Pins for arduino shields.

[Timmmm]

Hi, I'm trying to make a veroboard shield and need some of these pin things:

(See the next message, I can't post a link annoyingly.)

I bought some like that from maplin, but they are only just long enough, and I had to file down the solder on the bottom of the board for it to work at all. So, can I ask you fine folk:

1. What are those things called?
2. Could you perhaps provide a link to them on digikey?
3. Can you get the same thing but with sockets on the top so I can stack shields? What are those called and where do I get them on digikey? (The digikey website is definitely not for beginners!)

Many thanks,

Tim

PS: My first veroboard thing was successful - an optoisolated camera controller, but I accidently burnt out one of the optoisolators because the bottom of the veroboard contacted the +5V on the ICSP header! D'oh! It would be awesome if there are pins that raise the board slightly so it doesn't short to the ICSP pins...

[Timmmm]

This is the image:



By the way, not only is this a stupid way of preventing spam, but the 'post' and 'preview' buttons become broken after you click them. This is really annoying because you do something like:

1. Write message
2. Be told you can't have links.
3. Go back to edit the post.
4. Try to click post - it doesn't work anymore. You now have to copy the text and go to the 'Create new topic' again.

Grr stupid forum software.

[macegr]

The forum software is fine, it was just never set up correctly after they upgraded. Lots of important stuff missing, like the User CP link, and the ability to auto-quote specific posts.

Anyway, I'm also looking for headers. Several sites do sell sets of headers, adafruit and NKC I think both sell them. However, they're intended for wire wrap and the pins are actually too long, the shield stands way off the board.

I'm talking with Seeedstudio about it, and it looks like he might be able to get a run of them custom-manufactured. These would be female headers with square pins below, long enough to reach through a shield PCB and stand it off the Arduino headers a few mm to clear the Diecimila USB header and DC power jack. Say, 10mm pins.

[BroHogan]

macger,

I'm surprised the adafruit female headers don't work out for you. The one's I got from adafruit have 10.5mm pins and and do stand off the shield so the bottom of the shield is just touching the top of the USB header. (If you made a shield that long.)

Perhaps the stock has changed?

[macegr]

Bro, I never bought those headers. From the documentation on her site, they looked much longer. Maybe she already went down this path and has special headers?

This is what I saw: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladyada/1348963324

And she linked to these headers: http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=SAM1125-16-ND

Which, if you check the series datasheet, have 16.66mm pins. These aren't the headers she's currently selling with 10.5mm pins.

Regardless, adafruit's headers come in a pack of 4 8-pin parts, and from experience the female headers are a big pain to cut, unlike the snappable male headers. If Seeedstudio can get a source of 6-pin and 8-pin headers, that would be perfect.

[BroHogan]

Just read this here . . .

The legs are 10.5mm (0.42") long, so after the PCB thickness (1.7mm/0.07") you have a height of 8.8mm (0.35").

God! I love my digital calipers!

But I know what you mean about cutting them. I use a wire snip and cut right down a sacrificed pin. Then it's off to the belt sander! Keeps my nails trim too.

[Timmmm]

Thanks for the replies. The one I want is the one on adafruit, but I don't live in America and really don't feel like paying international shipping (&waiting) for a $2 item!

Anyone know where I can get them in the UK? Tried searching digikey again but it doesn't have the leg height as a field, which makes it impossible to search...

[Timmmm]

Ah misread - I was looking at the drawings (which have short pins) rather than the data sheets.

So presumably what I want is one of these:

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=SAM1125-32-ND

and select the SSA-132-W-T item number (and then I can cut the 32 pin up into four 8 pin headers).

£2 seems like a lot... Guess you don't need them much...