Impression 5 SMASH Shield PCB

Overview

The SMASH Shield (Science Museum Arduino Shield for Hardware) is a custom Arduino Mega shield designed to serve as the electronics backbone for multiple interactive exhibits at Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing, MI.

Rather than one-off wiring each exhibit, this reusable PCB provides a consistent platform: standardized connectors for display drivers, input panels, and power — the same board works across both the Giant Calculator and the FRIB-sponsored Genome Map projects.

Design Goals

• Standardized connectors — consistent pinout for display panels and input wiring across exhibits
• Arduino Mega form factor — stacks directly on an Arduino Mega 2560
• Robust for museum use — exhibits run unattended for extended periods, so the design prioritizes reliability over minimum cost
• Eagle CAD — schematic and board files in open-source Eagle CAD format

Exhibits Using This Shield

• Impression 5 Giant Calculator
• Impression 5 Genome Map

Files

The repository contains Eagle .sch (schematic) and .brd (board layout) files. The PCB was fabricated and installed in both exhibits at Impression 5.