In short: Can I use an ATWINC15x0 microchip to add WiFi functionality to the Arduino Uno by just connecting the relevant pins together directly?

I recently began my journey into printed circuit board design, and it's safe to say I'm just throwing things together blindly. My only real PCB education is that I took the Altium Designer Education Course that covered a shield board design for an Arduino Uno.,

Currently, I'm trying to recycle the ideas I learned from a previous Altium Designer Course to add WiFi functionality to the Arduino Uno using an ATWINC1500-MR210PB1961 microchip.

According to the datasheet, the ATWINC models typically use around 3.3V and a maximum 269mA current draw. I was hoping that I could simply connect the ATWINC chip's input voltage pin directly to the Arduino Uno's 3.3V pin using pin headers. From there, using the same shield board approach that I learned from the Altium Designer Course, I think I could connect the remaining ATWINC pins to the Arduino using some more pin headers. I see that the 3.3V pin for the Arduino Uno can only supply ~150mA. Could I potentially add another current source separately to make up for the ATWINC current requirement?

Other than that, if my understanding is correct, couldn't I just connect pins 14-19 (which are the various SPI and UART pins, see Fig. 1) directly to the Arduino Uno using pin headers for the Arduino to then begin utilizing the ATWINC's Bluetooth and Wifi capabilities? Does the ATWINC microchip require extra flashing for it to be compatible with the Arduino Uno?

Now, I understand from reading the "Schematic Design Info" section of the ATWINC data sheet that the chip's pins also require various resistors and coupling capacitors to filter out noise and stabilize voltage levels, so it wouldn't just be a true Arduino to ATWINC pin-to-pin connection. But, assuming I take the extra components into consideration, what disturbingly obvious electronics/signal transmission details am I grossly overlooking?

I've attached a couple pictures detailing what I believe the design could look like Fig 2 and 3.

ATWINC datasheet

Figure 1. UART and SPI pins (14-19)
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Figure 2. Design schematic, AtWINC module top, series of pin headers bottom,
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Figure 3. Altium Designer​

 

I completed a project with PIC and WIFI. I first tried a WINC demo board, but found it overly complicated. Settled on an ESP-01 (module based on ESP8266). Tiny, dirt cheap, and dirt simple to use, and well documented, requiring just a serial line to the PIC.

It will not give you video streaming level of performance, but is fine for lower data rates.

 

I completed a project with PIC and WIFI. I first tried a WINC demo board, but found it overly complicated. Settled on an ESP-01 (module based on ESP8266). Tiny, dirt cheap, and dirt simple to use, and well documented, requiring just a serial line to the PIC.

It will not give you video streaming level of performance, but is fine for lower data rates.

Any way you could direct me to your documentation? A video, schematic, 3D model, etc. I'd love to see how it works, I could potentially apply it to my particular situation.

 

Just do a google search, there are plenty of tutorials out there. Here is one:

ESP-01 tutorial

 

There are many WiFi Arduino boards.

 

The default firmware for the ESP-01 supports a modem-like AT command set to configure a Wi-Fi connection and connect to it.

Of course what you intend to do with the Wi-Fi has a bearing on which solution is appropriate. Just having the hardware doesn't get you anything useful. You will need some protocol stack to make use of the network—for example TCP/IP.

 

There are many WiFi Arduino boards.

Certainly, I suppose I should have mentioned that my objective for the project was to make a working Wifi module that was compatible with the Arduino Uno. The project is supposed to be an educational exercise in PCB design as opposed to making an efficient commercial alternative. Conversely, any educational resources you could point me towards would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks again