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An awful lot of microcontroller projects use timers to repeat an action every few minutes, hours, or days. While these timers can be as accurate as a cheap digital wrist watch, there are times when you need a microcontroller’s timer to measure exactly, losing no more than a few milliseconds a day. It’s not very hard [...]

Tags:  avr microcontroller accurate microcontroller-projects milliseconds wrist-watch microcontrollers  

Here’s an interesting tip that can help improve your ability to write assembly code. In an effort to remove the complexity of assembly code for an AVR project [Quinn Dunki] figured out how to use macros when writing AVR code with the GNU toolchain. Anyone using AVR-GCC should keep this in mind if they ever [...]

Tags:  code assembly avr gnu-toolchain quinn-dunki macro-assembly microcontrollers  

[Steve] created an AVR programmer using an old USB keyboard. We feature a bunch of AVR programmers, but this one is made from parts that many people will have lying around. There are two components: the controller PCB from a USB keyboard, and an optocoupler for emulating key presses. In order to send data to [...]

Tags:  keyboard usb avr steve avr-programmers avr-programmer optocoupler microcontrollers  

When hurricane Sandy blew through [Leonidas]‘ town, it left a surprise that would be perfect for sprucing up any dorm room. It was a traffic light, torn from its place above an intersection. Not one to say, call the city and tell them where their light is, [Leonidas] decided to build a controller for this [...]

Tags:  leonidas avr traffic sandy control-electronics traffic-light led hacks  

[Stu] has a teenage niece whose birthday is coming up and he wanted to give her something unique as a gift. He’s working on an LED matrix pendant that can display pixel graphics, play animations, and scroll messages. He began the work after drawing inspiration from the TinyMatrix project. That clever design uses a DIP [...]

Tags:  tinymatrix avr pic stu teenage-niece pixel-graphics clever-design led hacks  

[blueHash] uses this cheap development board as an AVR programmer. What’s interesting to us is that it solves the chicken-or-egg problem that is usually encountered when bootstrapping a programmer. We’ve written about this issue before. Most programmers use microcontrollers, which first need to be flashed using a programmer. But it turns out the chip on [...]

Tags:  programmer bluehash avr egg-problem microcontrollers microcontrollers  

Every AVR microcontroller, from the ATtiny in your thermostat to the ATMega in your Arduino, stores its configuration in a series of fuse bits. These fuse bits control settings such as the multiplier of the internal oscillator (and thus the speed of the chip), or if the reset pin can be used as a GPIO [...]

Tags:  fuse avr microcontroller avr-microcontroller internal-oscillator reset-pin microcontrollers  

AVR programmers can be bought for just a few dollars on the Internet, but if you’re building an expansion board with an AVR for your Raspi, this is the build for you. It’s a safe way of programming an AVR via the Raspi’s GPIO pins that uses an extremely minimal circuit. The AVR ISP interface [...]

Tags:  raspberry raspi avr avr-programmer avr-isp gpio microcontrollers  

[Minifloat] is using his TI Launchpad development board as an In-System Programmer for AVR chips (translated). There are a ton of homebrew AVR programmers out there, and using an Arduino for ISP is quite popular. But recently we searched for a way to use the Launchpad as a programmer and didn’t find one. We’d venture [...]

Tags:  launchpad programmer avr avr-programmers isp-programmer system-programmer microcontrollers  

Falling on the heels of some fabulous ’lets see what we can emulate on an AVR’ builds we’ve seen, [Dimitri] emulated an ARM Cortex-M0 on an 8-pin ATtiny85. The emulator is written entirely in AVR assembly. Unfortunately, the instruction set of ATtinys don’t have a multiply instruction, so that had to emulated in a separate piece of code. Even [...]

Tags:  ARM instruction avr dimitri cortex attiny hacks  

[vinod] wanted to familiarize himself with AVR assembly programming, but wanted to do something a little more ambitious than simply blinking an LED. While the completed build does blink a few LEDs, we love that e decided to implement multitasking on his microcontroller. The program [vinod] came up with uses round robin scheduling to give one of [...]

Tags:  vinod assembly avr assembly-programming multitasking microcontrollers  

[Kayvon] thought that the TV-B-Gone was a fun little device and wanted to build one, but he didn’t have an AVR programmer handy. Rather than picking up some AVR kit and simply building a replica, he decided to give his PIC skills a workout and build a Microchip derivative of his own. The PIC-based TV-B-Gone [...]

Tags:  avr pic tv-b-gone avr-kit avr-programmer microchip microcontrollers  

I2C as many of you know, is a simple serial interface for many peripheral devices to micro controllers, but it can quickly become confusing to people who may not be accustom to it. Because of that, I2C tutorials are always welcome, and this new tutorial by [Embedds] does an excellent job of how to use [...]

Tags:  serial avr Programming c-interface serial-interface micro-controllers peripheral-devices arduino hacks  

[Quinn] over at Blondihacks has been working with AVR microcontrollers a lot recently, and wanted a quick way to program the ATtiny13a (her current AVR of choice) while the chip is still seated in a breadboard. To speed up code revision and testing, she built a small programming header that she calls the Bread Head. [...]

Tags:  head avr bread bread-head avr-microcontrollers code-revision microcontrollers  

[Clifford Wolf] wrote in to let us know about a project he recently completed called EmbedVM. It’s a virtual machine for AVR microcontrollers. The package has a relatively small overhead, taking up about 3kB of program memory. The VM can execute 74,000 instructions per second, and runs asynchronously from the microcontroller. As [Clifford] demonstrates in [...]

Tags:  avr machine virtual clifford clifford-wolf avr-microcontrollers program-memory microcontrollers  

[jethomson] sent in a build he’s been working on that turns an inexpensive AVR programmer into a development board. The build is based on the very affordable USBasp programmer that’s based on an ATmega8. With hundreds of these boards available from China for less than a Hamilton, we’re wondering how soon it will be before [...]

Tags:  board programmer avr hamilton china avr-programmer atmega8 Hardware  

Feeling a bit left out because he didn’t have a PICAXE on hand, [Rob Miles] decided to port the Luna Mod code so that it would work on an AVR chip. He chose to build his around an ATtiny45, but also mentions that this is Arduino compatible. This case layout is a bit different from [...]

Tags:  arduino avr bit luna-mod rob-miles avr-chip picaxe mod-code musical hacks  

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an AVR microcontroller with USB device support built in so you would not need a separate programmer or serial link? Well in fact there are quite a few of them, and this awesome tutorial (google translate) is a quick and easy crash course in using the ATMega 16/32U4 [...]

Tags:  chip usb avr avr-microcontroller awesome-tutorial chip-usb Hardware  

Here’s a new option for building your own AVR programmer. It’s called the MkII Slim and the diminutive size makes it live up to its name. The design is rather spartan, using just three chips; a voltage regulator, a MAX3002 level converter, and an Atmel AT90USB162 as the main microcontroller. This chip has a built-in [...]

Tags:  programmer mkii avr level-converter diminutive-size voltage-regulator microcontrollers  

We have seen a few very nice and polished AVR based projects from [Manekinen] over the last few years. Now he has just finished his latest project, the µProg, a super tiny complete AVR programmer with a bunch of features. The µProg completely eliminates the need for a computer to program your embedded AVR chips. [...]

Tags:  programmer avr prog avr-programmer chips Hardware  

A few years ago, [Beth] came up with the idea of using an AVR as an RFID tag. She’s gotten sidetracked with a few other projects in the meantime but her idea has surfaced again, this time as a duct tape RFID tag. The build is just four components: 0.1 µF and 1 nF capacitors, [...]

Tags:  tag avr rfid beth rfid-tag capacitors duct-tape microcontrollers  

Serial communication is still an important part of our embedded world. Typically we use a 3 wire setup (RX TX and GROUND) and hope that everything goes according to plan. Though this works for most experimenters, sometimes its not the most ideal situation.  This is where [simmonmt's] handiwork comes in adding hardware handshaking to a [...]

Tags:  Hardware avr handshaking hardware-handshaking serial-communication experimenters peripherals hacks  

[Kevan] has been hard at work latley developing a Gameboy cart dumper, and while there are a few loose ends to tie up, the device is functioning fine to build up his collection. Running an AVR (mega 16?) and a FTDI chip for the usb connection, the device reads the game’s ROM and SRAM, and [...]

Tags:  dumper avr gameboy kevan usb-connection hacks  

The latest project from Lucidscience.com is a simple AVR based GPS tracker. As usual, the instructions here are quite in-depth including schematics and step by step procedures all the way down to modifying cables when necessary. What we found interesting is that the GPS module he’s using is so simple. It only requires 3 wires, one for [...]

Tags:  gps tracker avr gps-tracker gps-module schematics hacks  

Okay, now we’re beginning to feel a bit like [Alice]. This tutorial shows you how to simulate VHDL code. This code is intended to run on an FPGA and includes a software-only version of the AVR 8-bit microcontroller core. Essentially, you’ll simulate VHDL code that simulates AVR hardware. Wrap your mind around that! The code [...]

Tags:  code avr vhdl alice fpga microcontrollers  

AVR chips are convenient because you can program them in circuit at their operating voltage. That is, unless you screw up the fuse settings and they’ll no longer listen to an In System Programmer. If you find yourself facing this problem, just build this circuit on a breadboard and ‘unbrick’ by holding down the button. [...]

Tags:  breadboard circuit avr system-programmer fuse microcontrollers  

[Q] wrote in to let us know about the AVR-Guide he’s been working on. It looks like he’s finished posting about 80% of the content he planned for in his initial draft outline. We read through several of the sections and found them to be concise, yet able to present information in a way that’s [...]

Tags:  guide avr-guide avr avr-microcontrollers draft-outline initial-draft microcontrollers  

Unfortunately [manekinen] wrecked a couple of AVRs during his tinkering. Not letting this get him down he decided to blow them up to see what would happen. In exchange for their precious magic smoke the AVRs revealed a good portion of their silicon die. While the details are a little sparse it seems like he hooked them up to a [...]

Tags:  exploding avr avrs magic-smoke silicon microcontrollers  

Here’s a nice little discussion about reading and writing AVR flash memory that [Windel] put together. He’s using an In System Programmer to read the flash memory from an ATmega328 using AVRdude, the programming software which we used in our AVR Programming Tutorials. He covers the particulars of the commands, how this might be useful, [...]

Tags:  memory avr Programming avr-programming system-programmer flash-memory microcontrollers  

Giving a programmer is a great way to get people started in microcontrollers so If you want a cheap simple AVR programmer this might just be what you’re looking for. It combines the V-USB firmware, USBtiny software, a few resistors, and some zener diodes. An interesting trick using this programmer is if your trying to program another 8 pin ATtiny you [...]

Tags:  isp programmer avr zener-diodes usb-firmware avr-isp microcontrollers  

[Jeff Keyzer] has a new version of the HV Rescue Shield available. This tool allows you to use an Arduino to reset the fuse bits on AVR microcontrollers. This is necessary if you make a mistake and disable the reset pin, or choose the incorrect clock settings (this will probably happen to you at some [...]

Tags:  avr shield rescue jeff-keyzer clock-settings reset-pin arduino hacks  

[Lucidscience] is back again, this time showing us how to push data to a VGA monitor from your AVR project.  It turns out that it is pretty simple, requiring only n open port and a few resistors and diodes. Well, it is that simple for the most basic version which gives you 56×60 pixels. Of [...]

Tags:  vga lucidscience avr avr-microcontrollers vga-monitor diodes microcontrollers  

Welcome back to this fourth and final installment of the series. The first three parts should have been enough to get you off the ground, but a few more learning examples wouldn’t hurt. It’s also a good time to discuss some of the other things these little chips can do. Join me after the break [...]

Tags:  code avr Programming good-time chips how-to  

In the last installment of our tutorial series we built a simple circuit on a breadboard and programmed an ATmega168 to make it run. That proves that you know how to follow directions, but the eureka moments of doing everything yourself are on the way. This time around you will get down and dirty with [...]

Tags:  code avr Programming breadboard how-to-follow-directions microcontrollers  

You may be able to write the most eloquent code in the history of embedded systems but without a way to run it on the hardware it will be worthless. In this installment of the tutorial series we will: Look at some of the available AVR programmer options Place the microcontroller on a breadboard and [...]

Tags:  Hardware avr Programming avr-programmer breadboard microcontroller microcontrollers  

We love looking at hardcore electronics projects with a beefy microcontroller and hundreds, if not thousands, of lines of code at its center. But everyone needs to get there somehow. This tutorial series aims to make you comfortable programming the Atmel AVR line of microcontrollers. Whether you’ve never touched a microcontroller before, or you’ve cut [...]

Tags:  avr Programming microcontroller atmel-avr electronics-projects microcontrollers  

[Vassilis Papanikolaou] took a good thing and made it better with some design upgrades to this AVR based signal generator. We looked at version 1.0 of this tool back in 2006 and since then it saw an upgrade to 2.0. But [Vassilis] wanted to take things one step further, with a compact single-sided PCB. What [...]

Tags:  signal generator avr sided-pcb design-upgrades signal-generator tool hacks  

Microcontroller interrupts are one of the big tools in our embedded programming arsenal. They make the chip listen for particular events, and once detected they stop what they’re doing and run a separate set of code called and Interrupt Service Routine. We’ve come across two fairly new tutorials on the subject that you should check [...]

Tags:  beginner avr concepts programming-arsenal service-routine microcontroller microcontrollers  

This time-lapse photo trigger was built [Lukasz Goralczyk]. It is controlled by an ATmega168 and we were surprised to read that it uses about 12k of code. Curious about what takes up that much space, we were impressed to see all the features demonstrated in the video after the break. The small device, running on [...]

Tags:  photo avr full-featured time-lapse-photo digital cameras hacks  

Cats and dogs can get along quite nicely when they are raised up together. The problem with this type of arrangement tends to be keeping dogs out of the cat box and away from the cat food. [Ryan Meuth] tried out a simple electronic barrier to keep the dog away. It uses an IR transmitter [...]

Tags:  guardian avr cat ryan-meuth keeping-dogs cats-and-dogs dogs-cats home hacks  

As far as pranks go, [Austin Shaf's] wireless hidden water gun is a real treat. The video above goes over a brief explanation and shows the setup in action. The prankster holds onto a wireless AVR remote, and when the unsuspecting victim walks by, he activates a second AVR controlling a pump; spraying water everywhere. [...]

Tags:  gun avr water austin hidden-water shaf unsuspecting-victim misc hacks  

We love our AVR Dragon programmer but it can be nice to have a cheap and simple in system programmer on hand too. The USBasp is one such programmer that uses and ATmega8 as its only IC. It requires just a handful of components and can be purchased as a kit, or etched and assembled [...]

Tags:  usbasp programmer avr avr-programmer system-programmer atmega8 tool hacks  

If you’ve ever spent time working with AVR microcontrollers you’ve probably set the fuse bits incorrectly at least once. The ATmega fusebit doctor will automatically repair the fuse bits and get you back in business until your next mishap. The ATmega8 that powers the device has the chip signatures for the ATmega family stored inside [...]

Tags:  fuse avr atmega atmega8 microcontrollers mishap tool hacks  

Whether you’re burning a new bootloader to an Arduino board, or doing away with a bootloader to flash Atmel chips directly, an in-system programmer (ISP) is an indispensable tool for working with AVR microcontrollers. If cost has held you back, it’s no longer an excuse: FabISP is a barebones USB-based AVR programmer that can be pieced together [...]

Tags:  bootloader programmer avr atmel-chips avr-programmer system-programmer classic hacks  

[Sprite_tm] dusted off his assembly skills and managed to emulate a Z80 computer using an AVR ATmega88. He’s using an SD card in place of the floppy and a 128 KB DRAM chip to handle the memory for the emulated machine. An FT232 board gives him terminal access which he uses for input and display. [...]

Tags:  avr chip computer avr-chip dram-chip assembly-skills classic hacks  

If you think that Arduinos are overkill in most projects we can do one better for you. [Jack Gassett] has a virtual Arduino running on a Field Programmable Gate Array. We checked in with [Jack] back in November to see his work with the AVR8 Soft Processor, an FPGA version of an AVR chip. Because [...]

Tags:  fpga arduino avr jack-gassett jack programmable-gate-array field-programmable-gate-array avr-chip hacks  

This project, by an unknown hacker, patches into an electric typewriter and uses it as a Teletype. An AVR ATmega168 microcontroller patches into the key matrix of the typewriter which allows it to artificially type. Now, data can be sent over a serial connection to the AVR for output on the typewriter. We’re not quite sure [...]

Tags:  teletype typewriter avr teletype-machine electric-typewriter serial-connection classic hacks  

[Rossum] is at it again. This time, he has created a super tiny media device to get us drooling. You might recall him from the 8-bit device we showed you before. The Nanotouch is roughly the dimensions of a 96×64 OLED screen(slightly larger than a quarter), with about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch of [...]

Tags:  nanotouch device avr classic hacks