Base Shield for Adafruit Grand Central

Similar to an Arduino shield, the mcu module plugs into this shield, leaving the module top free for other shields and providing a stable base. This specific base supports the Adafruit Grand Central mcu. 2x5 IDC connectors are used to bring out digital and analog signals, as well as the six available SPI/I2C buses. These buses are highly configurable with 3 (or more) IO bits available in addition to the SPI/I2C clock/data lines.. You can strap 3.3V and/or 5V to the connector. A small mezzanine area exists to breadboard 3.3/5 volt conversion circuits if necessary. A larger general purpose breadboard exists under the mcu module area.

There is a 7.5V input feeding optional 3.3V and 5V regulators as needed. Using 7.5V provides the voltage necessary for some of the components such as 3 watt LEDS (signal masts), as well as providing room for voltage sag on long power bus runs.

Top:

Bottom:

Assembled board with Grand Central MCU and Ethernet shield: