I have had some requests from people wanting to control their 1st Gen LivingColors via RS232. The current solution is just a shield on an Arduino and it would not make sense to build something on an other platform.
Of course, i could make it all mote complicated by combining the CC2500 shield with a serial shield but that would require some hacking.
The first versions of the Arduino used a serial port to communicate with the PC via RS232. Pieter Floris still had a couple of these boards in store. Instead of making the solution more complicated i could then make the solution quite simple.

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I assembled the board myself so I cannot blame the people from Arduino for all the hacking needed, the crystal could have been a lower model. The 7805 on the BOM is in a TO220 however. Without rasing the connectors the shield is never going to fit.

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It seems the whole “shields” concept did not exist when the first Arduinos were built.
With some compromises the shield fits..

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And works.
I have tested it and I can now control the LivingColors via RS232. No changes in de software or the shield are needed.
Hi there, I would like to connect my arduino with a cc2500 arduino shield to control a livingcolors lamp, but I don’t really know what exactly I need. You mention the cc2500 shield at several places on your website, but nowhere do you mention where you can actually order this thing or what you need to assemble it… :-S
Can you help me out?
Thanks,
Tijl