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[on:]

Have any of you guys used this: http://pjrc.com/store/teensy.html

Is it any good?  I think it should be perfect for what I need.... As far as I can tell, it's compatable with the Arduino software, and it says it has "25 I/O, 12 analogue, and 7 PWM" pins.  And I need 21 digital I/O, and 1 analogue in.  So should be perfect.....

Am I missing anything here?  Or is this really exactly what I need.

EDIT:: I'm looking for something to control 6 buttons, and 5 RGB LED's, and a mic.  One button controls all 5 LEDS, and the other 5 control 1 LED each.  So you can change the colors of all of them at once, or individually.  The mic can be turned on or off, to make the LEDS flash in time to the beat of music.

[Reply #1 on:]

As you don't say what you want it is hard to say if it is what you need.

[Reply #2 on:]

Something to control 6 buttons, and 5 RGB LED's, and a mic.  One button controls all 5 LEDS, and the other 5 control 1 LED each.  So you can change the colors of all of them at once, or individually.  The mic can be turned on or off, to make the LEDS flash in time to the beat of music.

EDIT:: My bad for not posting that right off the bat, I saw it and got excited.  Been fighting with it for AGES trying to build my own little circuit board.....

[Reply #3 on:]

If you are looking for a very small arduino compatible board, search for: arduCHIP or arduSTAMP in this forum. They are cool if you are familiar with Arduino.

[Reply #4 on:]

ArduSTAMP and ArduCHIP are more expensive then these Teensys....

[Reply #5 on:]

Yep, can't compete with mass production.

[Reply #6 on:]

Hi, Also think about the Nano and the ProMini:

http://arduino-direct.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=84  NANO: Has it's own USB, 328 chip, nice plugged into a mini breadboard...

http://arduino-direct.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=107 Pro-Mini: Separate USB interface, 168 Chip. Even smaller.

DISCLAIMER: Mentioned stuff from my own shop...

My pages link to info on Arduino site, ProMini Users manual...

[Reply #7 on:]

Re- Teensy: Very cute! But!... while they say it is "breadboard friendly", the pins across the "vertical" edge of the board, and the ones not on the edges would be mild pains.

I'm also nervous when they are so careful to avoid saying "Arduino compatible".

But impressed by the tiny form factor, and that they seem to include the USB hardware in it.

ALTERNATIVELY....

For a small Arduino clone that is a joy to use and inexpensive ($12 for 1, $10 if you buy 5... I'll take three of them, if "as new" and you later decide you don't like it), there's the RBBB from ModernDevice (with whom I have no affiliation)

Lower of the two in the illustrations at...

http://www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/ele1psa.htm

That's in kit form, but there are no SMT components to deal with. Assembly is easy.

You WILL need a "programming cable" or an ordinary cable plus a "BUB"... but that's "the way to go", anyway. Details at....

http://www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/ele1psac.htm

[Reply #8 on:]

I STRONGLY recommend the teensy and teensy++.   I've yet to find anything I wrote for it in the Arduino IDE that didn't work on the first go.  

It is essentially a TINY arduino Leonardo when it comes to hardware.  The software he wrote to upload the boot loader is exceptionally well written, and I buy these things 3-5 at a time with no fear of hitting its limitations.  

Enjoy!

[Reply #9 on:]

I don't need it to be breadboard friendly, I just need it for a final version.

[Reply #10 on:]

Re...

software he wrote to upload the boot loader

For the innocent... is there an idiot's guide to how we do this somewhere?

Apart from the "coolness" factor of being slightly smaller than the RBBB... Oh! And the built in USB circuits, if you are going to be keeping it connected to a "big" PC (in which case why is being small good?) I don't see how this "beats" the less expensive (if you discount just a LITTLE of your time, for a quick and easy solder-up... which you can offset against the "upload the boot loader" chore) RBBB?

(Apologies if it seems I'm engaging in a "Mac vs PC" flame war... just interested in knowing the pros and cons. Yes, of course, I'm always delighted to learn that there's another alternative out there!)

[Reply #11 on:]

For the innocent... is there an idiot's guide to how we do this somewhere?

Yup:
http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/td_download.html

I own MANY of Paul's BBBs and RBBBs.  We've talked at reasonable length about how much I use the BBB in particular.  It's the board in my best selling personal design, in fact.

That said, I use a Teensy when:

• Space is a concern, but 5v power is easy to find.
• I'm making something portable / wearable.
• I need to update the sketch regularly. The USB transfer is LIGHTNING fast, uploading most sketches before I notice it's started.
• I'm sending something out in the world that will likely need a firmware update and don't want to sell the FTDI adapter (a hidden cost of any board without USB)
• I'm writing the code from scratch and can work around the (very few, and soon to be none because of the Leonardo) quirks of writing for the ATMEGA32U4

I use a BBB (or RBBB) when:

• I want the pins broken out along one edge for easy stripboard prototyping (BBB).
• I only have 6-36v power handy and need to power my device with that. I use these: http://www.murata-ps.com/data/meters/dms-78xxsr.pdf LOVE THEM.
• I don't want an LED AT ALL on the board.
• I am wanting the likely placebo like effect of throwing that 15uH inductor on the board because I'm doing ADC reads and think it might help. (BBB)
• I think I will want the ability to quickly change out the chip because I'm attempting something that I secretly feel is unwise and will smoke a port.

Paul and Robin (Teensy folks) are ABSURDLY fast at shipping and when you get the Teensy, it comes with a great glossy card with one side showing you the basic AVR pin assignments and the other showing the Teensyduino port assignments.

Final bit is that when it comes to being breadboard friendly, the Teensy is still 98% fantastic because only +5, GND,RST and A11 are on the end of the board.  MOST people can make do with 10 ADCs, will be happy to use the reset button on the top of the board while breadboarding, and +5 and GND are also to be found on the sides of the board.

[Reply #12 on:]

If you're just after standalone small (no USB), there's the Mini-uino PCBs I made up also, see the link in my signature, for a bare minimum arduino clone.
No USB, no regulator, just the '328, crystal, caps, reset pullup resistor, and the IO pins with a ground for each one.

[Reply #13 on:]

here's a picture of one of Crossroads mini-uino boards compared to a regular uno. You do have to assemble it yourself, but it's only a few components. (click for fullsize)

[Reply #14 on:]

That's odd, they look so much smaller sitting by themselves on my desk!