Mega Development Board - with both Motor and Sensory shields?

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

I have been researching Arduino all day, admittedly for the first time with little experience with an aim towards buying components and starting projects.

I am interested in including the following components:

Sensory:

  • Bluetooth
  • 2x Ultrasonic sensors
  • 9 Axis accelerometer/gyrometer

Motor:

  • 4WD motor driver

Towards these ends, I thought starting with a Mega Development Board would allow expansion in the future and it appears Shields plug directly into the development board to make wiring easier. So I am considering how these might be used:

Shields:

  • Mega sensory expansion shield
  • Motor controller Shield
  • Data logging Shield

However when I look at the specifications of how the Mega sensory expansion shield and Motor controller shield insert directly into the Development board, it doesn't seem like it is possible to have both without obstructing many of the sensory expansion's ports.

I understand it would be possible to manually wire the motor components from the sensory shield as all the ports present in the development board remain present and unchanged in this shield (provided you don't use a port used elsewhere for a sensory component). But it would seem that many people would want both sensory and motor components and that there should be a simple way to include both sensory and motor shields.

Is this the case? I am I missing something obvious?

I attach the boards for reference
Thanks for your help


adafruit-motorshield2.jpg
adafruit-motorshield2.jpg800×616 207 KB

Sensory shield.jpg

2

If you want to use multiple shields, you need to use stacking headers like these:
Shield stacking headers for Arduino (R3 Compatible) : ID 85 : $1.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits.

If you purchase the motor sheild from adafruit, I believe they even have to option of it coming as a kit which means you don't solder in the normal pins and instead, solder in the stacking header pins. Then you put the sensor expansion shield on top of your motor sheild.

3

blh64:
If you purchase the motor sheild from adafruit

The image is the old/obsolete v1 shield with the L293D chips.
AFAIK Adafruit now stocks the much better v2 shield.
Leo..