Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

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thecapn09
 
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Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

Post by thecapn09 »

I'm new to arduino and electronics but i'm considering getting one of these cc3000 boards but i'm not sure which one would benefit me most. Maybe some pros and cons on both boards or any info that you nice people could give me could help me pick one?

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

As of this week, the shield and the breakout are pretty much identical in terms of hardware, so the main difference is in how you want to use the device.

The shield has all the Arduino connections pre-wired, so all you need to do is plug it in and load some code. The breakout is a more general-purpose device. Connecting it to an Arduino takes a little more effort, but it's much easier to use with other microcontrollers, or in situations where you want the wifi module to live off and away from the Arduino.

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thecapn09
 
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Re: Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

Post by thecapn09 »

Well I can kinda see how having the breakout board would be good for when you move your project off the arduino dev board. Another question I have is on the sheild how do i use the pins? and how many can i not use anymore with the shield?

Most of my projects that i have been wanting to create are LED light projects that are interactive in some way, like reacting to music or creating patterns when some sort of notification happens. Eventually i also want to delve into maybe making a wifi controlled robot of some kind.

I have seen most of the projects are made with the breakout board. but I also can't afford a big breadboard yet.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

The CC3000 Shield uses pins 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Of those, pins 11-13 can be shared with other devices that communicate using the SPI protocol.

For maximum flexibility, you can use stacking headers in the shield instead of the pin header that comes in the bag: https://www.adafruit.com/product/85 Those bring all the IO connections up a layer so you can plug into the shield just like you'd plug into an Arduino.

WRT breadboarding, your options are only limited by your creativity and determination. The two main jobs of a breadboard are to provide physical support for the components, and to provide an insulating foundation for the electrical connections. The term 'breadboard' originally came from the relatively large, flat piece of wood used for slicing bread. People would drive nails into one, then solder the components and wiring to the nails. Even today, that's a very good way to build circuits.. such circuits often perform better than the same circuit built on a PCB.

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thecapn09
 
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Re: Need info on CC3000 Shield vs breakout?

Post by thecapn09 »

Well I have ordered the shield version of the CC3000 I'm super excited to learn how to use it when it arrives! thanks for all the information! it helped me out quite a bit. Also I love how friendly everyone at Adafruit is and all the lessons that you guys put on the site makes learning a lot more easy to understand.

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