The Arduino Nano has become something of a go-to for many makers. With the features of the ubiquitous Arduino Uno, but in a small, inexpensive, and breadboard-able form factor, what’s not to love? I’ve certainly embedded it in my share of projects, but once you move past prototyping on a breadboard, or simply hooking up a few wires, there are a few things that could be enhanced.
As an answer to my Nano wish list, I developed the Grounduino Nano board. It features 5 extra 5v pins, plus an additional 5 grounds versus the Arduino Nano itself, thus the ‘Groundino’ moniker. Additionally, there’s space for a 2200µF capacitor that connects to the +5V and GND lines, and connections for an extra 4 3.3V pins under the cap’s footprint. Space for a capacitor here provides a good method to help even out current fluctuations, such as when working with WS2812B LEDs.
The board can be used with male or female pin headers, but is designed to be used with screw terminals for easy wire connection/disconnection. Two mounting holes are provided, which can be used with either 3mm or 6-32 screws, or with a DIN rail adapter option.
