Category Archives: Microcontrollers

Class Reminder: Choosing a Microcontroller (Sat 7/7 @ TechShop)

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ATtiny2313MakeController

Tomorrow I’ll be again giving my seminar called “Choosing a Microcontroller” at TechShop. This class is a broad introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.

Sign up for the class here.

If you are interested in the topic but can’t make it, you might want to take a look at our
list of resources for choosing microcontrollers.

This is the last time that this particular class will be offered in the near future. Another intro AVR class will be forthcoming, probably in August. As always, if you have other ideas for classes that are within our expertise, please let us know.

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Reminder: Upcoming classes at TechShop

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led micro-readerboard   Blinkylights1

Build your own LED Micro-Readerboard this Satuday (6/30, 1:00 PM) at TechShop. It’s a single class where you choose phrases for and solder together your own LED Micro-Readerboard. As a new option: you can choose to make yours an AlphaPOV display! This class is a fun first introduction to what you can do with a microcontroller– where you make a neat toy that you get to take home. (Kids can take this class too, assuming that you’ve already taught them to solder.) Sign up here.

A week later, “Choosing a Microcontroller” (7/7 @ 1:00 PM) is a detailed seminar on the capabilities of microcontrollers and walks you through the process of finding one for your application. Sign up here.

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Resources for getting started with AVRs

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This is a short list of resources for getting started with AVR microcontrollers. It’s intended as a supplement to intro AVR classes that we have given. We intend to periodically update this list; leave your suggestions for additions in the comments, please. (Last update: October 2012)

First of all, these GUI installers for the GNU AVR toolchain are really excellent: Two flavors for Mac and Windows:

CrossPack (Mac – recommended solution)

MHV AVR Tools (Windows – recommended solution. Also available for Linux and Mac)

On Linux and Unix-like operating systems (Macs included) you can also follow the directions given by bdmicro (330 kB PDF) for installing the components one at a time.

Almost certainly the best place to get started is at Ladyada’s AVR tutorial. It is extensive and up to date, and it will probably be kept up to date better than most of the other resources that we mention here.

A couple of other sets of instructions and reference guides:

Some notes on hardware:

A few interesting examples of AVR source code:

  • TV-B-Gone, the open-source version.
  • Gobs of other good examples at Ladyada.net
  • Procyon AVRlib by Pascal Stang. Open-source C libraries to do all kinds of things– some quite advanced.

Our own articles about and using AVR microcontrollers:

  1. An AVR-based Analog Plotbot with an E-Paper Display
  2. Quick and Dirty D to A on the AVR: A timer tutorial
  3. Fixing a bad frequency fuse bit on an AVR
  4. Resources for choosing a microcontroller
  5. Programming the Atmel ATtiny2313 in Mac OS X (only partly Mac specific– but mostly out of date. Some hints about programmers, programming, and target boards.)
  6. How to make high-tech LED decorations for the holidays
  7. LED Micro-Readerboard, version 2.0
  8. LED Micro-Readerboard, version 2.0: FAQ File (with hints about programming)
  9. Instructables: Micro-Readerboard Build
  10. Using AVR microcontrollers: Minimalist target boards
  11. The Adafruit Industries USBtinyISP kit
  12. Using an ADXL330 accelerometer with an AVR microcontroller
  13. AlphaPOV: An alphanumeric persistence of vision display
  14. MiniPOV Cylon firmware
  15. Make a Robotic Snap-O-Lantern!
  16. Peggy, A Light Emitting Pegboard Display
  17. Solid freeform fabrication: DIY, on the cheap, and made of pure sugar
  18. Meggy Jr RGB
  19. POV Lissajous figures
  20. Resurrecting Tennis for Two
  21. Business card breakout boards for ATmega48/88/168/328
  22. Scariest Jack-o’-Lantern of 2008
  23. Simple Solar Circuits
  24. The Mignonette
  25. Peggy 2.0
  26. Single Sided Circuit Board with an ATtiny2313
  27. Business card breakout boards for ATtiny2313
  28. Basics: Serial communication with AVR microcontrollers
  29. Giant 7-segment displays
  30. Deluxe LED Menorah
  31. The Larson Scanner
  32. The Rovin Pumpkin
  33. The Bulbdial Clock
  34. Using an ADXL335 accelerometer with an AVR microcontroller
  35. Mac Sleep Light Pumpkin
  36. Octolively Interactive LED panels
  37. ISP Shield for Arduino
  38. Reading and writing flash contents
  39. Sharing target boards
  40. On the design of the Bulbdial clock
  41. Diavolino
  42. Interactive Game of Life Exhibit
  43. Say Hello to xmega
  44. Blink an LED with an AVR
  45. The Art Controller
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Using AVR microcontrollers: Minimalist target boards

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USBtinyISP and simple target

This is a quick how-to guide on making ultra-simple development boards for programming AVR microcontrollers. Most recent-vintage AVRs can be programmed through an ISP (in-system programmer) connection; all that is really needed is a place for the chip to sit and a way to connect to the programmer.

That’s where these minimalist AVR “target boards” come in. These little boards cost only about $2 and take only a few minutes to make.

It turns out that I build a lot of these because asking “how do you make a circuit to program the AVR?” is really the same as asking how you can program an AVR that is in a circuit. And, we might as well start with a simple circuit.
Continue reading Using AVR microcontrollers: Minimalist target boards →

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The Adafruit Industries USBtinyISP kit

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USBtinyISP, assembled

This week I’ve been trying out a new low-cost AVR programmer from Adafruit Industries, and it looks like a winner. The USBtinyISP AVR Programmer is an open-source, USB, in-system programmer (ISP) that you can get as a kit for $22. The design is simple, straightforward and fairly easy to assemble. It also manages to incorporate a couple of important features that I have found to be missing from the low-end USB AVR programmer from Atmel, the AVRISP MkII, while coming in at only half the price.

Continue reading The Adafruit Industries USBtinyISP kit →

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Learn about microcontrollers at TechShop

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Coming up real soon now: Three microcontroller-oriented classes, on Saturday afternoons at TechShop, at different levels of skill and with different emphases:

 

 

  • Sat. June 9, 1:00 PM: Make a Micro Readerboard
  • Sat. June 16, 1:00 PM: Introduction to AVR Microcontrollers
  • Sat. July 7, 1:00 PM: Choosing a Microcontroller

The classes are held at TechShop, a San Francisco Bay Area “open-access public workshop,” located just off of 101 in Menlo Park, where you can go use a wide range of tools to make things, and take all kinds of classes.
   
Make a custom LED Micro-Readerboard

Next Saturday, June 9, I’ll be giving a fun little class, suitable for anyone with a bit of soldering experience (even youngsters), where you can customize the phrases in and assemble an LED Micro-Readerboard. It’s a cute little thing that spells out a preprogrammed messages (e.g., your name), one letter at a time, on a single-character alphanumeric display. These are much like the ones that we programmed to be holiday ornaments a few months ago, but these are actually extra-spiffy version 2.0 micro-readerboards with higher brightness and better battery life. And, if you take the class, you get to choose what messages to put on your readerboard and take it home. It’s a neat, self-contained project that’s a great example of what you can do with a little AVR microcontroller.

(UPDATE: Second class added on June 30, also at 1:00 PM.)

And speaking of AVR Microcontrollers….

 

ATtiny2313

Introduction to AVR Microcontrollers

Saturday, June 16, 1:00 PM

You may have noticed that a number of our interesting projects are based around AVR microcontrollers. AVR microcontrollers are powerful and inexpensive single-chip computers that are available in a wide range of sizes. They also happen to be remarkably easy to program in C, using entirely free and open-source tools that run on Macs, Windows, and Unix-like operating systems. In this practical introduction to AVR microcontrollers, we’ll take it from the beginning so that you can go home and use AVRs for your own cool projects. Some topics to be covered include: different types of AVRs and how to pick one, what kinds of programmer you should get, how to install the software tools, how to get started actually programming them, and how to download and run your code on the microcontroller.

Choosing a microcontroller

Finally, on July 7, I’ll be giving a repeat of this introductory microcontroller class, called Choosing a Microcontroller. This large-format seminar is designed to be a broad introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.

Sign up for these and other TechShop classes here.

(By the way, it’s hard to tell what types of things people want to learn about. So, if you have suggestions for other classes that you’d like to see taught by the Evil Mad Scientists, you can E-mail us or leave comments here or in the forums.)

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Reminder: Intro microcontroller class tomorrow (Saturday)

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Reminder: This Saturday, April 21, I’ll be giving a seminar at TechShop that’s an introduction to microcontrollers, called Choosing a Microcontroller. This is designed to be an introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.
Sign up for this and other TechShop classes here!

[Related: EvilMadScientist Microcontroller Projects]

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Resources for choosing a microcontroller

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ATtiny2313 I’ve put together a short list (after the jump) of some potentially useful resources that may be of help in choosing a microcontroller for your project, or just getting started with microcontrollers in general. I plan to add to this list from time to time. If you have other suggested resources to add to the list, please feel free to leave them in the comments here– good suggestions may be incorporated into future revisions of the list.

Continue reading Resources for choosing a microcontroller →

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Learn how to make cool things at TechShop

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This spring, I’ll be teaching several classes on Saturday afternoons at TechShop. TechShop is a San Francisco Bay Area “open-access public workshop,” located just off of 101 in Menlo Park, where you can go use a wide range of tools to make things. They have full-size milling machines and lathes, welding and rapid-prototyping equipment, Lego, sewing machines, computers, and well… just look at this list of equipment. (Seriously.)

One of the things that TechShop does is hold classes on a variety of topics. These are inexpensive (typically ~$30) drop-in classes that anyone can take without a long-term commitment. Many of them are short “safety and basic usage” classes that teach you what a given machine can do– and how to do it without killing yourself. Other classes teach simple and specialized skills like soldering for kids, blacksmithing, or silk screen printing. I’ll be teaching three (or four, depending how you count) classes, each of which will be held on a Saturday afternoon at Techshop.

Technical Graphics with POV-Ray

The first class is called “Technical Graphics with POV-Ray,” and is a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to use POV-Ray, a free cross-platform raytracing program that lets you make killer 3D graphics and animations. You can see some example images that I’ve made in POV-Ray (including the TechShop logo above) here, and master works in the POV-Ray hall of fame here. This is a two-part workshop with part 1 on 3/31/07, 1-3 PM, and part II on 4/7/07, also 1-3 PM.

Make a custom LED Micro-Readerboard

On April 14, I’ll be teaching a little soldering class, suitable for anyone with a little bit of soldering experience (well, anyone whose age takes at least two digits to express in base-10 integers), where you can customize the phrases in and assemble an LED Micro-Readerboard, like the ones that we programmed to be ornaments a few months ago. But, since it’s not the holiday season, perhaps you want to make yours into an LED Micro-Readerboard Nametag instead!

Choosing a microcontroller

Finally, on April 21, I’ll be giving a large-format seminar that’s an introduction to microcontrollers, called Choosing a Microcontroller. This is designed to be an introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.

Sign up for these and other TechShop classes here. Sign up early, since space may be limited!

Also, if you have suggestions for other classes that you’d like to see taught by the Evil Mad Scientists, you can E-mail us or leave comments here.

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