Oh I forgot to mention that when starting the IDE, I get some error from windows that the I can't use the default Windows colors or visa versa (unfortunately when I VNC to my home comp from work it doesn't show up).  I think it's just a java thing, but everything works.

OK I got it to work  I had previously d/l drivers from FTDI's site for the USB-> Serial drivers, and forced Vista64 to use them, but it wasn't working, so I let Vista d/l it's own drivers for the FTDI chip and everything works now.

So you can chaulk Vista64 to work with IDE after a little modification.

Thanks

well at least I can compile now, I did try WinAVR and it will compile with no complaints, now just gotta get it to upload.  I get the following:
 

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

So I probably have a setting wrong, I know it's trying to communicate because I forgot to plug in my arduino to my PC and when I uploaded it reset my Zaurus that I had plugged into one of my USB ports

Well this could have been one of the problems: I'm missing avrdude.conf in both my unpacked file and in my zip file:

Thought I found it but it's not there, 'll try to re-d/l 0009 to see if I had a corrupt d/l  

Thanks, I'll give it a try tonight, reminds me of when I used to used Gentoo, and back in the 2.2.x kernel days trying to get mplayer to work.  I'll post on my progress.

I'm trying to get 0009 running on my Vista64 box (my first time) and I keep getting the error below.  Before people say RTFM, this is a clean install of Vista, no other compiler installed, I've d/l the package 3 times and get the same error every time I startup or try to compile the Blinking example.

1406 [main] ? (1268) C:\Users\dale\Desktop\arduino\arduino-0009\tools\avr\bin\avr-g++.exe: *** fatal error - cygheap base mismatch detected - 0x0/0x6115B900.
This problem is probably due to using incompatible versions of the cygwin DLL.
Search for cygwin1.dll using the Windows Start->Find/Search facility
and delete all but the most recent version.  The most recent version *should*
reside in x:\cygwin\bin, where 'x' is the drive on which you have
installed the cygwin distribution.  Rebooting is also suggested if you
are unable to find another cygwin DLL.
      3 [main] avr-g++ 3348 child_copy: stack write copy failed, 0x27DAD0..0x280000, done 0, windows pid 2611716, Win32 error 5
    213 [main] ? (4064) C:\Users\dale\Desktop\arduino\arduino-0009\tools\avr\bin\avr-g++.exe: *** fatal error - cygheap base mismatch detected - 0x0/0x6115B900.
This problem is probably due to using incompatible versions of the cygwin DLL.
Search for cygwin1.dll using the Windows Start->Find/Search facility
and delete all but the most recent version.  The most recent version *should*
reside in x:\cygwin\bin, where 'x' is the drive on which you have
installed the cygwin distribution.  Rebooting is also suggested if you
are unable to find another cygwin DLL.
1133818 [main] avr-g++ 3348 child_copy: stack write copy failed, 0x27DAD0..0x280000, done 0, windows pid 2611716, Win32 error 5
   1389 [main] ? (3152) C:\Users\dale\Desktop\arduino\arduino-0009\tools\avr\bin\avr-g++.exe: *** fatal error - cygheap base mismatch detected - 0x0/0x6115B900.
This problem is probably due to using incompatible versions of the cygwin DLL.
Search for cygwin1.dll using the Windows Start->Find/Search facility
and delete all but the most recent version.  The most recent version *should*
reside in x:\cygwin\bin, where 'x' is the drive on which you have
installed the cygwin distribution.  Rebooting is also suggested if you
are unable to find another cygwin DLL.
3387953 [main] avr-g++ 3348 child_copy: stack write copy failed, 0x27DAD0..0x280000, done 0, windows pid 2611716, Win32 error 5
    603 [main] ? (672) C:\Users\dale\Desktop\arduino\arduino-0009\tools\avr\bin\avr-g++.exe: *** fatal error - cygheap base mismatch detected - 0x0/0x6115B900.
This problem is probably due to using incompatible versions of the cygwin DLL.
Search for cygwin1.dll using the Windows Start->Find/Search facility
and delete all but the most recent version.  The most recent version *should*
reside in x:\cygwin\bin, where 'x' is the drive on which you have
installed the cygwin distribution.  Rebooting is also suggested if you
are unable to find another cygwin DLL.
7477965 [main] avr-g++ 3348 child_copy: stack write copy failed, 0x27DAD0..0x280000, done 0, windows pid 2611716, Win32 error 5

Now is Arduino 0009 Win32 only?  Will I have to use my linux box (DSL) to run the IDE with very little trouble?

Thanks

Arduino 0010 works on the Asus EEEPC in Advanced mode, just add the extra repositories, install gcc-avr and avr-libc and your good to go  ;D

The EEE is a nice little platform to work on, small and compact, I can now take my stuff with me and work on projects in a coffee shop.  Just need to get my USB oscilloscope working and I'll be all set.

But on pg 7 of the second link illustrates the problems with ceramic resonators compared to a crystal as an oscillator.  I doubt this would be a problem for most people's projects, myself included.

So I was partially right, but wrong in that the caps run in parallel (based on the second link westfw posted).  So the 16Mhz crystal that I posted; it would need 2x 26pF plus the 7pF Shunt capacitance for a 20pF load capacitance correct (based on the formula from the second link, pg4 i think)?  

I think I answered my own question with a look on the wibble web.

The 22pF capacitors are the load capacitance (44pF because the caps are in parallel) that the crystal needs to oscillate at 16Mhz.  You have have other 16Mhz crystals that need require a different load capacitance, like FOXLF160-20 from http://foxonline.com/pdfs/hc49ulf.pdf.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, I think this will greatly clear this post up.

So are the 22pF capacitors the Shunt Capacitance?  Or the Load Capacitance of the Crystal, also if the Arduino uses 2x 22pF in parallel, does that mean that the Shunt/Load capacitance of the crystal is 44pF?

Thanks, I figured the power part.  I don't think I need the ICSP header as I will just use my current arduino board as a programmer (with the right cable of course).

Thanks

This is an idea: I would like to continue to support and use the Arduino as a prototyping platform, but ultimately strip the things I do not need for my final projects like serial/usb communications, extra IO pins, blah blah blah to ultimately save space and cost (all my projects will ultimately be for my edification, proof of concepts for myself and hopefully to aid the online community).

My question is what is the bare minimum to have?  Is it just the microprocessor, and I just have to use the pins I need for each project?

Thanks,

Dale

From the wiki article:

Consumer devices such as computer hard drives, CD/DVD players, and PC cooling fans use BLDC motors almost exclusively.

The picture they have of the coils is from a PC fan as well.

The third wire I was using was from the hall effect sensor to measure rpm (used in brushless motors to control 'firing').  It sends a pulse twice every rotation on the third wire.  

These pc fans have 3 wires, red (12V+), black(GND) and yellow or green (sensor wire).  We're taking advantage of the third wire to read the rotations (2 signals per rotation on the yellow wire).

Take a look at the picture that zitron has on the link he posted, it has a 3 wire fan wired up to the arduino.

I don't know of a way to measure the rpm of a 2 wire fan, I don't think you could do it with just the two wires as they do not give any info on rotation or anything else.