- Allowed Topics - Arduinos
Everything in this section follows from the general rules of what's on topic. However, this is such a common case that we mention it explicitly.
The point of Arduinos is to add layers of abstraction above a microcontroller so that you can get some results quickly without having to know what is really going on. That's fine and quite useful by itself. We don't have a problem with Arduinos (and similar platforms) directly.
However, this site is about learning and understanding. Many Arduino users are Arduino users specifically to avoid that learning and understanding, to get results quickly. That's fine, but not here.
Wanting to drive a car without being bothered with how the engine works or the design tradeoffs of the braking system is fine by itself, but that's not what this site is about. Asking about how to accomplish something with an Arduino is off topic because it's not about electronics or its theory, and is generally not aimed at understanding.
If you've tinkered with Arduinos a bit and want to understand what's going on underneath, then your question may be on topic. However, then it's not about the Arduino part, but the underlying microcontroller and circuit around it. That's what we're looking for.
If you want to ask something related to an Arduino, here is a checklist to follow first:
- Does it matter that it's an Arduino versus some other microcontroller development board?
If yes, STOP. If you can replace "Arduino" in your question with "microcontroller" or "microcontroller development board", then do so and you may proceed.
- Is this about getting the Arduino to do a particular thing?
If yes, STOP. This is a "gimme da answer" question. If instead you are looking for insight how or why it works, then you may proceed.
- Is this about what "shield" to use?
STOP. Just STOP.
- Does your question use the word "shield" to mean a daughter board specific to the Arduino ecosystem?
Replace "shield" with "daughter board". If the question no longer makes sense, STOP.
- Does your question use the word "sketch" to refer to firmware?
Replace "sketch" with "firmware". If the question no longer makes sense, STOP.
- Congratulations! You may actually have a valid Arduino-motivated question for this site.
"Shield" and "Sketch"
These words were appropriated by Arduino marketing so that artists wouldn't run away screaming when they hear "technical" words. No, there's none of that firmware stuff here. You're just creating a sketch. Never mind all those transistorators and stuff on a circuit board, you're just slapping on a shield.
Unfortunately, those words already had specific meanings long before there were Arduinos. Many people aren't very happy that Arduino marketing used those words in non-standard ways for their own benefit, at the expense of everyone else.
"Shield" in particular has a specific meaning in electronics, as a barrier to electric fields. Trying to use it here in a different way is a slap in the face and a great way to piss off those you seek a favor from. To us it says "I'm so important and have so little regard for all you dweebs that I can flagrantly misuse one of your important terms and expect you to deal with it.". Needless to say, you're more likely to get tarred and feathered out of town than to get any help here.
Don't use "shield" to mean Arduino daughter board.
Don't use "sketch" to mean Arduino firmware.
Either of the above are grounds for downvoting your question to oblivion, closing it "just because", and possibly worse if you persist.
