How to Make a Cheap Attiny Arduino Board

Well most of time i get troubled when i need Arduino in some projects where i need few I/O pins
Well thanks to Arduino-Tiny platform
Arduino program can be burned into the Avr-tiny Series like Attiny 85/45

Arduino-Tiny is an open source set of ATtiny "cores" for the Arduino platform.

It provides a core that enables Arduino users to work with the ATtiny84 (84/44/24), ATtiny85 (85/45/25), and ATtiny2313 (4313) processors.

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Advantages of Attiny series
Cheap cost hardly 1$
They can be used as stand alone in any circuit
Disadvantages of Attiny

Few I/O pins as compared to megaSeries

Less memory usually Attiny 25/45/85 have 2kb 4kb and 8kb respectively

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But if u ask me Attiny are really useful for small projects
Even i think it is too cheap for a dummy to experiment on it.
So i made this small project that anyone can make their cheapest tiny arduino at home

Also like my page for support
https://www.facebook.com/makewithRex

Step 1: Parts

Things that you will need

1. Veroboard -0.3$
2. 8 pin IC Socket -0.10$
3. Wires single core 22 gauge- 0.10$
4. Attiny 85- 1.35$
5. Male header-0.16$
6. Female header-0.16$

So Total cost is 2.17$

Step 2: Circuit Diagram

Almost all chips are programed By Using 6 pins

• MISO(Master In Slave Out)
• MOSI(Master OUt Slave In)
• RESET
• SCK(Slave Clock)
• Vcc
• Gnd

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Connecting With Arduino

Pin13 will be connected to SCK

Pin12 will be connected to MISO

Pin11 will be connected to MOSI

Pin10 will be connected to RESET

Next part will Cover how to use the arduino as ISP to Program the attiny85

Step 3: Using Arduino As ISP

Setting Up the Firmware

You need to download this file for programing the attiny

http://code.google.com/p/arduino-tiny/

after you install it

• Open Arduino.exe
• File > Examples >ArduinoISP
• Upload Sketch to your Board
• On the Arduino Uno, you'll need to connect a 10 uF capacitor between reset and ground (after uploading the ArduinoISP sketch)
• Connect The Arduino Pins To the Arduino Tiny Board
• Goto Tools >Boards>Attiny 85 8 MHz
• Goto Tools>Programmer>Arduino as ISP
• Burn Bootloader

CONGO attiny is Ready To be Programmed By arduino

Lets Us see a simple Program "Blink " in action

Again going to

File > Examples >Blink

Change The pin no. from 13 to any one of the pin out of Attiny85

0,1,2,3,4

Upload it

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Step 4: Blinky in Action

The Blink Program In action

Enjoy Your Board

It can be Also Run on A external Power source You just need a regulated Power supply of 5

You can also Use a Serial Programmer to Burn the Bootloader and sketche

If You have any queries Feel free to ask me

https://www.facebook.com/prajjwal.nag

Comments

[KunalK25]

hey buddy nice tutorial. Can you please tell me if we can use this ATtiny for serial communication via HC05 module. I mean if we can use its two pins as Rx Tx pins.

Thanks.

[DmitryP2]

What about stm32f0 ? it,s 2x cheaper, 4x faster, has dma transfer ?

[SalmanF4]

why 10uf capacitor is used?

Where the capacitor is connected?

[AT]

Nice little solution. I spent a little more money and dedicated a proto shield for pushing code to my ATTiny85. I am going to get some 84s and set up the proto shield to accept either chip.

[geekrex]

thats cool would like to see it

[AT]

I will take a picture of that the next time I get that out. :)

[AmitM12]

Awsome Man ..

[geekrex]

thank u

[geekrex]

andsen u have to modify the board u will need a crystal oscillator for atmega328

[KingsleyF]

Don't seems to work in Arduino IDE 1.6.3. Any solution?

[Rouxlet]

>> https://github.com/damellis/attiny/archive/ide-1.6.x.zip

Tested on Arduino IDE 1.6.1 + ATtiny85, works !!

[geekrex]

Use lower version ,the core is not updated for 1.6

[martin.pfitzner.942]

Im Sorry, but i still don't understand your Step 2 in the way its shown on the schreenshot. The pins of the IC seem to be connected to nothing. Is your circut ment to function like beeing on breadboard so all pins in a row are meant to be automatically connected?

[geekrex]

Ya its like we connect on breadboard plz see the schematics given in comment below .
if still unable to understand i am here :)

[NajiK1]

can I use 100uf capacitor instead of 10uf ?

[geekrex]

No you have to use 10uf as specified by arduino

[NajiK1]

Thanks :)

[Hapis]

I dont have arduino uno, can i use usb to ttl to program the chip?

[JRV31]

this is a good programmer for an ATtiny if you don't have an Arduino:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11801

Instruction for set-up and use are here:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/tiny-avr-programmer-hookup-guide/

[geekrex]

No u need to have ICSP programmer
U can buy a usb to icsp programmer