Doubts buying Arduino Pro Mini

Projects Programming
1

Hello, I want to buy an Arduino Pro Mini (3.3v version), but I can't find any reliable product in Amazon. I can't spend much money, around 10€/10$.

I found this Arduino https://www.amazon.es/ATmega328P-Microcontrolador-Arduino-Compatible-desarrollo/dp/B01DUSDQQ8/ref=sr_1_5?__mk_es_ES=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=arduino%2Bpro%2Bmini%2B3.3v&qid=1601830563&refinements=p_85%3A13956313031%2Cp_36%3A-1000&rnid=1323854031&rps=1&sr=8-5&th=1 in Amazon.

The problem is I have seen in the comments of this product that this chineese Arduino is programmed with Bascom, or I understant this. The part of the comment from the link I passed (trnaslated from german):

It is an Arduino board, but I only program such boards with Bascom, which works with this board without any problems. If you get the appropriate FTDI adapter and solder on a socket connector, you can plug it in and start programming. The connections were placed in exactly the right order.

This means I can't program this Arduino Pro Mini with Arduino IDE?

2

I see them all over the place on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=promini+3.3v&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

3

At the worst, you also get an AVR Programmer, put on the Arduino Bootloader, and then program it via Serial with the IDE.

Free shipping in the US on this one.
Can be used as a Programmer to install the bootloader, and then used as USB/Serial adapter for Serial downloading.

4

Even my didn’t take Spanich in High School understands this

“COMPLETO ARDUINO IDE COMPATIBLE ”

It has no USB connector so you’ll need to have/get an FTDI USB <-> Serisl adapter and sort any driver issue for that, usually not too hard.

HTH

a7

5

if you are not fixed to a certain formfactor I would recommend a Wemos D1 Mini ESP32
NOT ! a Wemos D1 mini ESP8266

the ESP32 has several advantages over the ESP8266.
The ESP8266 has only one ADC-channel

ESP32 has

  • is programmable with the arduino IDE
  • USB-to-serial-Adapter included (a part you have to buy for the Arduino Pro mini
  • multiple ADC-channels.
  • All IO-pins are attachable to an interrupt
  • all IO can do PWM
  • Wifi on board
  • Bluetooth on board
  • runs on 3.3 Volt

NodeMCU ESP32

Wemos D1 Mini ESP32

best regards Stefan

6

I have bought hundreds of counterfeit Arduino Pro Mini's from AliExpress and eBay and I have never had any issues programming them from the IDE at all. Go for it.

The problems you will run into with counterfeits is they might cheap out on the surrounding components, like the voltage regulator. So if you were planning on powering the board from a 9V power supply straight into the RAW pin, don't be surprised if it fries the arduino. To solve that problem though I just connect a proper voltage regulator circuit if I need to power the board from anything other than a USB-voltage.

I use the USBtinyISP programmer to power and flash the firmware to the Arduino Pro Mini.

7

That example is not particularly cheap. On EBay, these can be found for less than half the price (including delivery). You may have to wait a long time for the delivery, though.
A Nano may be a better choice unless you have special requirements because you don’t need a separate programmer.