Hello All !
I was wanting to get started with the arduino boards, but have a quick question. Are the chips removable after they are programmed.
I was wanting to use the Diecimila as a prototype/programming board and move the chips to my own PCB
Anyway any help would be appreciated.
I haven't received my first Arduino board yet, "still waiting for that little package from SparkFun", but from what I see on all the pictures, it looks like they all have the 6 pin ISP connector on them. You'll need Atmel's in circuit programmer or a similar clone in order to use the Adurino board as a programming platform for blank chips.
David.
Take a look at the USBTinyISP at adafruit USBtinyISP AVR Programmer Kit (USB SpokePOV Dongle) [v2.0] : ID 46 : $22.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits
MikeInSandy,
Just to clarify, you can load your sketch on the Arduino using the USB connection, pull the chip, and put it in your own PCB.
MikeInSandy,
Just to clarify, you can load your sketch on the Arduino using the USB connection, pull the chip, and put it in your own PCB.
This is exactly what I wanted to know. Now the next question, is the Atmega168 a pretty versatile chip for most projects. PWM, Diode (I/O). just some basic stuff to get started with learning programming. And will it be versatile enough for slightly more advanced projects.
Anyway. Thanks for the info and help. I hope to be a part of this forum for a while.
Look through the Exhibition section of this forum and see the amazing things people have done with this little machine.
Welcome to the forum!
I think I will be ordering the Arduino Diecimila board. The replacement chips are only $4.00 ish each.
Plus the board will allow me to learn the basics.
Well gotta order the board.
when you order replacement chips, make sure they come with the bootloader unless you have/build your own programmer.
Just for clarity here I'd like to point a few things out.
The bare Atmega168 chips sold by Sparkfun do not come with the bootloader programmed.
There are two kinds of programming most commonly talked about.
First is uploading sketches via serial over USB with the Arduino Decimilla board. Super easy, all you need is the Arduino, a USB cable, and the Aduino software. This method relies on a bootloader already having been loaded on the Atmega168. You can not easily burn or replace a bootloader with this method.
Programming via a separate AVR programmer. This does not come with the Arduino. With this method you can burn anything to the Atmega168 chip including a new or replacement bootloader.
Just wanted to point that out.
Thanks for the info.
Any suggestions on a programmer to load the bootloader.
Actually I just found this
http://store.fundamentallogic.com/ecom/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=17
They are only a few cents more than the unloaded one from Digi-Key
A bunch of people sell pre-programmed Arduino chips. Your total cost is likely to be determined by who charges the least postage, especially if you're not planning on buying anything else. A likely winner for US residents is http://moderndevice.com/ (the "barebones" folks); they only charge $0.62 for shipping the $5 chip.