortunately, this will remove 3 pins (2 + the one destroyed in cutting), leaving you with a 5-pin header -- doh! SO, make sure you count the number of pins you want and cut the at the pin next to that.

Ok. We need to make two 2-pin sections. Take one of the headers and snip off two pins from one end (see the picture). Then, snip off a second 2-pin section from the other end. This will result in sections with one finished end and one end you may have to neaten-up with your clippers and a file or sandpaper (see the pictures below)

Next, we need to make a 6-pin section from another 8-pin header. Count out 6 pins and clip at the location next to the 6th pin leaving 6 pins intact (see picture). Check your count at least three times before clipping! Clean up the clipped end as before.

Finally, the kit comes with two LEDs, one green and one red. The red one is ostensibly for the power LED. The green LED is for status. However, it turns out the LEDs are clear, so it's a challenge to tell them apart without lighting them. There are an infinite number of ways to light an LED, but if you have your MegaArduino around, you can load up the blink sketch and insert an LED into the D13/Gnd connectors to do the trick. LEDs won't work unless they're inserted correctly, so make sure that the short lead goes to GND and the long lead goes into the D13 connector. Once you've discovered which LED is which, mark them with tape or something so you remember. Note: if you get the LEDs in the wrong place (i.e. green for the power LED), no worries. The board will work just fine, you'll just end up a "special" one that has the colors reversed.

OK. Now that you've identified the LEDs and prepared the modified headers, assembly is really straight forward.

Third Stage: Assembly

Assembly involves putting components on the board and soldering them. The parts for the ProtoShield are inserted from the stenciled side of the board and soldered on the opposite side. It's generally best to start with the shorter parts close to the board and work towards the taller parts. So, the first parts to go in are the resistors.

Resistors

There are two 330 ohm resistors and a 10k ohm resistor. Locate the spots for them on the board. Next, identify the 10k resistor --the color rings are brown, black, orange -- or, another way to identify it is that it's the one that's different from the others and insert the leads into the correct holes. It doesn't matter which direction you put it in, resistors work fine no matter what orientation you use. Repeat with the 330 ohm resistors.

Next, turn the board over and spread the leads while you're pressing on the resistors from the other side to hold them in place. Finally, solder all the leads. Turn the board over and check that the resistors are still laying flat on the surface of the board. If not, you can carefully reheat the offending lead while you press and hold the resistor while the solder cools. Make sure not to do that with your bare finger, however, or you'll definitely feel the heat.

Now, clip the leads close to the board with flat sided wire clippers.

Switch

The next component to add is the switch. The orientation doesn't matter as long as it fits properly in the associated holes. It should clip solidly in place (press on it until it's flush with the board). Turn the board over and solder and clip the four leads.

LEDs

Next, insert the LEDs. The LEDs are different than the previous components in that direction does matter. The LEDs have one shorter lead and one longer one. Also, if you look at the base of the LED lense, you'll notice that one edge is flat. This should be the edge adjacent to the shorter lead and is called the cathode (the other lead is referred to as the anode). The symbol silkscreened on the PCB shows what orientation to use for the LED. Make sure the flat side of the LED (i.e. the shorter lead) matches the flat side on the board symbol. Note that the two LEDs here are mounted so the flat edges are adjacent to each other.

Let's start with the green status LED.

Insert the green LED in the location labelled 'STAT". Again, make sure the short lead and straight edge line up with the silkscreen. To make sure the LED sits firmly against the board (more for aesthetics than performance), I'll often use a bit of tape to hold the LED in place while I solder. After placing the LED, turn the board and solder one lead. Then, while you're gently pressing the LED from the other side, reheat the connection. The LED may shift a little. This will make sure the LED is sitting squarely on the board. Make sure you reheat gently and quickly. Excess heat can damage the LED. After reheating the first connection, solder the remaining lead and clip the leads as before.

Repeat with the red power LED.

Stackable Headers

Now, we're down to installing the headers -- unfortunately, they require most of the soldering.

Insert the headers along the side (see picture). They'll wobble around a bit and you can secure them with tape if you want, or just hold them while you turn the board over and place it on a flat surface.

Now, there are many ways to approach this, I'm sure, but the way I decided to do it was to start by soldering just a single lead from each header (see picture). Do not solder the intervening pins.

Now, reheat each connection and press the header gently from the other side to make sure the header is properly seated and aligned. Repeat this procedure with the second header and so on. When you're done, turn the board over to make sure the headers are aligned and even. If not, reheat and reposition until they are correct.

Once the headers are aligned, carefully solder the remaining connections.

Once all the side headers are installed, its time to tackle the 36-pin connector at the end of the board. Look at the photo to see the layout I used.

An alternate layout that might make the end pins set a little better is to push the 8-pin headers to one side and use the 2-pin headers on the same end, one for each row with the finished end towards the other headers. The layout I chose reinforces the fact that one end of the header block connects to 5V and the other to GND. But, it's your choice.

As before, secure the headers with tape, if necessary. Then, turn the board over and solder one pin from each connector. Actually, in the picture, I soldered on pin at each end of the connector to give them a little additional stability as I positioned them while reheating later.

Reheat and align the headers, then finish soldering as before.

One thing that be a bit of a challenge if you use the layout in the photos is that the end 2-pin headers tend to flare out a little. I was able to hold them together while I soldered their pins which helped straighten them, but you could also use a small drop of glue to help hold them as well. If you do use glue, make sure not to get any inside the connector.

Finishing

If you've gotten this far, your board should be complete. Before you plug the ProtoShield board into the Arduino, you might want to put a small piece of tape to protect the underside of the MegaShield from the casing on the USB port on the ArduinoMega. This will only really be an issue if you try to put components in that part of the board.

Using the ProtoShield

OK, now that you've finished the ProtoShield, it's time to carefully mate it with the ArduinoMega. The operative word here is "carefully". The stackable header pins are a little fragile so you should take care that they are aligned with their matching sockets before you apply any pressure. I usually start with the 36-pin connector, and once that's aligned work on the others. When everything is lined up, apply gentle, but determined pressure until the board is firmly seated.

To separate the boards again, again the key is "carefully". Pull and rock the board until the headers separate from the sockets. If there's too much friction, you might consider using a small screwdriver to help pry them apart. If you pull too hard with your fingers there might be an explosive release when the boards pull apart and some pins might bend in the process. If this happens, straighten the pins carefully with small pliers, but carefully (again) or they'll break.

Solderless Breadboarding

If you want to use the MegaShield for solderless breadboarding, you can add a couple of mini breadboards mentioned before from SparkFun. They're backed with foam tape and very easy to attach.

You can see from the following picture that they're placed a bit to one side to clear the resistors on the other. It's probably a good idea to place them on the board before uncovering the tape to make sure you understand how they will fit

.

And, there you have it. Happy prototyping!

The Arduino is a popular, inexpensive, open-source microcontroller board. The software development enviroment is also open-source and freely downloadable. Arduino boards come in a variety of styles and are available from numerous suppliers including SparkFun Electronics.

Shields are extension boards that attach to a standard Arduino board to extend it's capabilities. The ProtoShield kit from SparkFun is such a shield designed to facilitate prototyping and breadboarding projects. It includes a grid for components along with two LEDs and a switch. An optional solderless breadboard makes the ProtoShield a very handy prototyping tool.

When the V1 ProtoShield was released by SparkFun, I created a tutorial showing how to assemble and use the board. Since then, an updated shield has been released. Some of the differences between the two shields are:

• Stacking headers are used rather than separate sets of male/female headers. This reduces the number of parts and means you can stack multiple ProtoShields on top of each other if you want.
• The reset button on the V2 board is now connected to the reset pin exposed by newer Arduino Diecimila boards. Again, this makes for easier assembly, but means that the reset button won't work with the older NG boards (making it impossible to upload sketches). The trick to making it work with NG boards is easy, though, and described in this tutorial.
• The data pins from the BlueSMiRF socket (for an optional BlueSMiRF bluetooth module) are routed to the TX/RX pins on the Arduino (in V1 they were rounted to pins 2/3, I think) which makes it easier to manage communication.

All said, the V2 board is a nice update that's easier to assemble, and is really an excellent experimenting/prototyping tool for the Arduino, well worth an updated tutorial.

First Stage: Planning

OK. Let's get started. Here's what the kit looks like as it comes from SparkFun:

Here're all the pieces laid out (BTW, clicking on any image will pop up a hires version):

Included in the kit are:

• (1) Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
• (2) momentary switches
• (2) LEDs (light emitting diodes)
• (2) capacitors (.1uF)
• (2) 330 ohm resitors (orange, orange, brown)
• (1) 10k ohm resistor (brown, black, orange)
• (2) 8-pin stacking headers
• (2) 6-pin stacking headers

Look at the picture and make sure you can identify all the parts.

In addition to the standard parts, if you want to use the ProtoShield for solderless breadboarding, you can add the following parts:

• Solderless mini-breadboard (there are several colors available from SparkFun, here)
• Male headers for connecting to the switch and LEDs (you only need three pins -- I don't see then on the SparkFun or Radio Shack sites, but you can find them from Jameco, part #160882)
• Finally, not pictured here, but handy for breadboarding are some patch cables. I'm writing an instructable about how to make your own quality breadboard jumper wires, but you can also purchase them from SparkFun, just search on jumper wire. You'll probably want some male/male ones as well as female/female ones. By combining the two types of jumpers, you can connect between any combination of jumper terminations (e.g. male to female, male to male, etc.).

I'm assuming here that you can solder (or, are willing to experiment on this project.) If you want some instruction in that regard, the short instructional videos on the NASA radiojove project site are a good start. And, there are numerous other tutorials around if you search.

I'm going to provide step-by-step instructions, but skim down the pictures and look at all the parts and try to get a general understanding of what's going on. It'll make it a lot easier when you're sorting things out later.

Second Stage: Preparation

Unlike the V1 ProtoShield, there's little preparation required before you assemble the V2 kit. Basically, just bend the leads of the three resistors so you can insert them into the board.

If you have small needle-nose pliers, you can use them to space the bends close to the resistor body. If not, or you just want to get on with it, you can use your fingers to bend the leads down near the body (which is what I usually do).

Third Stage: Assembly

Now, turn the board over and spread the leads while you're pressing on the resistor from the other side to hold it in place.

Repeat for the two 330 ohm, resistors.

Now, solder all the leads. Turn the board over and check that the resistors are still laying flat on the surface of the board. If not, you can carefully reheat the offending lead while you press and hold the resistor while the solder cools. Make sure not to do that with your bare finger, or you'll definitely feel the heat.

Now, clip the leads close to the board with flat sided wire clippers.

Capacitors

Next place the two capacitors (see the picture below) spreading the leads as before. Again, it doesn't make a difference which direction you put the capacitors in. Solder and clip the leads as with the resistors.

;

Switches

The next components to add to the board are the switches. The orientation doesn't matter as long as they fit properly in the associated holes. They should clip solidly in place (press on them until they're flush with the board). Turn the board over and solder and clip the eight leads.

LEDs

Next, insert the LEDs. The LEDs are different than the previous components in that direction does matter. The LEDs have one shorter lead and one longer one. Also, if you look at the LED lense from the top, you'll notice that one edge at the bottom is flat. This should be the edge adjacent to the shorter lead. This is the cathode (the other lead is referred to as the anode). The symbol silkscreened on the PCB shows what orientation to use for the LED. Make sure the flat side of the LED (i.e. the shorter lead) matches the flat side on the board symbol.

To make sure the LEDs sit firmly against the board (more for aesthetics than performance), I'll often use a bit of tape to hold the LED in place while I solder.

After placing the LEDs, turn the board and solder one lead of each one. Then, while you're gently pressing the LED from the other side, reheat the connection. The LED may shift a little. This will make sure the LED is sitting squarely on the board. After reheating the first connection, solder the remaining lead of each LED and clip all the leads as before.

Male Connectors for LEDs/Switch

If you're not going to be using the ProtoShield for solderless breadboarding (i.e. you're going to solder wires where you need them) you can skip this next step.

For this step, prepare three single-pin male headers by snipping them off the row of remaining pins. Using tape to hold them, insert the short end of a pin in the board for each of JC1, JC2, and JC3. These are a little tricky being so small, but take your time to make sure they're positioned correctly. Turn the board and solder each connection. You can reheat and reposition if necessary.

You probably won't need to clip the lead after soldering since these pins are designed to be the right length.

Stackable Headers

Now, we're down to the last few parts -- unfortunately, they require most of the soldering. The remaining parts are the stackable headers that connect to the Arduino board and pass the signals through to other boards, or for use in prototyping.

Insert a header into the board. It doesn't make any difference whether you choose an 8-pin or a 6-pin one, just make sure you match it with right set of holes on the board (this won't be a problem with the 8-pin socket, but you might mistakenly put a 6-pin socket in an 8-pin location). Also, make sure to insert the header in holes closest to the the outside of the board, and not in the inside row of holes. If you do this incorrectly, the board will not mate properly with the Arduino.

Use a bit of tape to hold the header in place and turn the board over.

To solder the header in, solder just one connection at each end of each header. Do not solder the intervening pins. Now, reheat the connection at one end and press the header gently from the other side to make sure it's properly seated and aligned. Now, reheat the connection at the other end while pressing it to make sure it also is seated correctly. Repeat this procedure with the second header. Now, remove the tape and turn the board over and check to make sure the header is aligned and even. If not, reheat and reposition the leads until it is correct. Once the headers are aligned, solder the remaining connections.

Repeat the procedure for the headers located on the other side of the breadboard grid. Again, make sure to place the headers in the outer row of holes.

Finishing

Before you plug the ProtoShield board into the Arduino, there's one small precaution I recommend you take. It turns out that the reset switch is right over the casing for the USB cable on the Arduino and could short out if it's not insulated. To remedy this, first make sure the leads from the switches are trimmed close to the board. Then, cover the bottom of the board with some electrical tape (I used two layers) so the switch doesn't contact the USB casing. Another option would be to cover the USB case with tape instead of the circuit board. Either should work fine.

If you're going to use your ProtoShield on a Diecimila Arduino, you're ready to roll and can skip the following step. However, if you plan to user the board with an NG or earlier Arduino, the following modification will allow the reset switch on the ProtoShield to work properly (and, on earlier boards, the reset switch is necessary for uploading sketches):

The following picture shows a V2 ProtoShield plugged into an Arduino NG board.

To connect the reset button, you have to attach a short female header in the pictured location on the bottom of the board. This involves finding a 3-pin female header, or cutting one down; inserting it through the bottom of the board; then, soldering it to the top. In the V1 tutorial, there's a little more information on how to adapt a 4-pin header for this use. A 16-pin female header can be purchased from Jameco, Part #30859., or other suppliers. You can cut a 3-pin section from this for use.

That's it. You're done assembling the ProtoShield. If you're going to use the Shield for non-permanent breadboarding, I highly recommend that you get the small solderless breadboard that SparkFun also sells (multiple colors are available). It has foam tape backing and can be attached to the top of the finished ProtoShield as shown in this photo:

Using the ProtoShield

SO, now that you've finished the ProtoShield, you might be asking, "So, what?" Here are a couple of quick examples using the blink and button sketches (programs) from the Arduino web site. These examples assume you've installed the necessary drivers and the IDE from the Arduino site. There's extensive documentation there, so I won't duplicate instructions here.

To set up the Arduino to run those sketches, first, mate the ProtoShield and the Arduino board. To do this, line the headers and pins up carefully (I usually get one side properly placed, then the other) and apply pressure until they are firmly seated.

For making a connection between the breadboard and a pin, I personally use custom jumper cables with a male pin on one end and a female connector on the other. But you can also use a jumper with an alligator clip at one end, or the jumper wires I mentioned before from SparkFun, for connecting between things. If you purchase premade jumpers, make sure to get some male and female ones. Combining the two allows you to connect the female connector from the ProtoShield to one of the male pins attached to an LED or switch. Note: if you're industrious and have female headers around, you can cut single-pin versions of those and use them when you assemble the ProtoShield rather than the male headers I used. Then, you can just use male jumper cables for all of your patching.

Blink

So, for the blink sketch, all you have to do is connect an LED on the ProtoShield to the digital output pin from the Arduino using a jumper. Insert the bare end into #D13 and attach the other end to JC3 (or JC2). Then load and run the sketch according to the instructions on the Arduino site. If all works well, the LED should begin blinking after a few seconds (if you're using the NG board, you'll have to press Reset to upload the sketch).

Button

The second example, button, uses the switch and an LED. The switch is wired to pin #D7. To do this on the ProtoShield, connect a jumper between #D7 and JC1. For the LED, use the same wiring as before between pin #D13 and JC3 (or, JC2). As with the LEDs, the ProtoShield has already wired the switch correctly with the 10k resistor so that you don't need to duplicate this wiring when using it. Loading and running the button example should work. (Note: the ProtoShield button is wired with a pullup resistor so the signal from the button is normally high -- when the button is pressed, the signal changes to low. As a result, in the Button sketch, the LED is normally on and goes off when the button is pressed.)

And, there you have it. I hope this not-so-brief guide to assembly and use of the updated ProtoShield has been helpful. Happy experimenting!

It changes some behaviors and adds some features:

• Longer scrolling and selfish message ("digg me" rather than "digg")
• A short button press increments the counter and plays the "dug" animation
• A long button press resets the counter to zero and returns to scrolling
• A timeout after 2 minutes of no presses returns the Digg Button to scrolling (but doesn't reset the count) ... kind of a screensaver mode that helps attract diggers
• A long timeout after 5 minutes of no presses puts the Digg Button into sleep mode to conserve power. Pressing the button wakes it up again

I've posted a short youTube demo at:

And, finally, I also created an Instructable (at instructables.com) that shows how to create a removable interface cable for the Digg Button.

Check 'em out.

There was no word of this ANYWHERE I searched.

I have a couple of hard drives I use for media projects. Since I have both Mac/PC computers around, I thought I'd just format them as Fat32 so I could get to them from my PC if I needed. That turned out to be the problem. Once I moved things around and reformatted the drives as OS X Extended (Journaled) everything worked like a charm. Sigh.

Note: This tutorial is for the original version of the SparkFun ProtoShield. An updated tutorial for the most recent version of the ProtoShield is available here.

The Arduino board is an inexpensive, open-source microcontroller board. The development environment is also open-source and freely downloadable.

The Arduino board is sold in the United States by sparkfun.com. Shields are extension boards that can combine with the Arduino main board to extend it's capabilities. That gets us to the main point here. The ProtoShield kit from SparkFun adds a couple of LEDs, switches, and an optional solderless breadboard making prototyping that much simpler.

I recently purchased an Arduino board and ProtoShield, but wasn't able to find much information about assembly and use of the ProtoShield. So, I decided a short tutorial showing how I put together the ProtoShield might be useful to others. Here goes.

First Stage: Planning

Here's what the kit looks like: (note: clicking on any image will popup a larger, legible version)

Here're all the pieces:

Included in the kit are:

• (1) Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
• (2) momentary switches
• (2) LEDs (light emitting diodes)
• (2) capacitors (.1uF)
• (2) 330 ohm resitors (orange, orange, brown)
• (1) 10k ohm resistor (brown, black, orange)
• (1) 40-pin male header strip
• (2) 8-pin female header blocks
• (2) 6-pin female header blocks
• (2) 4-pin female header blocks

Look at the picture and make sure you can identify all the parts.

I'm assuming here that you can solder (or, are willing to experiment on this project.) If you want some instruction in that regard, the short instructional videos on the NASA radiojove project site are a good start.

The way this board works is that the male headers are attached to the bottom of the board (along with one narrow female one). These fit onto the Arduino USB board to connect the ProtoShield. Components on top of the ProtoShield board add a switch and LEDs you can use for inputs and outputs. Also, female headers on top of the board provide access to the same connections that were originally available on the Arduino board. With the Arduino, the ProtoShield creates a powerful and compact protyping setup.

I'm going to provide step-by-step instructions, but skim down the pictures and look at all the parts and try to get a general understanding of what's going on. It'll make it a lot easier when you're sorting things out later.

Second Stage: Preparation

There are a few things it's probably easiest to do up front so you can just focus on placement and soldering later.

• Remove one pin from one of the 4-pin female headers
• Break up the 40-pin male header into sections of the correct length
• Bend the resistor leads to fit into the board

First, if you look at the short side of the PCB that has the little tab on it, there're three holes right next to the breadboard grid. These are used to connect the reset switch on ProtoShield to the main board. A female header block fits here. But, the shortest block has four pins. So, you have to remove one of the pins so it'll fit. This is easily done with a pair of pliers. Just take hold of the pin on one end and pull it out. Should come easily.

Next, break the long male header into two 8-pin sections, a 6-pin section, and a 4-pin section. Three of the remaining pins will be used later. And, the others can be used as spares. You can use some clippers to cut the header in appropriate spots (there are indents between each pin that make it easy). If you're careful, you can also just use your fingers to snap the header.

Last, bend the leads on the three resistors. If you have small needle-nose pliers, you can use then right next to the resistor body to space the bend (see picture). If not, you can use your fingers to bend the leads down near the body.

Here's a picture of the prepared parts:

Third Stage: Assembly

Now, turn the board over and spread the leads while you're pressing on the resistors from the other side to hold them in place.

Solder the six connections and clip off the excess leads close to the board.

Next place the two capacitors (see the picture below) spreading the leads as before. Again, it doesn't make a difference which direction you put the capacitors in. Solder and clip the leads.

Next, insert the LEDs. The LEDs are different than the previous components in that direction does matter. The LEDs have one shorter lead and one longer one. Also, if you look at the LED lense from the top, you'll notice that one edge at the bottom is flat. This should be the edge right next to the shorter lead. This is the cathode (the other lead is referred to as the anode). The symbol silkscreened on the PCB shows what orientation to use for the LED. Make sure the flat side of the LED matches the flat side on the board symbol.

To make sure the LEDs sit firmly against the board (more for aesthetics than performance), I'll often use a bit of tape to hold the LED in place.

After placing the LEDs, turn the board and solder one lead of each one. Then, while you're gently pressing the LED from the other side, reheat the connection. The LED may shift a little. This will make sure the LED is sitting squarely on the board. After reheating the first connection, solder the remaining lead of each LED and clip all the leads as before.

The last of the components to add to the board are the switches. The orientation doesn't matter as long as they fit properly in the associated holes. They should clip solidly in place (press on them until they're flush with the board). Turn the board over and solder the eight leads.

Now, come the male headers placed on the bottom of the board to connect to the Arduino. Locate the two 8-pin sections of the male headers. Turn the board over so you're looking at the bottom. Insert the shorter side of the pins in the two 8-hole sections as shown in the picture. Make sure to insert the headers towards the outside of the board, and not in the inside row of holes. If you do this incorrectly, the board will not mate properly with the Arduino board. Use a bit of tape to hold the pins in place and turn the board over.

To solder these in, solder the connection at the end of each header. Do not solder the intervening pins. Now, reheat the connection at one end and press the header gently from the other side to make sure it's properly seated (watch your fingers, the pin will get hot). Now, reheat the connection at the other end while pressing on it to make sure it is seated correctly. Repeat this procedure with the second header. Now, remove the tape and turn the board over and check to make sure both headers are aligned and even. If not, reheat and reposition the leads until it is correct. Once the headers are in place, solder the remaining 12 connections.

Repeat the procedure for the four and six-pin male headers located across the board on the other side of the breadboard grid.

The last connector to solder on the bottom of the board is the female header from which you removed a pin. Look at the picture for placement. Make sure the missing pin is located on the correct side. If it is reversed, it may not fit next to the processor on the Arduino board. Tape the header down and solder as before making sure it is flush to the board and aligned before soldering the center connection.

Now, all that's left is to install the female headers to the top of the board and three pins to connect to the LEDs and input switch. Turn the board over so you're looking at the top. Insert the two 8-pin female headers in the proper holes next to the 8-pin male headers (on the other side of the board). Use tape to hold them in, and use the same method of tacking down the opposing ends, then reheating to make sure the connectors are flush and square with the board. When you're satisfied with the positioning, solder the remaining 12 connections.

Repeat for the six and four-pin connectors as well as the 6-pin connector at the end of the board for bluetooth.

We're down to the last three connections. Prepare three single-pin male headers by snipping them off the row of remaining pins.

Using tape to hold them, insert the short end of a pin in the board for each of JC1, JC2, and JC3. These are a little tricky being so small, but take your time to make sure they're positioned correctly. Turn the board and solder each connection. You can reheat and reposition if necessary.

Before you plug the ProtoShield board into the Arduino, there's one final thing to do. It turns out that the switch labelled "s2" is right over the casing for the USB cable on the Arduino and will short out if it's not insulated. First make sure the leads from the switches are trimmed close to the board.

Then, cover the bottom of the board with some electrical tape (I used two layers) so the switch doesn't contact the USB casing. Another option would be to cover the USB case with tape instead of the circuit board. Either should work fine.

That's it. You're done assembling the ProtoShield. If you're going to use the Shield for experimenting, I highly recommend that you get the small solderless breadboard that SparkFun also sells. It has foam tape backing and can be attached to the top of the finished ProtoShield as shown in this photo:

Using the ProtoShield

So, now that you've finished the ProtoShield, you might be asking yourself "now, what?" Here are a couple of quick examples using the blink_led and digital_read_and_blink sketches (programs) from the Arduino web site. These examples assume you've installed the necessary drivers and the IDE from the Arduino site. There's extensive documentation there, so I won't duplicate it here.

First, mate the ProtoShield and the Arduino board. To do this, line the headers and pins up carefully and apply pressure until they are firmly seated.

I made several simple jumpers from solid copper wire (#22, I think). On one end I soldered a small alligator clip and on the other I removed about 1/4" of insulation. These allow me to easily connect an i/o pin or breadboard location to either of the LEDs or the switch on the ProtoShield.

When you install the development environment for the Arduino (IDE), numerous example sketches are included. You can find them in the File>Sketchbook>Examples menu. "led_blink" is a very simple sketch to hook up (with or without the ProtoShield).

Here's one way to do it with the shield. All you have to do to connect an LED on the ProtoShield to the digital output pin using one of alligator jumpers. Insert the bare end into #D13 and attach the clip to JC3 (or JC2). Then load and run the sketch according to the instructions on the Arduino site. Since the ProtoShield extends the reset button from the Arduino board to the Shield, it's easy to press it just before uploading the sketch from the IDE as required. If all works well, the LED should begin blinking after a few seconds.

The second example, digital_read_and_blink, uses the switch and an LED.

The switch is wired to pin #D7. To do this, connect a jumper between #D7 and JC1. For the LED, use the same wiring as before between pin #D13 and JC3 (or, JC2). As with the LEDs, the ProtoShield has already wired the switch correctly with the 10k resistor so that you don't need to duplicate this wiring when using it. Loading and running the digital_read_and_blink example should work.

That's it. I hope this guide to assembly and use of the ProtoShield has been helpful. Happy processing!

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