Have you read the BrainBox Arduino article in the latest edition of Elektor magazine? BrainBox Arduino is a rugged version of the Arduino Leonardo. Thanks to its sturdy screw terminals, a number of different power supply options, an on-board buzzer and a motor-driver IC that connects directly to motors, there is usually no need for breadboards, extra ICs or shields in most applications.
 
Although the BrainBox Arduino (BBA) was originally designed for use in the educational sector, the board is so versatile that it lends itself for use in many other electronics pro­jects. Anybody can program the BBA in next to no time, using their preferred programming language, since the example programs have all been developed for five different development environments.
 
The layout of the BBA has deliberately followed the IPO principle: Input – Processing – Output. At the top are all the connections for sensors, the processing is done by the powerful ATmega32U4 processor, and at the bot­tom are all the connections for actuators.
 
The sensors and actuators are connected directly via sturdy 5 mm screw termi­nals. The sensor inputs can all be used as either analog or digital inputs. Each input has its own GND and 5 V connec­tions. There is also a set of typical Arduino connectors for the connection of Arduino shields.
 
The BBA has a wide range of power sup­ply options, which makes it suitable for use in many applications.