Stripboard Arduino

In this, my first Instructable I'm going to show you how to make a stripped down Arduino for a fraction of the price, using Stripboard/Veroboard.

Material List:

1x Atmel ATMega168 = �2.65
1x Stipboard = 72p
1x 7805 Voltage regulator = 26p
2x LEDs = 16p
2x 220 Ohm resistors = 8p
1x 10k Ohm resistor = 4p
2x 10 uF capacitors = 12p
1x 16 MHz clock crystal = 45p
2x 22 pF capacitors = 10p
2x .1 mfd capacitors = 10p
1x small momentary button = 18p
# small amount of wire for jumpers

Total = �5.94

(All prices based on single component prices from bitsbox)

Step 1 Cutting the tracks

Once you have collected all your components, its time to cut the tracks in your stripboard, this can be done with a 'spot face cutter' or an appropriately sized drill bit (by hand).

Below is a guide on what tracks to cut, and how to place the components for soldering.

Comments

[Mahmoud Alaa]

can i use atmega8 instead of atmega168
please replay fast

[dknapton]

Thanks for a fantastic Instructable. I'm new to all this arduino and instructables stuff and needed to re-teach myself soldering after a 15 year break but you can imagine my excitement and sense of satisfaction to follow this all step by step and witness the blink sketch flashing my LED on my very own arduino clone.

I did get a little confused at first with the voltage regulator capacitors but good old google managed to sort me out.

My mind is running away with me as to the next things I need to do, but THANKS AGAIN for your help with this step up the ladder. Onwards and upwards!

PS How did you create the pictures of the strip board showing the component layout and tracking cutting plan. I want to create some similar images for my next project which may well turn into an instructable too.

[inbox.jason]

This is a probably a stupid question, but why do you need to cut tracks from the stripboard? I'm very new to all this!!

[Yakumo]

if you don't cut the tracks the energy will just flow by the components on the board, because electricity will always go the way with the lowest resistance, the tracks have nearly no resistance the components on the board have a higher resistance. with the stripboard you just replacing the copper tracks (low resistance) with air (high resistance). just imagine a river (low resistance) that splits in 2 directions, if you want more water in one direction you just have to block some water on the other direction with a dam (high resistance).

i hope my english didn't hurt to much ^^

[tigerbomb8]

a good idea is to buy perfboard and then use solder and wire to make conections

[Carlcox89]

The resistor of led on pin 13 is wrong. At least i made the same circuit as yours and i had to put the resistor in the long leg of the led, the + side. For those who are trying to do the same thing... now you know that you need to put the resistor in the same line as the long leg of the LED. And of course cut the track between the two legs of resistor...

[Yakumo]

I haven't really looked at his pictures but: It doesn't matter if the resistor is on the + or - side of the LED as long its there. It just became a habbit to most people to do it like you said and as far as i can see... the leads are cut^^

[DemonSpawn]

 this thing with the crystal confuses me! witch pins are the legs of the crystal connected to and witch are the caps connected to? please clear this up! are the caps bridging the crystal or goin off one and to the pin.

[riksworld]

I think there might be a small error in your drawing, the bottom led with the resistor, surly the resistor will goto the + of led, as it stand at the moment, from understanding, the led will not light because the power and Earth are not correclty done

I can see the earth on the bottom of the resistor, but no + to led, as there nothing to supply power to it?

Is this just a error?

[DemonSpawn]

 i agree, no bigy though makes sence if you know waht your doing..
about to make one of these !! well my own 7 arduino version will keep you guys up to date on the happenings, all i know is there is alot of code in my future!!! reason 4 this is the kit to buy one costs R11500 ±!!!! so im improvising

[icecreamterror]

If you check the pin map on step 3, you can see one crystal leg connects to pin 9, and the other pin 10 of the chip.

The caps connect on the same strip as the crustal legs (9,10) between the 16mhz crystal and ground, to help eliminate noise.

hope this clears it up?

[DemonSpawn]

 So if i understand correctly it should look something like this.

[icecreamterror]

Yes, that's perfect!

[DemonSpawn]

 Awesome! thanks for the help. its just your diagrams were quite confusing thanks for clearing it all up

[Mr.Electric]

 Thanks! I'll try to get hold of one. Check out my Instructable "USB Traffic Light"

[Mr.Electric]

 You Know for connecting it via USB, could I use the "Arduino Serial USB Adapter" ( the one that is used to program the mini)? 

P.S. Great instructable! I'm giving you a 5-star!


website for the USB programmer: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/MiniUSB/

[icecreamterror]

Yes you could, but you would need to use jumper wire to connect the TX RX GND and +5v pins of the Arduino Serial USB Adapter to the Stripduino's TX RX GND and +5v pins

You could also make a Arduino Serial USB Adapter for $1

http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1261313468

[Mr.Electric]

 Could I use an ATMega 328?

[icecreamterror]

Yep,  :)

[WillTheRescue]

 I could probably slim this down to make my own Boarduino, yes?

[icecreamterror]

 Yes, there are a few parts you could strip away or move (like the LEDs and corresponding resisters to slim it down) then just solder in the rows of pin headers upside down n they will fit right into a breadboard as the spacing is the same.   

[WillTheRescue]

 Sweet! A little bit of cash and I am all over that!

It doesn't need to be the exact size of a boarduino, but I'd really like something close to it that I could prototype with, and that will be didicated to prototyping. That way once I finish a project, I don't have to buy another Arduino before being able to start working on another.

[grampafish]

i can program it with digital 0/1 tx/rx on stripduino and arduino and 5v and ground connected. but i have to hold reset on stripduino prior to programming

[grampafish]

could i program this through arduino icsp header

[icecreamterror]

Yes, and no depending on what exactly you mean.

If you follow step 4 
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stripboard-Arduino/step4/ProgrammingBootloader/

You can program this Stripduino with a ICSP using a AVR programmer like the  USBtinyISP .

But you cant connect the ICSP a Ardino to the ICSP of this board to program....the Arduino dose not work like that, you coud still program it using a Arduino, but using the guide below, not the ICSP. 

http://hackaday.com/2009/07/15/avr-isp-programming-via-arduino/

Hope this helps?

[grampafish]

i might build one with a zif socket so no pins get bent when removing the atmega 168

[DemonSpawn]

 also could you give me the link for the scematic you used as im trying to make a pcb of this and need a good diagram of the connections ect.

[icecreamterror]

Sorry, this was all drafted out on stripboard paper with only a dirty schematic (can be seen on my blog),

If you wanted to make a single sided PCB Arduino, then there are Schematic, Eagle cad and ready to print pdf files on my blog for one:

http://icecreamterror.wordpress.com/

Or there is a official Serial Single Sided board found here:

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardSerialSingleSided3
(Im just etching one of these now myself to test out)



   

[Login258]

 I made a breadboard version of this, but when I tried to use my GPS module with it it didn't work. I also had an LCD screen hooked up, so was there not enough current to handle everything?

[DemonSpawn]

 One more would this work with a ATmega328?? if not would the Arduino Duemilanove work with a ATmega168

[icecreamterror]

Yes, both this Stripduino and the Arduino Duemilanove will work with the following. ATmega328, ATmega168 and ATmega8
:)

[DemonSpawn]

 Witch pins on the ic is the crystal connected to

[icecreamterror]

Pins 9 and 10

(think there is a image with layout of all the pins in 'Step 3' just just holla if you get stuck on anything)

[Scytheon3]

I am a complete utter noob looking for a cheap arduino clone and have some questions.
1) what voltage is the 10uF capacitor
2) I cant find a .1mfd capacitor
3) Is the momentary switch like the one in the picture with 4 pins (below)
4) How do you connect it to a computer and program it

sorry for being a complete noob

[icecreamterror]

Hi Scytheon3,

No need to be apologetic, they are all very good questions!

1) what voltage is the 10uF capacitor
The ones i used are 16V, but you can use 25V too.....as your not going to be using more then 9V as a power supply.

2) I cant find a .1mfd capacitor
.1mfd is also called 100nF (try a search for 100nF)

3) Is the momentary switch like the one in the picture with 4 pins (below)
Yep that's the right type, the main thing to look out for is that it is a "momentary switch" so only on when your holding down the button

4) How do you connect it to a computer and program it
This bit is a little more tricky, you have two options
1: buy a AVR programmer like the USBtinyISP
2: build your own Ghetto-Programmer like THIS one.

Then follow he guide on adding a ISP to the Stripduino.......I think iv done one.

its also worth getting your Chip with the Arduino bootloader already loaded....most places off that for only a fraction more, and will save you lots of time and stress.

Sure you will have more questions, so feel free to PM me any time.

[agis68]

thnx pal for your nice and clear job you did 5/5

[baharini]

One question!
could you put this chip in a Arduino Diecimila, upload bootloader and code and put back into the stripduino?

[icecreamterror]

That is exactly  what i do :)

Just make sure you solder a dil socket to the Stripduino so you can add, and remove the chips where ever you want.

[Protons]

Got mine built YAY!!! :D Although the parallel programmer is pretty much useless just to let you know, (I've heard a lot of bad things about it, I built one and it just failed lol) and by the way you need to buy the bigger strip board if you follow your designs exactly, or you can just move the pin 13 led :-) but when you go deluxe it costs about £10 including parallel programmer parts. P.S Do you know if the usb tiny isp is any good?

[icecreamterror]

YAY post pics! :D Iv not had any trouble with the parallel programmer, but iv only built one lol, and having read bad things thought it would be overkill for a stripbroad, so just slapped the ICSP option on as its really straightforward. but I seem to always just use my Arduino duemilanove as a programmer and switch chips as the duemilanove is permanently attached to a breadboard and my Mac for something. The USBtinyISP from adyada.net is a little stunner......I use a clone of it myself.