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[on:]

I am very new to Arduino, but extremely intrigued by the possibilities. I would like to start with rigging an Arduino Duemilanove (which I just bought) to an old RC car.

I have looked a lot online into DC motor operation, and it seems I need something called a shield. Like I said, I am totally new, an I don't know what this is.

Could someone please direct me to a very basic explanation of what a shield is?

Also, is this project far too complicated for a beginner?


Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reply #1 on:]

A shield is a board that plugs into the top of a proper arduino (note not all compatibles match the layout, like arduino mini, or the bare bones series, though most do) and matches the arduino's pin out, so its like plugging a card into your pc, add software and run

And no its not something that I would consider too complicated for a beginner, there are tons of threads about motor control, and just about as many about people patching arduino into the radio control

(though if your a total beginner be prepared for a light crash course in software and electronics)

[Reply #2 on:]

A shield is a board that sits on top of the microcontroller board.  It could be called a daughterboard.

When I went to college, my professor told us not to use "Goto" in Basic.  He said it was bad programming because we were supposed to use loops.  By the same token, the term "shield" should be wrong because it doesn't communicate the understandable concept of connecting "breadboard" and adds confusion by using geek speak whereas newbies have no idea what they are talking about as the slang doesn't aid learning or understanding.