thanks for the information guys/gals. it looks like i will stick with the bootloader.
i already have a shield for programing attinys so i can add a spot for the atmega328 and burn the bootloader my self. that will save me a couple of $$

well i already know how the use the UNO as an ISP. i just made a shield so i can program the attiny chips

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Not Using The Arduino Bootloader. i have been searching and cant find out what is better bootloader or no bootloader.


To bootload or to not bootload.... that is the question

thanks for the help i will get on to it now.

hey when verifying the example code i get this error "C:\Users\Owner\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TinyWireM\USI_TWI_Master.cpp:329: error: 'USIPF' was not declared in this scope"

how do i fix this
and what do i need to change to run it at 8MHz

i want to use the DS1307 with the attiny85 but i cant understand the example you provided. can you tell me how i can get the seconds, minutes and hours in to individual integers.

hey i want to shrink one of my projects and use an attiny85. i only need the two pins for the RTC and one for a PWM output.

i was thinking about getting the tinywire library and editing the RTC library from adafruit to work with the tinywire library. would this work?

put a small bit of foil on ether side. one is Ground the other is Positive and then the ring can complete the circuit

if you do go with the 3d printing it would be cheaper in the long run to buy a MakerBot (trust me you will use it ALOT) or you can get Ponoko or ShapeWays to make it

this video will help with the buttons and how to debounce them

ok i got it now..... thanks for your help

hey guys and gals
this is my problem.
for some reason it keeps coming up with "lightval not declared in this scope". i have no idea why. can someone please tell my what i am missing
this is the part giving me problems

void sunset() {
  do{
    delay(50);
    int lightval = analogRead(1);
  } while (lightval > 60)
  
  for (int brightness = 255; brightness >= 0; brightness--) {
   analogWrite(9, brightness);
   delay(3500);
 }
}

and this is the full code

Code:

#include <Wire.h>
#include "RTClib.h"

RTC_DS1307 RTC;

  int amhour = 11;
  int ammin = 0;
  int amsec = 0;
  int pmhour = 21;
  int pmmin = 15;
  int pmsec = 0;
  int brightness;

void setup () {
  Serial.begin(57600);
  Wire.begin();
  RTC.begin();
  
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
  
  DateTime now = RTC.now();
  
  int hourval = now.hour();
  int minval = now.minute();
  int secval = now.second();
  
  
  on();
  
  if (hourval >= 12 && hourval <= 20) {
    analogWrite(9, 255);
  }
  
  else analogWrite(9, 0);
  
  if (! RTC.isrunning()) {
  Serial.println("RTC is NOT running!");
  RTC.adjust(DateTime(__DATE__, __TIME__));
  
  }
}

void loop() {
  DateTime now = RTC.now();
  
  int hourval = now.hour();
  int minval = now.minute();
  int secval = now.second();
  
  
  if (secval == amsec && minval == ammin && hourval == amhour) {
   sunrise();
  }
  
  if (secval == pmsec && minval == pmmin && hourval == pmhour) {
   sunset();
  }

  Serial.print(hourval);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(minval);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(secval);
  Serial.println();
  
  delay(1000);
  
}

void sunrise() {
  
 for (int brightness = 0; brightness <= 255; brightness++) {
   analogWrite(9, brightness);
   delay(3500);
 }
}

void sunset() {
  do{
    delay(50);
    int lightval = analogRead(1);
  } while (lightval > 60)
  
  for (int brightness = 255; brightness >= 0; brightness--) {
   analogWrite(9, brightness);
   delay(3500);
 }
}

void on() {
  for (int on = 0; on <= 255; on++)
  {
   analogWrite(9, on);
   delay(5);
 }
 
 for (int off = 255; off >= 0; off--)
 {
   analogWrite(9, off);
   delay(5);
 }
}

if yoiu want to go the simple but loud route, get some brush-less motors that are used in rc planes

Get them to wear RFID tags?

no because they would need to walk with in an inch of the reader

i wanted to make something that would recognise if someone was walking in or out of a room. it was just two lasers on ether side of the door way, pointing at two photocells. when someone would walk in one beam would be blocked then the other. depending on which one was blocked first you could tell if they were going in or out