Hey all. I've got some time to myself this summer and I've got a few projects floating around in the back of my mind. Before I bite the bullet and get an arduino, I have a few questions for all of you.
Namely, what hardware should I get?
Now, I have a few projects in mind, so I want to be able to program the chip (complete with bootloader) and put it into its own PCB. Microchip was kind enough to send me a few sample Atmega328 chips, so those are the chips that I will be using.
My first question: What is the best board to get started with? There are a ton of arduino clones that are a bit cheaper. There are a ton of kits that are also a bit cheaper. I am ok with a soldering iron (through-hole ONLY! I have zero experience with SMD) so I don't mind putting together a kit so long as all the components are provided.
I am a very poor college student, so things like the Solarbotics Ardweeney are quite tempting due to their 9.99 price. Or things like the Bare Bones breadboard kit from Modern Device (http://www.moderndevice.com/products/bbb-kit?utm_source=google-product-search).
Both of the devices I've listed above need to be programmed via a USB to serial cable (which is built into the real arduino boards). Can I use the cable I already have (http://www.amazon.com/Data-Cable-Nokia-3585-CA-2/dp/B000BI4HQY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1273611850&sr=8-1)
Or will I have to get one of these breakout boards? If I have to get a breakout board, then the cost for one of these barebones kits isn't so competitive anymore. Please advise!
Keep in mind that most of my projects do intend to use USB for PC communication. This is why I would love to have that cable from amazon be compatible with the arduino platform? the cables are cheap and very easy to integrate into my projects (just 3 wires!)
Next up!
What supporting hardware do I need to get an arduino up and running on its own separate from the Duemilanove board?
I know that I can use the arduino (as purchased) to flash a virgin 328, but once I've had the 328 set up what hardware is ESSENTIAL no matter what? Obviously there will be hardware dedicated to the project, but that 328 chip can't be entirely self-sustaining.
Microchip was kind enough to send me a few sample Atmega328 chips
And I thought Atmel made AVR chips? Maybe Microchip sent you a couple of dead ones to get you to move over to their dark PIC side.
I started cheap to with a RS-232 kit version of the Arduino for around $20 as when I had my PC made I had legacy serial and parallel ports added (as well as a floppy drive
For USB options, I would stay away from USB serial cables unless stated to work with the Arduino IDE. Too much hassle if driver software can't be found, or the DTR auto-reset wire not available.
As far as essential support for a standalone 328, it's not much especially if you can program the chip in a working board and just move it to your project board. You need a 16mhz crystal + 2 padding caps (or one 3 terminal 16mhz ceramic resonator), a pull-up resistor for the reset pin is recommended but in theory not required, and a couple of .1ufd bypass caps for the Vcc and Avcc pins on the 328 chip.
Microchip was kind enough to send me a few sample Atmega328 chips
Snort! Not very likely! (You probably mean "Atmel"? Microchip is sorta their arch-rival!)
My first question: What is the best board to get started with? There are a ton of arduino clones that are a bit cheaper. ... I am a very poor college student, so things like the Solarbotics Ardweeney are quite tempting due to their 9.99 price.
Well, given what you've said, I would skip the cheaper clones that don't allow you to use a socketed ATmega chip. No Seeeduino or Arduino Pro because they use SMT chips. No Ardweeney because it solders directly to the ATmega. The kits from MDC are nice. I'm "cheap" but not poor, and my initial Arduino-related order was for an MDC BBB kit, 5 BBB Bare boards, 10 pre-programmed chips, and an FTDI cable. Then again, I later came to realize that I was a bit limited by having a "non-standard" board, and ended up acquiring an official duemilanove as well. (I mean, the very first BLINK sketch "doesn't work" on a BBB, because there is no pin-13 LED...)
Can I use the cable I already have (Amazon.com...)
Or will I have to get one of these breakout boards?
What supporting hardware do I need to get an arduino up and running on its own separate from the Duemilanove board?
You need a crystal and caps (or a ceramic resonator), some bypass caps, and a pullup resistor for the RESET signal. I highly recommend some sort of PCB that implements the basic wiring and a socket; at about $5 it's worth the certainty of a working hardware design.
If speed and timing accuracy are not important you can use AVR chips with no external crystal (certainly I've used many this way, can't remember if I've used the 328 though). All that is needed is a few caps (and on a breadboard sometimes not even them because the BB capacitance is so high :))
Still, as westfw says, for $5 you might as well get a proto board to start with to remove a few variables.
I've never looked for books on the AVR, but the data sheets are readily available from Atmel.
From page 27 of the 328 spec sheet PDF.
The device is shipped with internal RC oscillator at 8.0MHz and with the fuse CKDIV8 programmed, resulting in 1.0MHz system clock. The startup time is set to maximum and time-out period enabled. (CKSEL = "0010", SUT = "10", CKDIV8 = "0"). The default setting ensures that all users can make their desired clock source setting using any available programming interface.
The chip will run just fine at 1mHz straight out of the box, by unprogramming the CKDIV8 fuse you can get it to run at 8mHz.
your right.. hahah. i dont know what i was thinking I used to get a lot of microchip samples in the mail for..idk why. i never requested samples from them but i have a box w/ like 30 pixaxes in them.
Oh Well.
@ retrolefty
Sorry, serial is out. USB is all i've got.
i just bit the bullet and ordered the official board off amazon. 31$ shipped. thats not too bad, considering other places wanted 30 + shipping.
and thanks for pointing me to wards this link! I looks promising and i will be implementing it into one of my projects
(You probably mean "Atmel"? Microchip is sorta their arch-rival!)
I used to get a lot of microchip samples in the mail for..idk why. i never requested samples from them but i have a box w/ like 30 pixaxes in them.