Use (Some) Arduino Shields on Your Raspberry Pi

The "Raspberry Pi to Arduino shields connection bridge" is a Raspberry Pi add-on allowing you to use some of the shields, boards and modules designed for Arduino on a Raspberry Pi. It includes also the possibility of connecting digital and analog sensors, using the same pinout of Arduino but with the power and capabilities of a Raspberry Pi.

The "Raspberry Pi to Arduino shields connection bridge" board on top of a Raspberry Pi computer

To allow for software programming, cooking-hacks.com has written the arduPi C/C++ library allowing a Raspberry Pi to use the same code used in Arduino. To do so, they implemented conversion functions to control the hardware in the same way as in Arduino the same I/O interfaces: i2C, SPI, UART, analog, digital, on a Raspberry Pi. What may be done with the shield along with the arduPi library:
 

• Connect some Arduino Wireless module in Raspberry. Some examples: XBee 802.15.4/XBee ZigBee, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth,Bluetooth Pro, Wifi, GPRS, 3G
• Connect sensors (analog 0-5V, digital) to Raspberry Pi with a precession of 16b using the ADC integrated. Connect also complex sensors through i2C and UART buses
• Connect some Arduino specific shield such as: Radiation sensor shield, CanBus, Relay shield, etc.
• Connect some electronic module or actuator which works over i2C, SPI, UART

I have used the word some when the site uses any.  Buried down on the page is this warning:

WARNING: GPIO voltage levels are 3.3 V and are not 5 V tolerant. There is no over-voltage protection on the board. Digital inputs use a 3V3 logic level and are not tolerant of 5V levels, such as you might find on a 5V powered Arduino.
Extreme caution when working with GPIO, you may damage your Raspberry Pi, your equipment and potentially yourself and others.

As most shields have 5 volt signals, this could be a large limitation.  The number of 3.3 volt shields is expected to grow, albeit slowly, with hardware using sensing to be compatible with hardware like the new Arduino Due.

I like the Bee socket.  Many types of hardware have been made in this form factor - usually at 3.3 volts like the XBee.

At 40 euros, it is rather overpriced for the US market.

• Info: http://www.cooking-hacks.com/index.php/documentation/tutorials/raspberry-pi-to-arduino-shields-connection-bridge
• Buy: http://www.cooking-hacks.com/index.php/shop/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-to-arduino-shield-connection-bridge.html