Creating DIY Ardino's

Age doesn't matter much to saving money. Sure, us big folk can waste more on prototyping expenses, but when it gets down to building it, money is always a factor. That's why I use ardweenys a lot. I even build my own XBee interfaces and try desperately to keep the cost down on various projects.

I have an arduino for prototyping and then convert it to something else once it's working. Gotta keep that arduino free for the next project. Keep at it, consider possibilities that aren't obvious. One can even solder all the parts directly on the chip to save the expense of a circuit board.

Unos aren't all THAT cool. The older models had a lot going for them.

Could always fake your way into a Mega:
Schmartboard $10
ATmega2560 $12.86

(shop around)
xtal, 22 pf caps, 100nF caps, 10K resistor - <$1, dip micro.com
header pins - depends on your needs.
Learning experience: priceless.

Wire it up like a bare-minimum arrduino.

It might help to know what you need them for. You might get away with 7 ATmega chips on a breadboard with a Teensy++ 2.0 and a handful of cheap parts, and you might not.

It's a permanent project, not a temporary thing. It's gotta be solderable, or header-able... As in an arduino clone with perf board on top so I can disconnect it.

As for that DIY mega thing, my soldering iron sucks. I would probably break many of those chips. For the MEGA, I might just get a legit board, considering it has all the parts needed to make it work, and on board usb conversion.

If someone can tell me the best place to buy parts to make an arduino, I will probably do it myself. I'm bad at picking parts, so it was more expensive than it should have been when I tried. So if someone can make me a list of parts, that would be great.

My suggestion is to get the RBBB PCB only from Modern Devices:

http://shop.moderndevice.com/products/rbbb-pcb
For 10 pieces, the PCB is $1.95.

Then source the parts from Digikey, Mouser, .....
ATMega328P-PU from Mouser is $3.31 per piece at 10 pieces.
The rest of the parts are pretty cheap and probably add another $1 per board for that.
Also check out Dipmicro for cheaper supporting parts & components.

So this RBBB thing... Do you recommend that I get the PCB's, and buy the parts elsewhere, or buy the whole kit for $110 ($11 each)?

$11 each is not bad!
Price up getting all the bits yourself from DIPmicro,
xtal,
22 pc caps,
100nF caps,
sockets,
power jacks,
LED,
resistors (LED and reset),
reset switch,
regulators,
10 uF caps,
headers.

PCBs from nkcelectronics,
http://store.nkcelectronics.com/arduino-runtime-board-rev-b.html

FTDI Breakout board
http://store.nkcelectronics.com/breakout-board-for-ft232rl-usb-to-ser232.html
that you can use to download bootloaders and then sketches

and blank '328s's from mouser/newark/digikey,
3.49/10 @ newark
3.12/25 @ digikey (1 for 4.98)
3.31/10 @ mouser

and shipping from 3 places.

Price it up, see how it works out. Maybe DIY is the way to go.

I did this a while ago and the prices are probably different now but you can see that shopping at dipmicro.com is pretty good deal. To save shipping, you can order everything from dipmicro. They now have atmega328p and 16MHz crystal. I'm gonna update that list when I have time.

Their '328 price is high tho. $5.38 for 10, vs $3.31, $3.25 for 10.
I would (and have before) get the rest there.

Is there any kit-building/parts advantage to owning an FTDI cable or FTDI Friend as opposed to an UNO?

Just curious... Does that kit come with the 168 or the 328? Cause the PCB shows 168.

GoForSmoke:
Is there any kit-building/parts advantage to owning an FTDI cable or FTDI Friend as opposed to an UNO?

Sure, it moves the USB-to-serial functionality off the board, where it normally just sits there unless it's being programmed. So fewer parts on the MCU board to consume space, power, and money. Don't get me wrong, I love the Uno, it's got a lot going for it, I still use them, but as I've gained experience, I find I have all I need. Most of what I do now is either with less-expensive clones, breadboards, or custom PC boards, all programmed with an FTDI Friend or an ICSP programmer (AFI's USBtinyISP works great for me).

Side note: The USB-to-serial functionality on the Uno is actually provided by a second Atmel microcontroller, an ATmega8U2. Earlier versions, e.g. the Duemilanove, used the same FTDI chip.

RBBB:
"Specifications
•2.1mm power jack
•Arduino Diecimila bootloader
•ATmega328 Chip"

I have a couple of FTDI Basic's, I use them all them to download sketches into standalone boards. No messing around with string a bunch of wires to an Arduino - just plug it onto 6 pins & go.

CrossRoads:
RBBB:
"Specifications
•2.1mm power jack
•Arduino Diecimila bootloader
•ATmega328 Chip"

I have a couple of FTDI Basic's, I use them all them to download sketches into standalone boards. No messing around with string a bunch of wires to an Arduino - just plug it onto 6 pins & go.

I could just update the bootloader, correct?

Yes.

CrossRoads:
Yes.

And done before on my RBBB. Their webpage never updated. The chip included is 328p and bootloader is duemilanove. Use westfw's UNO bootloader. It's the most recent update.

CrossRoads, if you just buy a few, you offset the "high" price of 328p at dipmicro by shopping one stop there with only one shipping charge. Typical shipping charge is around $4 everywhere. If you buy more, then get the chips at digi-key and the rest at dipmicro.

This is my DIY "arduino", although is little more than a breaduino on a PCB


EDuino

I designed the PCB to be very very easy to do at home.

Someone posted on the EDuino comments a link to a list of arduino "compatible" boards:

CrossRoads:
Could always fake your way into a Mega:
Schmartboard $10
ATmega2560 $12.86
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Atmel/ATmega2560-16AU/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtkfMPOFRTOl4TPj%252bk4h3O1
(shop around)
xtal, 22 pf caps, 100nF caps, 10K resistor - <$1, dip micro.com
header pins - depends on your needs.
Learning experience: priceless.

Wire it up like a bare-minimum arrduino.

Oo! I like the looks of those Schmartboards.

Yeah, I'm waiting to have a little time to try the Schmartboard approachout.

If your project is small enough you can always use the Attiny85, only $2.50 each. http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/10/how-to-shrinkify-your-arduino-projects.html.
I just ordered 10 of them.