Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The microcontroller on the Arduino board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring and C) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). This combination of tools have made it a very easy to use platform for all kinds of experimenters to create many kinds of project hacks and even commercial products. Why the Arduino Won and Why It’s Here to Stay article gives you idea why the platform is so popular. Arduino and it’s tool-set started with 8-bit Atmel microcontrollers, but nowdays the tools can also be used to program also ARM based microcontrollers.
Every now and then different sources show another “Arduino-like platform”. Here are pointers to some most interesting looking new Arduino platforms (look interesting but I have not had change to personally test any of them):
EDN magazine article Coin-sized Arduino-compatible computer with Bluetooth LE wirelessly connects to smartphones, tablets tells that about the world’s first ‘Arduino’ compatible open-source micro-computer that can communicate wirelessly with any Bluetooth® v4.0 compatible smartphone or tablet. This ‘RFduino’ is based on nRF51822′s powerful on-board 32-bit ARM Cortex M0-based processor. Open Source RF claims that the overriding focus of the RFduino is on building new wireless applications. The RFduino can be powered by anything from household outlets down to a regular CR2032 coin cell (watch) battery. The RFduino 7 GPIO lines all support, Digital IO, Analog ADC, SPI, I2C, UART and PWM. The RFduino is similar to the Arduino UNO or DUE, except the RFduino is a fraction of the cost and size, in addition has wireless smartphone connectivity built-in! There are several open-source RFduino and iPhone apps which are free to use, extend, and share.
The JeeNode is a small wireless board with an 8-bit Atmel RISC microprocessor. JeeNodes are compatible with the Arduino platform and can be programmed under Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux using sketches created with the Arduino IDE. Kits include the ISM-band 868 MHz radio module as used in Europe for short range wireless communications.
The PICnDuino Review page tells about PICnDuino board. The PICnDuino is an Open Source dual microcontroller development platform built into a tiny direct to USB device. It is compatible with both Arduino (Atmega 328P) and Amicus18 (PIC18F25K20). The PICnDuino provides a fantastic opportunity to learn two programming languages in one device (Arduino which is C and Amicus18 which is Basic). You just plug it in to USB and start coding. The board has LEDss onboard and had bread-board friendly format.
CuteUino: Only use the parts of the Arduino that you need for each project article tells of a new small version of the Arduino that has a fitting within the outline of an SD card. In this design the Arduino platform is broken it up into several modules (that you can stack on top of each other) so you can choose only the components that you need for the project. For more details check Prototyping The CuteUino web page.
212 Comments
Daniel says:
Don’t forget about panStamps:
http://www.panstamp.com/products/wirelessarduino
tomi says:
Your comment on panStamps was a nice addition to the list.
You comment was the first time I head this interesting looking platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adding Wi-Fi to DIY Projects Takes Seconds with The Spark Core
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Computer_Peripherals/Communication_Peripherals/Adding_Wi-Fi_to_DIY_Projects_Takes_Seconds_with_The_Spark_Core.aspx
This simple solution allows firmware to be updated wirelessly through mobile devices
The Spark Core makes adding Wi-Fi to DIY projects devilishly easy; the device sets up in seconds and can be programmed wirelessly. Traditional solutions are expensive and difficult to work with, requiring a specific Arduino shield often the size of the Arduino itself, and updating the code necessitates a micro USB connected to a local computer. With the Spark Core, you can finally feel like you’re living in the 21st century as all this can be done wirelessly.
The device combines the simplicity of an Arduino with the power of an ARM Cortex M3 chip, the best Wi-Fi module available (CC3000), cloud computing, and a REST API to create a flexible development that integrates the Internet into your projects. The Spark can be used to craft solar-powered wireless cameras, Wi-Fi controlled RC cars, wireless motion detectors, or whatever your imagination conjures up.
The Spark Core is programmed using Wiring, the scripting language shared with the entire Arduino platform.
All firmware and hardware design files will be open source, permitting free integration into any derivative projects. Additionally, the Spark Core uses open standards such as HTTP, TCP, TLS/SSL, and protocol buffers for communications.
The Spark Core’s Kickstarter campaign launched on May 2 and has overtaken its crowd-funding goal by 1,948%. To find all the latest updates, visit the Spark Core’s Kickstarter page.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spark Core: Wi-Fi for Everything (Arduino Compatible)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sparkdevices/spark-core-wi-fi-for-everything-arduino-compatible?ref=category
A tiny Wi-Fi development board. Arduino + Wi-Fi + ARM Cortex M3 + wireless programming + REST API = awesome.
How does Smart Config work?
To create the best user experience possible, TI created Smart Config — a one-step and one-time process used to connect the hardware devices enabled by the CC3000 (like the Spark Core) to a Wi-Fi network. Just connect your Wi-Fi enabled phone or tablet to your access point, then enter your network’s password into the Spark App, and the setup process completes in less than thirty seconds. This is entirely unique in the current world of Wi-Fi modules that require multiple steps — including jumping between permanent and ad hoc Wi-Fi networks — to configure a device onto a network. Smart Config leverages the standard mechanisms present in Wi-Fi to configure the device on the fly, regardless of whether a user interface is available.
Arduino Yún has WiFi connectivity and Linux « Tomi Engdahl’s ePanorama blog says:
[...] There are now many Arduino compatible platforms with wireless connectivity as you can see in my New interesting Arduino platforms article and it’s comment. Also Google has done some Arduino based [...]
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino-based development kits for cloud-based M2M apps include GSM chip and M2M SIM card
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4417485/Arduino-based-development-kits-for-cloud-based-M2M-apps-include-GSM-chip-and-M2M-SIM-card
Deutsche Telekom is officially launching its M2M development kits for programmers looking to develop cloud-based machine-to-machine applications. The development kits consist of an Arduino or a Cinterion board with a GSM chip, a SIM card, and access to the M2M Developer Platform.
The launch will coincide with the relaunch of the M2M Developer Community, a portal for developing M2M products, solutions, and services. The portal also offers a procedural model illustrating steps during the development of M2M applications – from initial idea, requirements analysis and design to marketing.
The M2M DevStarter developer kit bundles all the tools required to get started with machine-to-machine communication. It comes with either an Arduino board or the Cinterion EGS5 kit that is designed for developing prototypes in industrial scenarios.
All sets include a SIM card complete with a six-month M2M data tariff and private access to the cloud-based M2M Developer Platform. The platform is supplied by Deutsche Telekom in cooperation with cloud specialist Cumulocity GmbH.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BLEduino Makes Porting Bluetooth Onto Projects a Cinch
BLEduino lets you control electronics projects with your phone
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Computer_Systems/Standalone_Mobile/BLEduino_Makes_Porting_Bluetooth_Onto_Projects_a_Cinch.aspx
Where the Sparkcore adds Wi-Fi to electronic projects, BLEduino adds Bluetooth 4.0! This nifty thumbnail-sized gadget is an Arduino-compatible development board featuring built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). BLEduino’s Arduino compatibility extends to both a hardware and software level, ensuring that anything that runs on an Arduino will run on BLEduino.
BLEduino’s designers claim the device works on nearly all Arduino shields. Recall that boards need to support Old Arduino UNO pin layouts as well as the new Arduino Leonardo pin layout in order to achieve compatibility.
Cole Haan Pinch says:
Regarding scanning the op’s info we accept this since its true and its nice finding a man that is posting this for all to think about
G form says:
Obviously reading the op’s post plenty will like it since its real so it is great seeing a person thats writing it online to see.
Tomi Engdahl says:
2013 Open Hardware Summit badge includes ePaper display
http://hackaday.com/2013/07/29/2013-open-hardware-summit-badge-includes-epaper-display/
Take a look at this sexy piece for open hardware
It’s called the BADGEr and it’s both an Arduino and and Arduino shield.
Check out the video below for a quick look. In addition to acting as your credentials the conference schedule comes preloaded. And of course, this is an Open Source design so you can dig through schematic, board artwork, and code at the page linked above.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Some guy over on reddit created the smallest Arduino in the world.
says http://hackaday.com/2013/08/11/hackaday-links-august-11-2013/
33-year old jerk designs even smaller arduino
http://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/1k3pid/33year_old_jerk_designs_even_smaller_arduino/
Picture
http://i.imgur.com/vwubaoq.jpg
an open source cloud based github design for the production model.
It’s less than half the size of the Digispark, and at 14mm x 10mm, it’s the WORLD’S TINIEST ARDUINO.
https://github.com/bbenchoff/TiniestArduino
Tomi Engdahl says:
A while back, [Chris Magagna] created a TI CC3000 library for the Arduino.
TI’s CC3000 WiFi chip gets a library
http://hackaday.com/2013/06/24/tis-cc3000-wifi-chip-gets-a-library/
About six months ago, Texas Instruments released a simple, cheap, single-chip WiFi module. At $10 a piece in quantities of 1000, the CC3000 is a much better solution to the problem of an ‘Internet of Things’ than a $50 Arduino Ethernet modules, or even the $30 Electric Imp. All indications, especially the frequent out of stock status for the dev board on TI’s web site, show the CC3000 will be a popular chip, but until now we haven’t seen a CC3000 library for the Arduino or other microcontrollers.
[Chris] just solved that problem for us with a CC3000 WiFi library for the Arduino. He ported TI’s MSP430 CC3000 library to the Arduino, allowing even the bare-bones Arduino Uno to connect to a WiFi network with just a handful of parts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Palm Arduino Plus
http://www.instructables.com/id/Palm-Arduino-Plus/
Palm Arduino Plus is an extension of Palm Arduino V3, an Arduino compatible board that is compatible with LEGO components.
There are several components added to Palm Arduino Plus such as the motor controller components and some other necessary connectors right on Palm Arduino PCB, so no external motor controller PCB is needed when we want to use Palm Arduino Plus to control motor and servo on the custom built LEGO vehicles such as R/C LEGO® Car (Redux), Wireless LEGO Race Car, R/C LEGO® “The Bull” Buggy, “12 Thumbs” R/C LEGO Dragster, R/C LEGO® Dart Shooter Droid, so no messy jumper wires to be seen.
Palm Arduino Plus can be used as an independent Arduino to develop another type of project that does not use servo or motor. The two 1×14 Arduino out put pins are provided so all digital and analog pins are accessible. To protect the Palm Arduino Plus as we are using it independently, we could built the LEGO case around it
Tomi Engdahl says:
A really, really tiny microcontroller board
http://hackaday.com/2013/09/05/a-really-really-tiny-microcontroller-board/
Here’s something very cool from the wonderful world of Adafruit: The Trinket, an Arduino compatible microcontroller platform that’s not only small enough to fit in your pocket, it’s small enough to lose in your pocket.
Like the similarly specced Digispark, the Trinket features an ATTiny85 microcontroller with 5 IO pins.
One thing to note about the Trinket is the fact that it’s so cheap. Either version of the Trinket goes for about $8, inexpensive enough to simply leave in a project when you’re done with it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teensy tiny Arduino board with an ATtiny85
http://hackaday.com/2012/08/13/teensy-tiny-arduino-board-with-an-attiny85/
Planning another Arduino build? If you’re just doing something simple like switching a relay or powering a LED, you might want to think about the Digispark. It’s a very small ATtiny-based Arduino compatible board developed and Kickstarted by [Erik].
Tomi says:
Why Kickstarter projects are always delayed
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/04/why-kickstarter-projects-are-always-delayed/
Most Hackaday readers may remember the Spark Core, an Arduino-compatible, Wi-Fi enabled, cloud-powered development platform. Its Kickstarter campaign funding goal was 10k, but it ended up getting more than half a million. The founder and CEO of Spark [Zach Supalla] recently published an article explaining why Kickstarter projects are always delayed as the Spark core project currently is 7 weeks behind schedule.
Tomi says:
Spark Core: Wi-Fi for Everything (Arduino Compatible)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sparkdevices/spark-core-wi-fi-for-everything-arduino-compatible/
A tiny Wi-Fi development board. Arduino + Wi-Fi + ARM Cortex M3 + wireless programming + REST API = awesome.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coin Introduces Arduino-BLE Developer Kit
http://blog.onlycoin.com/posts/2013/10/3/coin-arduino-ble-dev-kit
Developers, makers, hackers: It’s now easier than ever to bring your hardware idea to life.
A year ago, we were software developers venturing into the world of hardware. Not surprisingly, we encountered difficulty as we integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) into our product. At that time, existing BLE modules were confusing to integrate and didn’t meet our requirements. So we decided to build our own.
In the boom of the Internet of Things, BLE empowers innovation in building connected, smart devices.
It’s extremely efficient.
BLE consumes much less energy than its predecessors.
It’s nearly ubiquitous.
Because BLE is super energy-efficient, manufacturers have been aggressively building BLE capability into modern devices such as phones, tablets, PCs, and TVs. In particular, Apple products have had this capability since iOS 5 was released two years ago. This past July, Google finally caught up in this regard with its JellyBean 4.3 release. It’s only a matter of time before all Android phones and tablets become “Bluetooth Smart Ready”.
It offers broad applications.
A wide and growing range of applications that communicate with BLE-supported devices are now available in both business and consumer markets. Here are a few examples: Lost and found; Health, fitness, and sports; Automation; Security; Retail advertising
Coin Arduino-BLE hardware
Our goal is to make it easy to develop Arduino-based hardware that can talk with an iOS device. So, we took Sparkfun’s popular Arduino Mini Pro and added a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) bridge. The board is small, only 0.7 x 2 inches in size.
Arduino and System Specifications
MCU: Atmel ATMEGA328AU (32K flash, 2K RAM) with Arduino Pro Mini bootloader preloaded
3-18V supply range, regulated to 3V
Clock: 8 MHz
BLE Specifications
BLE Chip: Texas Instruments CC2540 F128 (128K flash, 8K RAM)
Clocks: 32.768 crystal and 32 MHz oscillator
Antenna: Johanson 2450AT18A100E
Balun: Johanson 2450BM15A0002E impedance match from CC2540 to 50 ohm
Our BLE-Arduino boards also include 6-pin FTDI header pins, but require you to assemble them on the board (assembly is very simple) yourself.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pokewithastick, an Arduino programmable web-logger/server
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/08/pokewithastick-an-arduino-programmable-web-loggerserver/
[Stewart] tipped us about his very nice project: pokewithastick. It is an Arduino compatible board (hardware, not footprint) based on the ATMEGA1284P which can be programmed to collect and post data to internet logging sites such as Thingspeak or Xively.
it has a small 50x37mm footprint (roughly 2″x1.5″).
The pokewithastick is composed of an Wiz820 Ethernet module, a micro-SD card slot, 2 serial ports, one battery backed Real Time Clock (RTC), one radio connector (for the usual nRF24L01 2.4GHz radio), one power & user LED and finally a reset button.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A GPU for an Arduino
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/15/a-gpu-for-an-arduino/
As the creator of the Gameduino, a shield that adds a VGA port and graphics capability to any Arduino, [James] knows a little something about generating high quality video with a microcontroller. His latest project, the Gameduino 2, blows his previous projects out of the water. He’s created an Arduino shield with a built-in touchscreen that has the same graphics performance as the Quake box you had in the late 1990s.
The power behind this shield comes from a single-chip graphics solution called the FTDI EVE.
The Gameduino 2 uses an FT800 graphics chip over an SPI connection to give a 480×272 TFT touch panel the same graphical capabilities as a Voodoo 2 graphics card.
Tomi says:
Learn Wireless Sensor Networks With Nanode
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/25/learn-wireless-sensor-networks-with-nanode/
Getting a device on the internet is great – but what if you want to monitor multiple wireless sensors? The [WickedDevice] crew have been publishing a tutorial series focusing on just that. Their weapon of choice is the Nanode, an Arduino based wireless sensor system
Part one starts with an explanation of the Arduino and Nanode platform, and takes us through connecting the Nanode to a wireless temperature sensor. Part two walks through the hardware and code changes to add multiple wireless sensors to the system.
Tomi says:
Nanode Gateway/Remote Tutorial 1
http://blog.wickeddevice.com/?p=440
The Arduino has been a transformational device. It is being used everywhere from art installations to the manufacturing floor. A whole new class of makers have gotten their first taste of micro-controllers using the Arduino. An area of particular interest to me is using Arduinos in distributed computing and more specifically remote sensing and the “Internet of Things.” This series of tutorials will walk you through the basics of connecting one or more remote devices to a central gateway and managing the interactions between those devices. These tutorials will cover everything from collecting remote data, storing collected data in a central repository for online viewing, remote activation of devices, and well who knows…..
Tomi says:
Nanode: A low-cost network-enabled Arduino Ethernet alternative
http://hackaday.com/2011/08/11/nanode-a-low-cost-network-enabled-arduino-ethernet-alternative/
Essentially an Arduino with Ethernet networking on-board, the Nanode is armed with an ATMega 328 microcontroller along with all the other standard goodies you would expect from an Arduino-compatible device. The Nanode can be controlled with a web browser right out of the box, thanks to some custom Ethernet libraries. Additionally network of Nanodes can be easily configured to communicate with a “master” unit via a multidrop serial bus, allowing the device to be used for a wide array of distributed control tasks.
Tomi says:
1Sheeld Uses Your SmartPhone as an Arduino Accessory
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/29/1sheeld-uses-your-smartphone-as-an-arduino-accessory/
The Arduino can be a bit of a gateway board. You start with an Uno, then a shield, then another. Before you know it, you have an entire collection of shields. This is the problem 1Sheeld wants to solve. 1Sheeld allows a you to use your cell phone as a sensor and I/O suite for your Arduino, replacing many existing shields.
Currently the 1Sheeld page is just a sign up for an upcoming kickstarter
Tomi Engdahl says:
All about Moteino
http://lowpowerlab.com/moteino/
Moteino is a low cost low-power open-source wireless Arduino UNO development platform clone based on the popular ATMega328 chip used in traditional Arduinos, making it 100% compatible with the Arduino IDE (programming environment).
They are compatible with any other Arduino clones that use the popular HopeRF RFM12B transceiver or the newer RFM69 transceiver. Moteino also comes with an optional SPI flash chip for data logging or wireless programming.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Slideshow: New Directions in Wearable Tech
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=269780&cid=nl.dn14
wearable and other fabric-based technology is on the rise, with solutions ranging from electronics-enhanced clothing to a ring that can pay your subway fare electronically to smartphone-enabled anklet baby monitors starting to make their way into the commercial market.
The community of electronic engineers recently chose eight competitors to build wearable or every-day carry-with-you electronics products on the FLORA design platform for its Adafruit + element14 FLORA “Get Closer” Challenge. FLORA is an open-source wearable electronics design platform created and supported by Adafruit, a company that was founded by an MIT graduate to create learning-based electronics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fail of the Week: How a Cheap USB AC Adapter Might Indirectly Burn Your House Down
http://hackaday.com/2013/11/28/something-wifi-this-way-comes-from-wicked-device/
Wicked Device has released the WildFire board to the world. WildFire is a an Arduino compatible processor board with a Texas instruments CC3000. WildFire adds a few interesting features to the typical ‘Duino clone. Instead of the ATMega328 used in the Arduino Uno, the WildFire uses an ATMega1284p
As with any non-standard Arduino board, the WildFire does require some modification to the Arduino IDE. This took a bit of time with the pre-release board. Wicked Device has streamlined the process since then.
Once the IDE is up and running, its easy to get the WildFire’s CC3000 connected to your local access point. From there the internet is your playground.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android and Arduino RF Outlet Selector
http://hackaday.com/2013/12/06/android-and-arduino-rf-outlet-selector/
Cyber Monday may be behind us, but there are always some hackable, inexpensive electronics to be had. [Stephen's] wireless Android/Arduino outlet hack may be the perfect holiday project on the cheap
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adafruit Trinket
http://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-trinket/
Trinket may be small, but do not be fooled by its size! It’s a tiny microcontroller board, built around the Atmel ATtiny85, a little chip with a lot of power. We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project, and low cost enough to use without hesitation.
The Attiny85 is a fun processor because despite being so small, it has 8K of flash, and 5 I/O pins, including analog inputs and PWM ‘analog’ outputs. We designed a USB bootloader so you can plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino.
In fact we even made some simple modifications to the Arduino IDE so that it works like a mini-Arduino board.
It’s our lowest-cost arduino-IDE programmable board!
Even though you can program Trinket using the Arduino IDE, it’s not a fully 100% Arduino-compatible. There are some things you trade off for such a small and low cost microcontroller!
You can’t stack a big shield on it but for many small & simple projects the Trinket will be your go-to platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SquareWear 2.0 a Wearable Opensource Arduino
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/12/squarewear-2-0-a-wearable-opensource-arduino/
Are you guys tired of redesigned Arduinos yet? Usually we are, but [Ray] just released the SquareWear 2.0, and we have to admit, it’s a pretty slick design.
The new SquareWear is slightly bigger, measuring in at 1.7″ x 1.7″, but it packs a much bigger and more functional punch — just check out the image schematic above! The only catch is it doesn’t actually have a USB-to-serial chip on-board, which is why [Ray] was able to get the board so small and inexpensive. Instead it simulates USB in the software using the V-USB library. That method is much slower but still functional. To perform serial communication through the USB port it uses the onboard USBasp bootloader.
Tomi Engdahl says:
USB Datalogging with Arduino using V-USB
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/18/usb-datalogging-with-arduino-using-v-usb/
Adding USB functionality to your Arduino projects used to be a pain, but thankfully, the V-USB project came along and gave your ATMEGA328 the ability to control the USB lines directly and mimic simple (low-speed) USB peripherals.
V-USB (Virtual USB) is especially useful for those of us who build standalone Arduino projects with the ATMEGA328. Unlike the Arduino Leonardo and its ATMEGA32U4, the ATMEGA328 does not have a built-in USB controller. The circuit required to tie into the USB lines is made up of just a few basic components
[Ray] shows an implementation of the V-USB project by logging the status of the Arduino’s I/O pins to an open Excel spreadsheet
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino to Excel using V-USB
Log 6 analog and 8 digital pins from Arduino Uno simultaneously in Excel.
http://www.hackster.io/rayburne/arduino-to-excel-using-v-usb
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chachka: A Trinket Clone
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/20/chachka-a-trinket-clone/
Why would you clone something as cheap as the adafruit Trinket? Well, because you can, of course. And that’s exactly why [Ray] started to build a clone two days after his Trinket came in the mail. He encourages you to support adafruit by buying at least one Trinket before attempting a clone, and we agree. Besides, you’ll be able to use the support forum with a clear conscience.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adafruit Trinket – Mini Microcontroller – 5V Logic – $7.95
http://www.adafruit.com/products/1501
Trinket may be small, but do not be fooled by its size! It’s a tiny microcontroller board, built around the Atmel ATtiny85, a little chip with a lot of power. We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project, and low cost enough to use without hesitation. Perfect for when you don’t want to give up your expensive dev-board and you aren’t willing to take apart the project you worked so hard to design. It’s our lowest-cost arduino-IDE programmable board!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chachka (Trinket clone)
Chachka is to the Adafruit Trinket what boarduino is to Uno: a clone.
http://www.hackster.io/rayburne/chachka-trinket-attiny85-clone
Chachka is an Adafruit Trinket CLONE built from the ATtiny85 microcontroller. Because it is a current Adafruit product, it has a training guide and its own support forum and lots of sample code. All of this means that like an Uno clone, the Chachka will be well supported with firmware and libraries and other users.
The Trinket in itself, is not expensive. But hacking is not about expense, it is about exercising total control over the hack. It is about dominance.
Building your own clone from scratch is a great feeling.
The hardware schematics are here:
http://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-trinket/downloads
The firmware is here:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Trinket-Gemma-Bootloader
Tomi Engdahl says:
FLAT-duino
Not every Arduino project requires a full-blown Uno board: FLAT-duino takes the idea of minimum to the extreme!
http://www.hackster.io/rayburne/flat-duino?ref=more
UNO is a big little board with the USB the IC socket, and the vertical headers. One day, I thought, “Why not flatten the headers and squeeze them close to the microcontroller?” And, while I am at it, “Why not eliminate the crystal and the load capacitors?” And, it was good.
I run most of my battery powered circuits from 3-AA battery packs or 4-AA packs. But, with the 8 MHz arduino, you can run from a 2-AA pack!
Ehrn says:
And the vertical headers. One day, I thought, “Why not flatten the headers and squeeze them close to the microcontroller?” And, while I am at it, “Why not eliminate the crystal and the load capacitors?” And, it was good.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Body of a Trinket, Soul of a Digispark
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/22/body-of-a-trinket-soul-of-a-digispark/
Adafruit’s Trinket and digiStump’s Digispark board are rather close cousins. Both use an ATtiny85 microcontroller, both have USB functionality, and both play nice with the Arduino IDE. [Ray] is a fan of both boards, but he likes the Trinket hardware a bit better. He also prefers the Digispark libraries and ecosystem. As such, he did the only logical thing: he turned his Trinket into a Digispark.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LegoDuino for kid-friendly microcontrollers
http://hackaday.com/2013/07/05/legoduino-for-kid-friendly-microcontrollers/
[J. Benschop] is teaching his nine-year-old son electronics by giving him a few wires, LEDs, and batteries. Eventually, the son looked over at his dad’s workbench and wondered what the little bug-shaped rectangles did. Microcontrollers and embedded programming are just a bit too advanced for someone who hasn’t hit a double-digit age, but [J] figured he could still have his son experience the awesomeness of programming electronics by building a custom electronic Lego microcontroller system.
This isn’t as complex as a Lego Mindstorms system. Really, it’s only an ATMega and a 2.4 GHz wireless transceiver. Still, that’s more than enough to add a few sensors and motor drivers, and an awesome introduction to electronics development.
Meet the LegoDuino
http://www.benschop-plaza.nl/wiki/doku.php?id=public:legoduino
Something he could create the most amazing things with. I made a list of requirements:
one self contained block
it must be easy to use in something my son can build.
ports must connect to all kinds of IO (leds, sensors, motors, servo’s…)
connecting to the IO ports must always be correct (i.e. reversal of the connector must be impossible or no problem)
my son must be able to program it himself
For the first two requirements, that is easy.
The main board consists of an ATMega328, an nRF24L01+ and some other components to make it all work. The ATMega is running at 5V while the nRF24L01 requires 3.3V.
The IO ports and peripherals
This part was a bit of a challenge. It should be easy to connect all kinds of peripherals. Simple peripherals like LEDs, push buttons, LDRs. But also more complex ones like servo motors or a ping sensor. I also wanted to be able to connect lego motors because these are not to expensive and provide an easy way to make things move with lego.
For the lego motors, I wanted to be able to connect them without modification. I wanted the same connectors that are available on the lego power block so the LegoDuino could be used to control the motor that’s part of the train set and still be able to use the remote control that is part of the train set. So I bought an lego extension chord (Lego 8886) that has two suitable connectors.
The LegoDuino takes three AA size (14500) lithium cells
The most complex part of the LegoDuino is the power module. This module must of course allow switching the module on and off again. I also want the micro controller to be able to switch the module off programmatically
The enclosure for the LegoDuino is based on a 16×6 base plate, three bricks high and closed with two plates. A 6×6 over the power module and a 6×8 over the battery compartment. To make the IO connectors fit, I had to cut of 4 studs on either side of the base plate.
To make programming as easy as possible, I added an nRF24L01 module to the LegoDuino. This way it’s possible to program the LegoDuino wirelessly. This required two things.
First, I needed a bootloader in the LegoDuino that uses nRF24L01.
The second part is a device that connects an nRF24L01 to the PC. I decided to make it easy on myself. I took an usb to serial converter, an ATMega88 and an nRF24L01 and combined these into a nice dongle. Then I modified the stk500v1 bootloader code and replaced of the sections of code that actually program the device by code that send packets to the LegoDuino bootloader using the nRF and wait for the acknowledgements. Now, I can use avrdude to program the LegoDuino.
Minibloq
Minibloq is a graphical programming environment for Arduino like boards. I downloaded it and found that I could add my own blocks relatively easy. It also seemed possible to add my own board but the boards are actually hard coded into Minibloq. So unfortunately, adding a board requires recompilation of the Minibloq program. Also when a programming block requires compilation, the minibloq program needs to be modified. Fortunately, the source code of Minibloq is also available.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shrinket, The Homebrew Trinket
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/26/shrinket-the-homebrew-trinket/
We’ve seen a lot of Trinket builds over the past few months, but so far few people have capitalized on the Trinket’s minimalism. It’s a fairly simple circuit, as far as dev boards go, and with careful planning can be built entirely on perfboard. That’s what [villeki] did, with a project he calls Shrinket.
After looking at the schematic for the Trinket, [villeki] figured he could best the very small footprint of this ATtiny85 board.
Trinket schematic
http://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-trinket/downloads
Tomi Engdahl says:
Update From Wayback: AVGA Reborn as RetroWiz
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/25/update-from-wayback-avga-reborn-as-retrowiz/
We’re finally seeing an update to [Jaromir's] retro gaming platform based around and ATmega chip. The thing that was novel about it back in 2009, and continues to be to this day, is the use of VGA output (PAL) from an AVR chip rather than composite video like most offerings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Fio
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10116
The Arduino Funnel I/O (Fio) is a board designed by Shigeru Kobayashi, based on the original design from LilyPad.
Arduino Fio is compatible with Funnel. It has connections for a Lithium Polymer battery and includes a charge circuit over USB. An XBee socket is available on the bottom of the board. The Fio has been designed to be wirelessly reprogrammable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
From Schematic to PCB in Four Hours
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/13/from-schematic-to-pcb-in-four-hours/
make a PCB of a trinket clone
LPKF protolaser uses a laser to directly ablate off the copper from the boards. This makes prototyping much faster without the need for a lot of nasty chemicals.
Sunday night in the Advanced Circuits Lab
http://www.metrixcreatespace.com/blog/2014/2/1/circuits-on-demand
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ototo Dentaku
http://nearnow.org.uk/projects/ototo/
Ototo is an experimental PCB based synthesiser from design and invention studio Dentaku. Ototo allows you to combine sensors, inputs and touchpads and easily create your own electronic musical instrument.
The core of the kit is the PCB synthesiser which works as a musical keyboard straight out the box. By using crocodile clips you can connect the board to conductive materials which will then trigger the sounds.
12 key capacitive touch keyboard (1 octave) which you can connect to conductive objects via crocodile clips
Arduino compatible if you want to hack.
Ototo: Make Music from Anything by Dentaku
http://dentakulondon.com/ototo/
Ototo is an all-in-one musical invention kit which allows you to make an instrument any way you want.
Ototo: Make Music from Anything
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905018498/ototo-make-music-from-anything
Ototo has got everything you need to make sound interactive: it’s a synthesiser, it’s got 12 onboard touch sensitive inputs and a range of different sensors which can be connected to 4 sensor inputs.
You can make sounds straight out of the box by touching the keys to trigger notes
Once connected via USB Ototo can act as a MIDI controller. This allows you to use the instruments and synthesisers on the computer using the touch keys as note inputs and the sensors as control messages.
Ototo Lets You Turn Anything Into A Synthesizer
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2014/02/02/ototo-lets-you-turn-anything-into-a-synthesizer/
This $75 synthesizer will turn anything into an instrument
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/31/5364292/dentaku-ototo-yuru-suzuki-kickstarter-launch-video-price
Ototo’s synthesizer has a number of different sounds that you can choose between, as well as granular control over pitch, loudness, and texture. The basic kit is priced at £45 ($75), but there are a number of sensors and attachments that can extend Ototo’s capabilities beyond simple touch controls. There’s a rotation control that acts a kind of variable resistor, allowing you to twist it to change a sound; a light meter that modifies sounds based on the amount of light it receives; a slide control that can be used for sweeping pitch changes, a breath sensor that can change the loudness of a note when you blow harder; and more. It’s an extremely adaptable DIY system, which Dentaku wants people to experiment with and have fun.
OTOTO by dentaku: PCB synthesizer for DIY musical instruments
http://www.designboom.com/technology/create-diy-musical-instruments-with-ototo-by-dentaku-10-10-2013/
‘we wanted to create a kit that makes physical computing and interactive projects accessible for everyone,’ says yuri sukuki, co-founder of dentaku. ‘getting into coding and understanding electronics can be a barrier for creativity – ototo allows anyone to build amazing electronic sound projects with minimal knowledge.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Iteaduino BT
http://imall.iteadstudio.com/featured-product/im120411006.html
Iteaduino-BT is an Arduino compatible board with a master/slave Bluetooth Module HC-05. It based on Arduino UNO/Duemilanove, 100% compatible with its existing program and shields, but with the bluetooth wireless funcion. The power consumption is about 50% of the original Arduino boards.
Make Smart Home Lighting System With Arduino And Android
http://blog.iteadstudio.com/make-smart-home-lighting-system-with-arduino-and-android/
Tomi Engdahl says:
STM32 Nucleo, The Mbed-Enabled, Arduino-Compatable Board
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/18/stm32-nucleo-the-mbed-enabled-arduino-compatable-board/
The STM32 line of microcontrollers – usually seen in the form of an ST Discovery dev board – are amazingly powerful and very popular micros seen in projects with some very hefty processing and memory requirements. Now, ST has released a great way to try out the STM32 line with the Nucleo board.
First, they’re mbed compatible
Secondly, they have Arduino pin headers right on the board
Tomi Engdahl says:
Make Your Own Smart Watch
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/17/make-your-own-smart-watch/
Wearables are all the rage lately
This smart watch uses very common and easy to obtain parts: Arduino Pro Mini, HC-06 Bluetooth module, Adafruit’s 0.96’’ OLED display, and a lithium battery. It is amazing how few parts can be used to make such a functional project.
Tomi Engdahl says:
chipKIT Pi Dev Board by element14
http://www.microchip.com/Developmenttools/ProductDetails.aspx?PartNO=TCHIP020
chipKIT™ Pi (Designed for Raspberry Pi) is the latest Arduino® compatible chipKIT platform from Microchip and element14.
The board is supported by the free chipKIT Multi-Platform IDE (MPIDE) that can be hosted on the Raspberry Pi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wicked Device WildFire Arduino Compatible with ATMega1284P and WiFi
http://nathan.chantrell.net/20131130/wicked-device-wildfire-arduino-compatible-with-atmega1284p-and-wifi/
The WildFire uses the ATMega1284P microprocessor clocked at 16MHz and has an onboard Texas Instruments CC3000 WiFi module and a MicroSD card slot all on a board the same size as a standard Arduino Uno or Duemilanove.
The ATMega1284P has quite a few advantages over the ATMega328 used in the Uno and Duemilanove, more RAM (16KB v 2KB), more Flash (128KB v 32KB) and more EEPROM (4KB v 1KB), things which really make a difference when doing web server type applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linduino
http://www.linear.com/solutions/linduino
Linduino is Linear Technology’s Arduino compatible system for developing and distributing firmware libraries and example code for Linear Technology’s integrated circuits.
The Linduino One board is compatible with the Arduino Uno, using the Atmel ATMEGA328 processor. This board features a 14-pin “QuikEval” connector that can be plugged into nearly 100 daughter boards for various Linear Technology parts, including Analog to Digital converters, Digital to Analog Converters, high-voltage power monitors, temperature measurement devices, RF synthesizers, battery stack monitors, and more.
An LTM2884 USB Isolator breaks the ground connection to the PC
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gamebuino: A Handheld Arduino Gaming Console Ready for Prime Time
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/27/gamebuino-a-handheld-arduino-gaming-console-ready-for-prime-time/
Gamebuino, a very nicely designed and easily reproducible version of his handheld Arduino gaming console.
With the Gamebuino, you too can build your own games and gaming hardware around the Arduino.
What is Gamebuino ?
http://gamebuino.com/
Gamebuino is a retro portable game console project based on Arduino. It allows you to make your own games… and even more.