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[on:]

Adafruit is now selling the Arduino Micro in the US http://www.adafruit.com/products/1086

Comments on the Adafruit Google+ stream appear mixed - could it be other small Arduinos on the market? http://21stdigitalhome.blogspot.com/2012/11/micro-arduino-and-other-tiny-boards.html

[Reply #1 on:]

Hi,
A direct comparison between

Micro: http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMicro
and
Nano: http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardNano

makes me think that the only Micro advantage is the ability to act as a USB Human Input Device. If you want that, it makes sense. But well-done Nano compatibles cost a little less than the Micro.

The USB onboard the Micro (and the UNO) is both an advantage and a liability. I've seen several UNOs that have lost their USB firmware and the end users do not have the ability or know-how to reload the USB interface. I've only seen one FTDI chip go bad in over 3000 328 based boards.

Essentially the Micro is a physically small Leonardo and the Nano is a physically small Duemilanoave.

But I think it's good thinking and good design work, and if some really cool projects use it and make it's design choices work well, it's a winner. 

[Reply #2 on:]

The Micro is clearly a small, breadboardable Leonardo. But it is more expensive and while it does break out the SPI pins (both the data/clock lines only wired to the ISP on the Leo and the SS pin which is not broken out on the Leo at all), it is still slightly gimped compared to Adafruits non-Arduino 32U4 dev board, which also features the RXLED and HWB pins broken out. While one might be able to jumper some wires to the two NC pins, I do not think the Arduino label makes the extra price and effort for a full-featured 32U4 dev board worthwhile. Only good for those who cannot bootload it themselves, I guess.

[Reply #3 on:]

Yes the price of the official boards (not one for one against a specific clone but in general against "like" boards) has been disappointing.  I would hope that buying the original is not like buying a Cadillac board as Makers are a pretty frugal bunch so prices should be guaged very close to market plus a dollar, maybe two max.

The difference on official shields vs. others is even more stark.  This is where Arduino could pump some serious innovation to leapfrog the available hardware and software but it really hasn't happened.  Lately more evolutionary than revolutionary,

http://21stdigitalhome.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-single-board-computers-and-arduino.html

[Reply #4 on:]

USB onboard the Micro (and the UNO) is both an advantage and a liability. I've seen several UNOs that have lost their USB firmware and the end users do not have the ability or know-how to reload the USB interface. I've only seen one FTDI chip go bad in over 3000 328 based boards.

Likewise, and with the USB onboard you lose about 2k of flash memory as well.

I've just finished the layout of a board that started with the mega32u4 (as used on the Leonardo), then I got to thinking about how reliable I've found FTDI chips to be in the past and how little I know about USB coding so I swapped to a mega1284 and an FT232.

Because I needed an IO expander with the 32u4 and don't with the 1284 the end result is the same in terms of PCB real estate and I get simpler IO, over 4x the program flash and 8x the RAM. Cost wise it will be about $1.50 more but that's worth it for the extra memory I think.

______
Rob

[Reply #5 on:]

One thing I don't like about 32U4 based board is the external interrupt pins (attachInterrupt) falls on what I need (D0-D3)!
And on D2 & D3, they are I2C pins.

[Reply #6 on:]

how reliable I've found FTDI chips to be in the past

The new FX series is cheaper too although now out of stock as they are fabbing the 2nd batch.

[Reply #7 on:]

On the 1284 you "lose" two of the three interrupts to serial ports which 99% of the time is where you don't want them. On the 32u4 I think you lose them all to serial pins.

The problem I have with that is if you are using those pins for serial you can't use them for unrelated interrupts. If the int pins were elsewhere you could always connect them to a serial pin if you needed that function, but the reverse is not true.

IC that takes HIGH in and outputs GND

I thought they would be great because of the lower pin count, after all you only use about 3 pins on a FT232, but last time I looked the new ones were more expensive.

______
Rob

[Reply #8 on:]

but last time I looked the new ones were more expensive.

Bought FT231-XS few months back for USD1.56 at 250 pieces.
At single piece, it's pretty reasonable too. FT230-XS is few cent cheaper than that.

[Reply #9 on:]

Thanks for that. I've just laid out a board with the FT232R which is 4, 5, 6 or even more $.

I see Future has the FT230-XS in stock for $2.02 and Arrow lists them for about the same (1 off).

I may have to change the design.

Actually if you use the FT230-XS SOIC package it's no smaller in size than the FT232R, but easier to work with.

______
Rob

[Reply #10 on:]

FT230-XS SOIC package it's no smaller in size than the FT232R

It's like a 16-pin with 20-pin body! Caught that mistake in prototype before sending for production batch.
I'm not sure why you are not buying from E-14 Aussie? Free shipping but I guess out of stock at least until end of month.

[Reply #11 on:]

I'm not sure why you are not buying from E-14 Aussie?

I usually do, but they didn't show up on the Octopart search I just did.

I'm not sure why you are not buying from E-14 Aussie?

Trap for young players eh? Actually I just noticed its an SSOP-16 not SOIC-16. If I redesign I'll have a good look at their dimesion page

I also see it needs RC components on the inputs, the FT232R doesn't need them. Do you know why this is?

EDIT: Just searched for FT230-XS on E14, no show. They do have the XQ.

_______
Rob

[Reply #12 on:]

The Micro press release came out today

http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2012/11/08/new-arduino-micro-in-collaboration-with-adafruit-arduino-announces-the-release-of-the-new-arduino-micro-board/

I hadn't noticed the product was a collaboration with Adafruit, that puts some moxy into it

[Reply #13 on:]

What's this note: "Arduino Micro in available in preview until December 1, 2012 at the following distributors..." on the Micro's buy page?

Does it mean it will not be available anymore, and for an undetermined time after 1th of December?
I'm asking because we're about to kick-start a project that would likely be based on the Micro, but we cannot wait for months for its availability when we're done and ready for production...