subject: How The Ethernet Shield Is Creating The Future [print this page] Electronics enthusiasts have long been designing and building amazing creations to design and build in the comfort of their own homes (or garden sheds). Over the years a huge amount of pioneering work has been done by amateur electricians and designers, tinkering away on products and inventions that have ended up revolutionising many aspects of our lives. But the relatively recent invention of the internet (an incredible creation itself) has acted as a spur that has exponentially increased both the number and the potential achievements of the electronic hobbyist community.
The advent of the internet age has made it incredibly easy for both experienced hobbyists and complete novices to gain access to both the components and the tutelage that enables them to build everything from robots to security systems. While budget used to be a barrier to many amateur engineers and electricians, improved manufacturing techniques and the added competition that the online marketplace has created have meant that it"s now possible to get hold of almost every component imaginable without out breaking the bank.
But what"s far more exciting than the ease of access to materials the internet has given electronics hobbyists are the potential it"s given their creations. Thanks to the internet, it"s now possible for people who make everything from robots to security systems to control their devices from the other side of the globe. And in order to get their creations online, all that anyone needs an Ethernet shield.
An Ethernet shield is a piece of electronic equipment that allows a control board to be connected up to the internet, and once it"s installed a whole range of new functionality becomes accessible. For Ethernet shields not only allow machines online access, they can also act in a number of other roles, from servers to storage devices.
Of course, not all shields are the same, so the choice of shield used depends largely on the project being undertaken. For example, for those planning to use the shield for storage or programming purposes, it"s important to purchase one that has onboard microSD card. The micro SD card not only offers users a range of programming options, but can act as a valuable time saving device when it comes to functions such as downloading web data or creating room for core programming data. Regardless of the type of project being undertaken, it"s also worth spending a little extra to purchase a shield with power over Ethernet (aka PoE) functionality, as while not crucial, it does save difficulties when it comes to connectivity.
When buying a shield, it"s always important to check its compatibility with any other devices that might need to use it. Although Ethernet shields can be bought relatively cheaply (an Ethernet shield without PoE can be purchased for under twenty pounds) an incompatible shield will only delay a project"s development.
So now that hobbyists can so easily not only create, but reach out and share their creations with others, in the future we can expect to see an increasing number of groundbreaking ventures being started not by multinational tech giants, but by talented individuals who own it all to one simple but crucial piece of kit.
