The Boarduino kit is available from http://www.adafruit.com/. It offers all the functionality of the Freeduino kit but requires a separate power supply when more than 500 mA of current is required.
The Arduino Nano When you need a compact, assembled Arduino-compatible board, the Nano should fit the bill. Designed to work in a solderless breadboard, the Nano (Figure 11-19) is a tiny but powerful Arduino.
Figure 11-19: An Arduino Nano
The Nano measures only 0.7 inches by 1.7 inches, yet it offers all the functionality of the Boarduino and the Freeduino. Furthermore, it uses the SMD version of the ATmega328P, so it has two extra analog input pins (A6 and A7). The Nano is available from http://www.gravitech.us/arna30wiatp.html.
The Arduino LilyPad The LilyPad is designed to be integrated inside creative projects, such as wearable electronics. In fact, you can actually wash a LilyPad with water and a mild detergent, so it’s ideal to use for lighting up a sweatshirt, for example. The board design is unique, as shown in Figure 11-20. The I/O pins on the LilyPad require that wires be soldered to the board, so the LilyPad is more suited for use with permanent projects. As part of its minimalist design, it has no voltage regulation circuitry, so it’s up to the user to provide his or her own supply between
Figure 11-20: An Arduino LilyPad
Meet the Arduino Family 221