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[on:]

Hello, I'm looking to design my own touch screen controller for my robot. The touch screen i'm using, uses all my pins on the Arduino UNO Rev 3, including the Tx and Rx. My robot is currently being controlled from my laptop via Bluetooth, and I was tring to design my own controller, using various Arduino components.Now because the touch screen uses every pin on my UNO, I looked at the Mega because it has more Tx and RX pins to use, but it was WAY too long and rather bulky. So, I was wondering if a smaller, more compact version of the Mega was, is or could be made. Something more like the Arduino Mini, same amount of pins just more compact. This way I can integrate more parts like an accelerometer and even a bluetooth module to communicate to the one on my robot.

Hazard

[Reply #1 on:]

Something like this?
http://www.pjrc.com/store/teensypp.html

[Reply #2 on:]

yea kinda, but does it have the same capabilities as the Mega?
It doesn't say, or at least it didn't see anything that said it had Tx and Rx pins.

[Reply #3 on:]

The Mega has 4 hardware USARTs.  The Teensy++ has 1.

[Reply #4 on:]

Check the docs, most of these chips allow the highspeed serial (for SPI/I2C/etc) to be used as hardware serial.

There are people here building custom ATMega1284 setups. It has 40 pins and 2 USARTs.

If you can find space the you can connect 1 or more shift registers to the UNO SPI pins and add pins that way. There are even bi-directional shift registers.

[Reply #5 on:]

The Mega has 4 hardware USARTs.  The Teensy++ has 1.

Hmmm, I need at least 2 USARTs, one for the touch screen and the other for the bluetooth module.
Could I maybe design my own custom board, like the Teensy?

[Reply #6 on:]

You can use SoftSerial on just about any two pins to add serial channels. It's part of the IDE, make sure you use the version that comes with your IDE.

A touchscreen controller chip would probably reduce the pins needed for TS to just 2.

[Reply #7 on:]

AFAIK there is no small Arduino with the Mega2560 chip.

Maybe there should be, where's Crossroads when you need him

Actually you should look at Crossroad's ""bobduino", it has a Mega 1284 (two UARTs, lots of RAM etc).

______
Rob

[Reply #8 on:]

Check out MegaMini from JK Devices: http://jkdevices.com/arduino-compatible/arduino-megamini

[Reply #9 on:]

I'm here, just slow reading tonight.
Are you handy with a soldering iron? This board could be all you need:
$4.50 for a bareboard mailed to your US address, you scrounge for (or purchase) parts & assemble.
Use an offboard FTDI Basic or equivalent to download sketches, or a Mikroelectronica FTDI module can be installed on the right.
I supposed I can offer assembled  units too, no one's asked for one yet.

Parts list
http://www.crossroadsfencing.com/BobuinoRev17/1284_Duemilanove_PL.pdf