I have built a standalone Arduino using http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoToBreadboard and http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/JamecoBuilds/arduinocircuit.html as reference points and am now trying to program it. I have an Arduino Uno. Is there a way to configure it so that I can run wires from the Arduino Uno to the breadboard with the Atmega328 as shown in the Arduino tutorial or do I need to A) buy an FDTI breakout board or B) pull out an pop in the Atmega328 into the Arduino each time I want to reprogram it?
B is the easiest option as everything is in place. However Is you plan on doing "Production Runs" of chips the A option is a little better. If your code is good and works as expected burning it to a '328 W/O the bootloader is certainly the better option... or at least something I would do as the chips can always be re-programmed/re-purposed to another project/purpose.
Doc
Alright. Thanks
I built a breadboard project and started off thinking I would use your method 'B' of pulling the '328 in and out of the Arduino to program it. Turns out it's a PITA to take the '328 out.
So I bought the FTDI Friend from AdaFruit:
This turned out to be a very good way to go, because after I moved my project to a solder board I ended up wanting to adjust the program several times. Even with a chip socket it's inconvenient to pull the '328 out for programming, IMO.
I went with "B" recently and it was a fun little exercise and worked fine but it's pretty difficult pulling/replacing the chip without bending the legs. Those 28 pins hold REALLY hard!
I wouldn't be comfortable doing it very often.