This repository includes hardware designs and a software driver library for a "dock" baseboard for standard-format microcontroller boards (Adafruit Feather). This dock adds a power supply, I/O screw terminals, and a tiny screen/button interface to the micro. Also included are some auxiliary carrier and utility boards.
These designs are all intended for "prod-otyping" environments like escape rooms which benefit from flexible but robust wiring, status observability, and quick part swapping.
For simple screw terminal breakout, first consider these more professional offerings...
- Adafruit: Terminal Block for Feather, ScrewShield for Uno
- Arduino official: Nano Screw Terminal Adapter
- DFRobot: Screw and Screwless Shields for Uno, Terminal Shield for Uno and Mega
- Electronics-Salon: many terminal block breakout options
- Treedix: Screw Terminal Block for Uno and Mega, Spring Terminal Block for Uno
- 52Pi: Terminal Shield for Uno, Mega, and Pico RP2040
- or just solder screw terminals to the bottom of a board!
What this dock adds (besides a questionable supply chain) is
- a switching power supply that takes 4.2V to 60V(!) (diode-mixed with USB input) to deliver 2A of 3.3V
- a tiny display (with an easy driver library), so you can see what your board is "thinking"
- tiny buttons (with an easy driver library), so you can configure board settings as needed
- two QWIIC/Stemma QT connectors tied to SDA/SCL (with pullups)
- it's a base board, not a shield, so you can swap the controller while leaving hookups in place
- it's a compact board that doesn't take more space than needed
- nice generous M3 screw holes
Collectively this is useful to me for random builds in the escape room/immersive industry. Your mileage will surely vary.