Arduino

My projects

• Bluetooth Car: video longer video

My notes

• Learning About Arduino and Ethernet

• Learning About Arduino MCP23S08 -- interfacing 8-Bit I/O Expander with SPI Interface

• Learning About Arduino WIZ810MJ -- interfacing WIZnet SPI Ethernet Module

• Learning About Arduino AVRUSB

• Learning About Arduino on OS X 10.2

• Learning About Arduino and LCD

• Learning About Arduino and IRC

• Learning About Arduino and ATMega8

Answers

• If you get an error java.lang.NullPointerException at processing.app.Serial.setDTR on Ubuntu when you're trying to upload a sketch it might be because you unplugged and re-plugged the USB cable too quickly. Try re-plugging again more slowly. (If you re-plug it too quickly it seems to create a second serial device rather than reusing the original one.) (Actually, the real reason might be if you leave the serial monitor open it doesn't remove the device.)

Bootloader

I discovered today that what's referred to as "the Arduino bootloader" isn't actually Arduino-specific (well, it is, and it isn't) but, the key point is that you can upload any .hex file you produce (whether it's by the IDE, C, asm or whatever). The "Arduino-ness" is provided entirely by the libraries included when your sketch is compiled. This is significant because if you have a hardware/software project you're wanting to make usable within Arduino-land you can start by testing it works on the Arduino board. Something like... Learning About Arduino AVRUSB perhaps. :-)

• ADABOOT -- Alternative bootloader

• "The hardware will run anything (any .hex file) you give it, and there's a makefile to build and upload code from the command line."

• "To upload compiled .hex files to the board, you can use avrdude, which is what's used internally by the Arduino software."

• "The Arduino bootloader uses the STK500 (original, not version II) protocol"

• Official bootloader HEAD

• Bootloader on the official wiki ( @@ TODO: Add comment regarding universal nature of the the bootloader)

• "Original" bootloader source

• "...apparently we screwed up and put the old NG bootloader on some of the Diecimila boards..." see also: Why does my Diecimila take such a long time (6-8 seconds) to start my sketch?

As an "In System Programmer"

• Turn Arduino into an AVR ISP programmer/boot cloner (code)

• Turn Arduino into an AVR-ISP programmer

• Make an Arduino NG into an AVR-ISP programmer (for good)

• Arduino/AVR In System Programmer (ISP)

• mega-isp -- In System Programmer using the AVR Mega8

Distributor

• Australian Arduino supplier

Alternative forms

• Arduino on a prototype board

• Arduino Prototype Shield design -- includes files that can be used as a template for other shields.

References / Links

• Index of Arduino Knowledge "An evolving index of subjects covered in the main Arduino site, the Playground and the Arduino forum."

• Generating Composite Video

• Generating PAL Video -- code and schematic (forum post)

• uIP-AVR -- port of Free Small TCP/IP Stack to the Atmel AVR series of microcontrollers.

• Lady Ada's Arduino Tutorial -- "Learn Electronics using Arduino!"

• TV Video Signal Generator with Arduino

• Burning sketches to the Arduino board with an external programmer

• LED light sensing with Arduino -- Note that there's an easy way to set the pullup resistors afaict: writing 1 to one of the registers (can't remember exactly how). @@ TODO: Fix this.

• Run an uC from an AA-battery

• DC Motor Control Using an H-Bridge

• FAT File System Module -- "experimental project to implement the FAT file system to small embedded systems."

• Serial Multiplexer

• "the switches in the above schematic don’t need pull-up resistors" -- How to avoid using external pull-up resistors for switches by using the Arduino's pull-up resistors.

• Handling external Interrupts with Arduino

• Writing your first AVR program in GCC

• Arduino and XBee battery life tests

• "Questions about using an external oscillator"

• "Why you need a Clock Source" -- Options for clock sources for AVR chips

• Microcontroller crystal oscillators

Notebook

. 18 August 2007 .

1. Received Arduino Decimilia board from Little Bird Electronics. Definitely worth waiting a couple of weeks to get the new revision of the board. Useful revised features:

• Automatic Software Reset—I'm so glad I mostly missed the "press the physical button to upload" stage. :-)

• Lower Input Voltage—input voltage can now range from 6-12V due to a new "low-dropout power regulator". I've got the board flashing away its onboard LED with it all running from a bulky 6V battery I had lying around. (Of more use is the prospect of using fewer AA batteries.) Positive battery terminal connects to Vin on the Power connector along the bottom while negative battery terminal connects to Gnd in same connector.

2. For future reference: Example blink without delay, Low power Arduino discussion

3. Forum posts: Bad URL on warning sticker, Update needed for Mac OS X tutorial (fixed)

. 21 August 2007 .

1. Successfully created optocoupler-controlled LED circuit (without Arduino). Started documenting learning about using optocouplers.