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How To: Make a Bare Bones Arduino


TigersharkBAS

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Got a small space you want to pack an Arduino into?

 

Want to use the basic functionality of an Arduino to control lighting/sound/motors without the need to connect it to USB?

 

I have designed my own bare bones Arduino board. It enables you to program it using a USB serial interface (using the TX and RX of the interface) and is wrapped in a small form factor. Great for if you want to build your own Arduino using off the shelf components and don't need the overhead of a whole Arduino Uno in your project.

 

2014-08-16%2015.55.24.jpg

 

2014-08-17%2011.10.54.jpg

This project was the first step in learning (and for a little fun) in designing an entire custom made Arduino based PCB for a DCS UFC and Caution Panel.

 

It was more about learning about the ins and outs of PCB design and verifying I can design something that works.

 

PCB design done in Fritzing. www.fritzing.org

Manufactured by Fritzing Fab (cost 15 euros and another 3 euros for shipping). Proceeds go to further developing the Fritizing software.

 

I added the components over the weekend and tested it. Works perfectly.

 

Used this to program the board by connectcting the +5V, GND, RST, TX and RX pins to the equivalent pins on my PCB.

mini_usb.jpg

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/MiniUSB

 

 

Link to project on Fritzing website:

http://fritzing.org/projects/jayduino328

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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Hi..

A couple of Q's.

1. does this run independent of DCS or does it still have input/output.

2. can it be programmed to wait X time then do X then wait Y then do Z.

3. can it read say an output from X to make it do Y.

thanks.

AMD A8-5600K @ 4GHz, Radeon 7970 6Gig, 16 Gig Ram, Win 10 , 250 gig SSD, 40" Screen + 22 inch below, Track Ir, TMWH, Saitek combat pedals & a loose nut behind the stick :thumbup:

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Yes to all those questions. It is essentially an Arduino Uno without the USB to Serial chip (to connect it to your computer) and without an external power jack. It relies on you providing a 5V power source to it.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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Hi agras,

 

TBH...there is no advantage. As I mentioned...this was more about learning how to make my own PCB for a future fully self contained PCB for panels.

 

It is more to help someone to get started with PCBs and Arduino. The eBay product is definitely more price effective but this gives you ultimate control over how you want to breakout the board. You could have these pins directly connected to micro switches....to LEDs...to anything you want really....by simply extending the PCB files I link to on the Fritzing site.

 

It's the difference between buying a vintage car and refurbishing your own :smilewink: Refurbishing is gonna cost a lot more...but you do it for a sense of personal satisfaction and achievement that get from a hobby you enjoy.

 

So in short, yes, you can buy cheaper self contained Arduino clones and this has no clear advantage other than ultimate customisation, but I post this to share and perhaps somebody will find it useful.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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And btw tiger, really nice looking clean pcb there. Who did you send out to?

 

Thanks man! :):)

As mentioned in the original post, manufactured by Fritizing Fab.

 

http://fab.fritzing.org/fritzing-fab

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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Lots of great links on clones and simple Arduino devices you can buy on the net. (I'm a big Adafruit fan)

 

I fear some folk might be missing the point of my original post. There are plenty of cheap Arduino devices with smaller footprints you can buy.

 

But if you want to delve into:

- PCB Design

- Understanding what a simple Arduino chip can and can't do when removed from a Uno for example.

- Begin experimenting with potentially designing your own fully integrated Arduino custom PCB.

 

Then you might want to download Fritzing and take a look at my project files. You can also generate a Gerber file to manufacture your own PCB at home.

 

I was not suggesting that I had a superior product that you could buy from me or that I could make for you or sell.

 

Was just sharing my first steps into PCB making. First steps that I hope will lead to open source PCBs for individual panels (like the UFC or Caution Panel) that will be integrated around an Arduino chip.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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+1 TigerSharkBAS I agree with you, fritzing and arduino is something to explore I'm looking too a way to autoproduce a self contained arduino board panel, usable directly in dcs or with a bridge like arduino2dcs(Boltz).... a sort of plug&play cockpit bus interface something like eos(helios)

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Actually more i think about it, this is a great tutorial for those who want to do it "their way" :)

 

Also having just built my CMSP, and using 3 layers of PCB - Home brew/Arduino/Arduino Shield - it makes complete sense to build the entire stack onto one board and this would be the way to do it.

 

It comes down to whether you want form over function. Something the apple fanbois and PC clone enthusiasts have been warring over for years :)

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Oh no you didn't!! You didn't just introduce Apple vs PC in my thread DevonCustard. Ninja's have been dispatched to your location.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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Also....you can see an even smaller PCB here done for an ATTiny84

 

http://fritzing.org/projects/jayduinotiny84

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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Share on other sites

Why didn't you choose to make a board that is something you need and nobody else already made much better ones? That would have the same learning value, yet produce something more useful.

 

 

Lots of great links on clones and simple Arduino devices you can buy on the net. (I'm a big Adafruit fan)

 

I fear some folk might be missing the point of my original post. There are plenty of cheap Arduino devices with smaller footprints you can buy.

 

But if you want to delve into:

- PCB Design

- Understanding what a simple Arduino chip can and can't do when removed from a Uno for example.

- Begin experimenting with potentially designing your own fully integrated Arduino custom PCB.

 

Then you might want to download Fritzing and take a look at my project files. You can also generate a Gerber file to manufacture your own PCB at home.

 

I was not suggesting that I had a superior product that you could buy from me or that I could make for you or sell.

 

Was just sharing my first steps into PCB making. First steps that I hope will lead to open source PCBs for individual panels (like the UFC or Caution Panel) that will be integrated around an Arduino chip.

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Why didn't you choose to make a board that is something you need and nobody else already made much better ones? That would have the same learning value, yet produce something more useful.

 

The guy wanted to make the project he made to EXACTLY suit his needs, simple as that...

 

Stating that there are better boards was quite rude (And subjective) and I hope was a faux pas on your part...

 

My 2 cents worth is GREAT job on the project and very nice and professional looking solution that EXACTLY fits your needs!

 

I have slowly been delving into basic electronics and IC's so I really enjoy this thread... So far my projects have been much simpler than this

 

Thanks for sharing!

:thumbup:

"Pride is a poor substitute for intelligence."

RAMBO

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Why didn't you choose to make a board that is something you need and nobody else already made much better ones? That would have the same learning value, yet produce something more useful.

 

 

Lots of great links on clones and simple Arduino devices you can buy on the net. (I'm a big Adafruit fan)

 

I fear some folk might be missing the point of my original post. There are plenty of cheap Arduino devices with smaller footprints you can buy.

 

But if you want to delve into:

- PCB Design

- Understanding what a simple Arduino chip can and can't do when removed from a Uno for example.

- Begin experimenting with potentially designing your own fully integrated Arduino custom PCB.

 

Then you might want to download Fritzing and take a look at my project files. You can also generate a Gerber file to manufacture your own PCB at home.

 

I was not suggesting that I had a superior product that you could buy from me or that I could make for you or sell.

 

Was just sharing my first steps into PCB making. First steps that I hope will lead to open source PCBs for individual panels (like the UFC or Caution Panel) that will be integrated around an Arduino chip.

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Why didn't you choose to make a board that is something you need and nobody else already made much better ones? That would have the same learning value, yet produce something more useful.

 

Wow. Well...umm....I'm not sure how to reply to that. Perhaps because I'm not that good at this yet? I did say it was a first step in a learning journey to the ultimate goal of designing a completely integrated board.

 

Perhaps I should have just waited until I had a final design but I personally think that sharing these steps help others who don't know how to start.

 

A couple of thoughts though:

 

1. Just because in your opinion this doesn't have learning value for you doesn't preclude others from perhaps finding this very educational. The whole point of forums and sharing on the Internet is that someone, somewhere will find something useful even if others consider it trivial or easy.

 

2. Same goes for your comment on producing something "more useful". You might not think it useful. Someone else...a beginner...may find the process of building a bare bones Arduino extremely useful. I know I have. It isn't so much about the end product...it is the process that I learnt from.

 

I am happy to stop posting threads like this of the majority of people tell me it isn't helpful or useful. But I sense the free and open exchanges of ideas, techniques and learning steps posted in this forum is what makes this place great.

 

After all, isn't that what all the cockpit build threads in the forum are essentially? People all end up with various products (cockpits)...all with varying degrees of accuracy/realism...but the process they share in getting there creates new approaches to problems, inspires other techniques and approaches to design problems.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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The guy wanted to make the project he made to EXACTLY suit his needs, simple as that...

 

Stating that there are better boards was quite rude (And subjective) and I hope was a faux pas on your part...

 

My 2 cents worth is GREAT job on the project and very nice and professional looking solution that EXACTLY fits your needs!

 

I have slowly been delving into basic electronics and IC's so I really enjoy this thread... So far my projects have been much simpler than this

 

Thanks for sharing!

:thumbup:

 

HEMPSTEAD not sure why you posted what you did in the first place let alone TWICE, so that is why I included MY earlier post in this one...

 

In answer as to why this type of project, I can only speak for myself, but I know in my case coming up with a project that is sufficient for my needs and yet is also something that I can actually ACCOMPLISH is a devilishly difficult task! I have all kinds of ideas in my head but my knowledge level (or lack thereof) relegates all of those ideas as just exactly that.. Unrealized ideas. There are TONS of simple electronics projects to turn on an LED or charge an item with a solar panel, etc... But once you venture past these tiny projects it just seems to be a huge abyss to traverse to move ahead... So you end up not wanting to build anything because the projects you CAN do are too easy and simplistic, but the things you WANT to do are far beyond your abilities... He selected this project becasue it certainly is NOT a blinking LED and yet it was something he could accomplish and it exactly fits his needs... Awesome job! :thumbup:

 

Tiger, please continue to post projects such as this one as I and I am certain others find them quite useful and helpful..

"Pride is a poor substitute for intelligence."

RAMBO

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It's a simple why question. You read too much into it.

 

Open exchange of ideas is great. That's why I ask why. Because I don't get it.

 

Exchange of idea is not just about the what part, the more important aspect, IMHO, is about the why, i.e. the reasonings and insight behind it. For instance, remember I asked why you changed from NeoPixel to matrix LEDs? Is there some trouble using NeoPixel that I did not know about that I would learn a lesson from you? Or is it some trouble with using Arduino to drive NeoPixel, that I would not have to worry about? Why would you choose a string based protocol that is not exact the strong suit of embedded processors to parse. Is there a limitation in the DCS that you must use a string? I don't know the answers to those, so I asked why. As simple as that.

 

 

I did say "That would have the same learning value, yet produce something more useful." Meaning, I do agree with you about the learning value of what you posted. But you seemed to have read the opposite. "more useful" -- meaning, what you posted is useful, but you could have done even better if you have made the board do things those two other boards I linked to could not. I don't know the answer to that, so I asked. As simple as that.

 

 

 

 

Wow. Well...umm....I'm not sure how to reply to that. Perhaps because I'm not that good at this yet? I did say it was a first step in a learning journey to the ultimate goal of designing a completely integrated board.

 

Perhaps I should have just waited until I had a final design but I personally think that sharing these steps help others who don't know how to start.

 

A couple of thoughts though:

 

1. Just because in your opinion this doesn't have learning value for you doesn't preclude others from perhaps finding this very educational. The whole point of forums and sharing on the Internet is that someone, somewhere will find something useful even if others consider it trivial or easy.

 

2. Same goes for your comment on producing something "more useful". You might not think it useful. Someone else...a beginner...may find the process of building a bare bones Arduino extremely useful. I know I have. It isn't so much about the end product...it is the process that I learnt from.

 

I am happy to stop posting threads like this of the majority of people tell me it isn't helpful or useful. But I sense the free and open exchanges of ideas, techniques and learning steps posted in this forum is what makes this place great.

 

After all, isn't that what all the cockpit build threads in the forum are essentially? People all end up with various products (cockpits)...all with varying degrees of accuracy/realism...but the process they share in getting there creates new approaches to problems, inspires other techniques and approaches to design problems.

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Hi Hempstead. It's all good. The why can simply be explained as...

 

This as much as I am capable of right now and was more an exploration of DIY pcb design. I merely wanted to share these steps and my journey with others.

 

This was a step in proving to myself I can make a custom pcb with arduino. First steps towards an ultimate goal of plug and play pcbs for individual panels.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

 

Creator of:

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" 1998 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=213788

 

F-18C VFA-195 "Dambusters" July 2001 CAG Livery

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=215950

 

Pilot avatars for DCS Logbook

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221160

 

How to make a DCS A-10C Panel

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=65998

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