Ethernet Shield for Arduino
The Arduino Ethernet Shield enables an Arduino board to connect to the internet using the Wiznet W5100 ethernet chip. This chip provides a network (IP) stack that supports both TCP and UDP protocols. The Ethernet W5100 Shield Network Expansion Board, which comes with a micro SD card slot, supports up to four socket connections at once.
To connect to the internet using the Arduino shield, utilize the Ethernet library to write sketches. The shield connects to an Arduino board using long wire-wrap headers that pass through the shield. This keeps the pin layout intact and allows for stacking of another shield on top.
The most recent revision of the board exposes the 1.0 pinout on the Arduino UNO board's rev 3. This Ethernet Shield facilitates a quick connection of the UNO R3 board to the internet. To get started, plug the module onto the Arduino board, connect it to the network using an RJ45 cable (not included), and follow a few simple instructions to control your world through the internet. Additionally, it allows the connection of your Arduino UNO 328 or MEGA 2650 1280 to a network or the internet while storing or retrieving files on a Micro SD Card.
The Ethernet Shield features a standard RJ-45 connection with an integrated line transformer and Power over Ethernet enabled. It also has an onboard micro-SD card slot, which stores files that are accessible over the network. The shield is compatible with Uno and Mega boards, utilizing the Ethernet library. The onboard microSD card reader is accessible via the SD Library, with SS located on Pin 4 when working with this library. Note that the original revision of the shield had a full-size SD card slot that is no longer supported.
Lastly, the shield includes a reset controller, ensuring that the W5100 Ethernet module properly resets upon power-up. In previous revisions of the shield, compatibility with the Mega board required a manual reset after power-up.
Also check out our ethernet cable, which is ideal for connecting devices like PCs, laptops, routers, modems, and switches to your network.
SD Card
The latest revision of the Ethernet Shield includes a micro-SD card slot, which can be interfaced with using the SD library.