I'm new to the Arduino forum, so I hope this is the right place to ask these questions. If not, forgive me...
I want to build my own Arduino and wave shield to use in my project. I can get all the parts, but I need to know is will I need to program a bootloader onto the ATMega chip or is it already there when I purchase the chip?
Also, will a bootloader be necessary for any of the other chips needed for either board?
yes you will need to have the bootloder on the chip, chips from parts house A are totally blank and have default fuse settings (which is inappropriate for arduino use)
you can buy them pre-flashed OR if you already have an arduino and 4 wires you can flash your own (along with the fuses but thats taken care of with the IDE)
According to the article under FAQ's about creating my own single sided board, it says I would essentially be making a Arduino Diecimila, would it be compatible in all respects to a Duemilanove board? And could I still use the wave shield?
As for the bootloader, where can I can a preloaded chip? Will the wave shield also need a bootloader?