Arduino connection help

Question

I have made an integrated arduino monitoring system with 3 sensors.... I have used leds to show their values But i want to add a lcd to it and an ethernet shield to it..... Is it possible? Let me tell you that I am a beginner..... Ive attached the schematics please modify it and tell me...... Please!!!!!! 
 Attachments: FA5RM0AHX1W2JT3.pdf

Robert Peter Oakes · Answer

You should be able to do it but You will need to use a WS5100 type ethernet shield as it will offload some of the software to the hardware. It will plug into the Arduino UNO, it uses pins 10,11,12,13 you will need to move the LEDs to other pins as the ethernet shield will use the ones your currently using you can get an LCD display that can use I2C interface (A4, A5) to display status etc. A 16x2 or a 20x4 Memory will be tight but it is doable All libraries and hardware are plentiful, just search for "I2C arduino display", or "Arduino Ethernet Shield 5100" you will find plenty of info

beacon_dave · Answer

Also perhaps be aware that the power rails on some breadboards are not continuous but instead are interrupted half way along. You may find that you need to place a jumper on your ground rail between block 5 and block 6 to continue the ground rail to reach the 10k resistors. Alternatively move your ground wire from the Arduino two blocks to the right. The same may apply to your +5v rail at the top as it may not reach the components at the right hand side of the breadboard.

mcb1 · Answer

alexparker2002 Part of learning is the LEARNING part. Having someone do all the work for you is not learning, but copying . I suggest you explore the examples that are provided in the Arduino IDE. There are examples for using the Ethernet when the Ethernet Library is installed. There are plenty of examples for both the LCD and I2C connected LCD. Robert Peter Oakes has already given some advice on using an I2C LCD to save you the pin conflict. You still have software to write, so understanding the basics will help you to write this, or modify some existing code. You could also search the forum for the design challenges where a similar concept was done. The was a lot of discussion regarding monitoring soil moisture and some of the issues found. It looks like a good project as a standalone, which could have the ethernet connected later. mark

beacon_dave · Answer

Looking at your breadboard layout your analogue inputs don't look correct to me. Firstly it looks like you have misaligned the lower ground connection from the Arduino to the breadboard power rail in such a way that the 10k resistors are not tied to ground but just to each other. Secondly if the 10k resistors were tied to ground then your three analogue inputs would also all be tied to ground which would not be of much use. The photo resistor for example is normally set up as a potential divider circuit so your analogue input would be taken from the midpoint between the resistor and the photo resistor as per this circuit: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/AnalogInput

beacon_dave · Answer

The author of the original Instructables project Plant Health Monitor appears to have updated it here: DIY Smart Plant pot - 5

beacon_dave · Answer

You may want to take a look at this tutorial as it takes you step-by-step through how to control a LED from a photo resistor for measuring ambient light and also later from a thermistor for measuring temperature. It shows the schematic of the circuit, the Arduino code and it in operation. Tutorial 04 for Arduino: Analog Inputs However it sounds like you would benefit greatly from starting at tutorial 1 and working your way through 2 and 3 until you reach tutorial 4 Jeremy Blum Arduino Tutorials

beacon_dave · Answer

As for the Ethernet shield, have you taken a look at: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/ArduinoEthernetShield Tom Igoe has written an interesting book called 'Making Things Talk' which covers this sort of area, so you may want to try and get hold of a copy. The 3rd edition is due to be published soon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Things-Talk-Sensors-Networks/dp/1680452150/ref=la_B001K8AUGU_1_5

beacon_dave · Answer

You've not said what display you intend to use yet. Displays have different types interfaces which they use to connect to the host microcontroller.

The Sensor Shield you have chosen looks like it is designed to work with the common 12864 type LCD display either with a 14pin or a 6pin IDC type connector. If your display doesn't already have that connection then you will have to make a cable just as you would if connecting directly to an Arduino.

As has been mentioned previously, you need to keep track of which IO pins on the microcontroller you are intending on using for each device. If you look closely, in parallel mode the 12864 LCD display consumes most of your digital IO pins (D2-D13). In serial mode it only consumes three (D2-D4). Alternatively you could use a I2C type display which will consume two of your analogue IO pins (A4-A5)

The photo resistor, soil probe and temperature sensor should work equally well with or without that shield. They just require to be connected to 3 of the 6 analogue input pins on the Arduino.

As you have some resistors and LEDs to incorporate then you may find that a prototyping shield would be a better investment than that sensor shield but I suspect that you don't have experience in soldering electronic circuits ? If that is the case then the Grove shield I mentioned earlier would likely be a better choice as it all just plugs together.

However you appear to be getting a bit ahead of yourself. Judging by your questions so far you would be better off starting with trying to get the core of this project working on a simulator like http://circuits.io first, then once you have the LED's, sensors, and LCD display working there, then you can move onto physical components and breadboard, before moving onto tackling the Ethernet networking before finally considering how you are going to build the project in its final form.

mcb1 · Answer

Grove shields and the sensors simply provide a convienient method of connection.

I use these for prototyping or checking something before building it.

https://www.itead.cc/prototyping/electronic-brick.html

and use one of their arduino boards to connect to

https://www.itead.cc/development-platform/arduino/iteaduino-uno.html

They are quite a bit cheaper, but again are a convienient connection method.

Mark

beacon_dave · Answer

Usually by soldering. Either solder the wires directly to the copper pads or alternatively solder a connector to the board to allow you to plug the sensors, LCD in.

Perhaps take a look at this episode of the Ben Heck Show for a tutorial on how to use a proto board.

Episode 226: Ben Heck’s Super Soldered Atari 2600 Episode

If that is too advanced then this episode on soldering may help

Episode 161: Ben Heck Teaches Alyson How to Solder Episode

and this episode on reading a schematic and implementing it on breadboard may help

Episode 86: Watch Ben Heck’s Schematics Episode

[edit ...and this one for connectors

Episode 191: Ben Heck's Essentials Series 1 - Connectors Episode ]

beacon_dave · Answer

The Adafruit proto shield plugs into the uno just like any other shield

https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/970x728/2077-02.jpg

It can accommodate a mini breadboard for early prototyping

https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/970x728/2077-08.jpg

You can solder components directly into it for a more permanent prototype

https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/970x728/2077-09.jpg

You can stack another shield on top of it e.g. Ethernet shield

https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/970x728/2077-06.jpg

Once again, the proto shield mainly adds convenience to a prototype, and allows you to unplug a prototype circuit from the uno in one go if you want that sort of functionality.

Wires from sensors / displays either need to be connected to either the header pins, the breadboard or soldered to the proto board copper pads.

If you watch the Jeremy Blum Arduino Tutorials they will show you how to connect sensors and LCD displays to an uno / breadboard.

Arduino connection help

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