How to build a micro-controller Dev. board ??

[[email protected]]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

Any help is appreciated.
Thnx

micro

 

[Eeyore]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

It would be a good way to learn about the chip I guess.

How much do / don't you know about microcontrollers to begin with ?

Graham

 

[petrus bitbyter]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

Any help is appreciated.
Thnx

micro

Well... The manual provides both a component layout and a schematic. You
just have to skip the things you don't need. Nevertheless, you can't gain
very much space as the current board is pretty small already. Moreover
designing a crowded PCB like this is not a beginners job. Guess you can go
to half the current surface at best unless you can use SMD parts.

petrus bitbyter

 

[Tim Auton]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

You might want to look at Atmel App. Note AVR042 "Hardware Design
Considerations" - that covers power supply, clock sources and connecting
the ISP lines. That's all you need to make it run, the rest is hooking
up the right I/O pins to the rest of your circuit and programming it.


Tim

 

[Homer J Simpson]

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if I can build a smaller board.

Have you looked for a kit on eBay?

 

[PeteS]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

Any help is appreciated.
Thnx

micro

I have a promotional email at work for the latest dev board for the
ATMega series and it's pretty small and inexpensive.

I'll post a link tomorrow morning.

Cheers

PeteS

 

[[email protected]]

It would be a good way to learn about the chip I guess.

How much do / don't you know about microcontrollers to begin with ?

Graham

Graham,
I'm not an expert but I've used this board to make simple robots. Now,
I'd like
to do tiny robots and since i'm familiar with this chip, I want to buit
a
smaller board.

Thnx

 

[[email protected]]

Well... The manual provides both a component layout and a schematic. You
just have to skip the things you don't need. Nevertheless, you can't gain
very much space as the current board is pretty small already. Moreover
designing a crowded PCB like this is not a beginners job. Guess you can go
to half the current surface at best unless you can use SMD parts.

petrus bitbyter

petrus,
I'm not familiar with SMD parts, but as far as I know they have
different
power specs. Anyway, even if I can build one that is half the size of
the current on this will great. Another thing is that I don't really
know
what things I don't need in the manual and that's why I'm trying to get
help here.

Thnx

 

[Eeyore]

Graham,
I'm not an expert but I've used this board to make simple robots. Now,
I'd like
to do tiny robots and since i'm familiar with this chip, I want to buit
a smaller board.

As in you're familiar with programming them but not the hardware or are you
familiar with hardware at say the interface level ?

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

petrus,
I'm not familiar with SMD parts, but as far as I know they have
different
power specs. Anyway, even if I can build one that is half the size of
the current on this will great. Another thing is that I don't really
know
what things I don't need in the manual and that's why I'm trying to get
help here.

You can probably simply eliminate those parts you don't need in your application
with little need to worry much.

Perhaps you can tell us which parts on the current board you don't require ?

Graham

 

[David L. Jones]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

That should be easy.
Just take the existing schematic and remove every item you don't need,
then re-layout the board to make it as small as possible.
You board should need nothing but an ISP serial header for programing,
an I/O header, an oscillator, and a voltage regulator. You can even
leave off the voltage regulator if you already have 5V available.

Think about what items you aren't physically connecting to at the
moment, and you can simply remove then, the micorcontroller won't care.
As long as you can a)program the chip, and b) access the I/O pins you
need, that is enough.
That board has a lot of wasted space, with lots of jumpers, and LEDs
and resistors that presumably you won't need.

Dave

 

[Tim Auton]

petrus,
I'm not familiar with SMD parts, but as far as I know they have
different
power specs.

The might have different power *dissipation* specs - ie they get a bit
hotter when dissipating a given amount of energy, but that's only really
of concern for stuff like power transistors and voltage regulators,
which will be dissipating a fair bit of heat while doing their job. An
SMD ATmega32 has just the same silicon inside as in one in a DIP
package.


Tim

 

[petrus bitbyter]

petrus,
I'm not familiar with SMD parts, but as far as I know they have
different
power specs. Anyway, even if I can build one that is half the size of
the current on this will great. Another thing is that I don't really
know
what things I don't need in the manual and that's why I'm trying to get
help here.

Thnx

But you have the board and used it? So you have the manual of the board as
well *and* you know what ports and pins you need. Suppose you use half port
A for the analog and port C for the digital. So you have to keep JP1 and JP6
half. You can leave out JP2 with the resistors and the LEDs, X1 with JP3,
JP5 with R13 and D9, JP7, JP8, JP9, J1, JP13 and JP12. If you don't need the
JTAG interface, you can leave out P2 and the connected resistors as well.
Last thing you can leave out is the programming interface so P3 with
associated resistors. You can replace OSC by an Xtal and two small
capacitors. P1 is a big thing. You can replace it by a smaller connector
p.e. a 6p6c modular jack. Last thing, you can replace the RS232 driver be a
MAX3232 or similar. This type requires small 100nF capacitors instead of the
1uF elco's. You may need to replace JP1 and JP6 with dual row connectors as
the signals connected to it will require a common ground. Once so far,
you're using one half or less of the 40 pins ATmega and I'd look for a
smaller processor, so one with less pins.

petrus bitbyter

 

[[email protected]]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

Any help is appreciated.
Thnx

micro

Thank you all. I'm looking at the app. note and the AVR schematics.
Although
i'm not that familiar with hardware schematics, I'll see what i can do
and will
come back to you if i need further assistance.

thnx
micro

 

[jasen]

Hi all,

I have one of these Atmel boards from progressive, specifically,
MegaAVR-Dev-32 "
https://www.priio.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=6 ".

However, since its size is quite big for my application, I was wodering
if
I can build a smaller board.

Basically, I would like to use an Atmega32 chip, and build a board
that has one digital I/O port, a 4-pin analog port, a V-regulator, and
an RS232 or ISP interface for programming.

I'm not sure how to start, the manual for the chip is so huge. I know I

must have a clock, resistors, capacitors, ..etc. but how do i go about
building such a thing. Are there any books or literature that has a
step by step procedure.

download some application notes from atmel and copy the relavent
portions of those circuits.

 

[jasen]

petrus,
I'm not familiar with SMD parts, but as far as I know they have
different
power specs. Anyway, even if I can build one that is half the size of
the current on this will great. Another thing is that I don't really
know
what things I don't need in the manual and that's why I'm trying to get
help here.

you might need a crystal (and a couple of capacitors) if the chips
internal oscilator is unsuitable, you might need a voltage regulator
if your supply isn't suitable raw, you might need some op-amps
etc on the analog inputs (if the inputs have signals that are too weak),
You might need a brown-out detector. you'll almost certainly need
a supply decoupling capacitor - one is always reccomended.

best case no external components, worst case 20-30.

Bye.
Jasen