uC - Programming

[entropie]

Hello there,

I recently started to get intrested in the world of microcontroller programming.

I have some experience with PIC-Chips and got to know about those very easy programmable AVR Chips.

I was just wondering, if someone has some experience with those chips. I am on the lookout for an intresting project, I can build at home.

Most german sites about AVR's reference to german projects, but I found out about some pretty intresting projects from America. Just lack a good collection of links .

At the moment, I am trying to realise a little stand-alone Webserver with an ATMega and a MMC-Slot for Data Storage.

I am also working on a AVR-USB interface to build a Relais. So you can switch on/off external lights in your room from the PC.

I recently completed the following project as a birthday gift for my mum. There are three Lights (LED) , Red, Green and Blue and they fade in 10 seconds from being offline to their peak intensity and back. I put this into an old bottle and build a wodden socket for the bottle. Now it is an ambient light in our living room .

The LEDs are up to 2000 mcd with an emitting-angle of 50 degrees. The AVR works with its internal clock at 1,2 MHz, prescaling one circle of operation in 10 seconds @ a working rate of 1 ms . After 10 seconds an Interrupt through buffer overflow is triggered and the circle starts again. Will try to put the AVR CPU Core to sleep mode, so I can lower the consumed current.

Here is the project:



PDF Reference ( shematics + C-Source Code ):

http://sn0opy83.sn.funpic.de/uC.pdf

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So if anyone of you, knows some intresting projects in AVR Programing, I am eager to learn about it .

Greetings ~ent

[spirilis]

I haven't put much time into it, but I did get an Arduino USB programmer board that uses the ATmega8 chips I believe. Toyed around with it a bit (controlling LEDs 'n stuff). I was thoroughly impressed at how powerful those things are for being cheap embedded microcontrollers.

[entropie]

Yea, those AVR things are pretty tough and versatile, when it comes to controlling, surveying or boosting applications.

I have nearly completed two more projects:



That is an USB - Relais with 6 Ports you can set and 4 Ports you can listen to. It works, but as shown here, it is just a prototype. I am thinking about to build optocoupler on the ports so you can switch AC powered systems on or off via your pc. Another possible solution is to build a measuring station, which sends data to the PC. Pretty easy to build, the software for the microship is readily availiable as GPL thing and you just need to embeed it in your project.



This is a nearly completed Webserver that hosts a html site. I still need a crystal and the microcontroller, before I can start it. Have built a prototype already and that I sold for nearly a $100 xD.

I build this one in my company I work for besides university at the moment. They made me the board and I gave the specs.

Pretty cool project, though the server only has 1 kb of webspace at the moment. I am trying to implement a SD-Card slot, but I still need to figure out how to convert from FAT16 to assembler for the microcontroller. The SD slot itself, I will take from an old ISA-slot from a mainboard and it is easily connected to the controller via a few resistors.

Pretty nice project, I maybe can make some money with that. There are many kids still playing online games like counterstrike. Dont know, how good the AVR's are at controlling such a game, but it is worth da try to set up a game server xD

[spirilis]

haha, that's badass. I dunno if an AVR would be too useful for modern internet usage, but controlling and reporting sensor information sounds like a cool idea.

I wish I could get my hands on one of those "tongue-electrode" things I've read about like this; wouldn't it be BAD ASS to create your own body sensors? say, I dunno, connect various metrics about your car to an AVR, then have that stimulate the tongue to relay this information...

haha you could turn yourself into a cyborg

[spirilis]

hah!! speaking of AVR and Arduino, check this out-
Wii nunchuck braves the outdoors to steer electric canoe - Engadget

uses the arduino to control the electric motors.

THAT is bad-ass.

[runvardh]

I messsed with really small scale stuff in college, but man was it fun. Almost wonder if I should get back into it again.

[entropie]

haha the boat rocks xDD