Ghetto Development Environment

Step 5 The End

So this "system" meets almost all my development needs. It's modular, scalable, compact, and portable.

For instance, I worked out the routines for running scrolling messages on the 4-digit display (intro page) on the plane on the way to a friend's wedding. Makes a good icebreaker with the flight attendants.

This potientiometer -> ADC -> PWM-driven ammeter setup was breadboarded, coded, and debugged entirely between my couch and dining table, and cleans up in like 2 min when friends come over. (It's the alarm-time-setting part of what's going to be a meter-clock.)

I bring the setup to work sometimes when I feel like playing hooky.

Add a small bag of goodies (some capacitors and resistors, hook-up wire, transistors, piezo speaker, photodiodes, microphones, small motors, etc) and you'll be so far ahead of MacGuyver it's not even funny.

Comments

[gruffy]

i would like to know how you pulled off breadboarding on an airplane

[josheeg]

The winavr make file creator or gui is kinda nice it would be a great thing to have a tut on useing the USBtiny and boarduino because then it would be open source hardware with open source retargetable software creation.

[sotsirh194]

Does the programmer work with winavr?

[The Real Elliot]

Yeah. I don't really get the appeal of the Arduino stuff. Besides a nice hardware package (especially Boarduino), it's mostly a higher-level programming language than C. For microcontroller stuff, I find that C is already overkill, and I often wish I knew assembler better. The arduino "language" only works with a particular hardware platform, while learning to program up AVRs in a lower-level language lets you use any of the chips, wired up any way you want. Another part of the appeal of microcontrollers for me is that they're so cheap that you can use as many as you want throughout your project. The arduino (at $10-30) forces you into a centralized-processor mentality. The Tiny AVRs are cheap enough that I often use them in place of dedicated ICs, like a 555 timer circuit with the equivalent of the blinkenlights code here. But then you realize it's more powerful -- that you've got a digitally-controlled, accurate 555 circuit. Arduino is probably a good way to get started, though. Just don't be afraid to look behind the curtain at what its "language" is doing for you.

[placko]

You can program in C within the arduino IDE.

[josheeg]

I have used assembly but in the open source world it is easier to communicate your objective in c and comments than asm and comments. At least I would think so when your project does a bit. I like the boarduno because I will use the eagle cad files to make it much more soon. In steps first I will add opto couplers and dc to dc converter this will seperate the boardunos power supply and the people safer boarduno circuitry. The design is based off of the modualar eeg you can find it by searching under open eeg. I do not want to re-invent the wheel so I use open circuit designs.

[The Real Elliot]

Yah, totally. I absolutely agree about C being more fun to read/write than assembly. I may have come off too harsh on the Arduino stuff. Basically my point is that I like tailoring the circuit designs for my applications, rather than having a pre-built for every occasion. If you need a pre-built, the Arduino seems a good one, and the availability of standard schematics and the corresponding software is a powerful combo.

[josheeg]

Would you like to look at the open eeg design and assist with a improved version of the modular eeg? My open source project is at pceeg.sourceforge.net and open circuits but the website needs updating.

[josheeg]

I would like to know how to send my winavr program into the boarduno board. Through the USBtiny or the ftdi cable. But thanks for bringing the cool gadgets to my attention. Deffinitly nice geto tutorial.