Today we celebrate Arduino Day and mark the first successful decade of the Atmel-powered boards.
It’s a 24 hour celebration – both official and independent – with Makers all over the world meeting up to share their DIY experiences.
As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is at the very heart of most Arduino boards on the market today.
Indeed, as Atmel MCU Applications Manager Bob Martin recently pointed out, Atmel’s 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers have been the MCUs of choice for Arduino since the boards first hit the streets for DIY Makers way back in 2005. More specifically, he attributes the success of Arduino to its easy-to-use, free cross-platform toolchain and its simple do-it-yourself packages with Atmel MCUs.
“These factors helped initially steer the Arduino team to choose our AVR microcontrollers – and today, both our AVR and ARM-based MCUs,” Martin explained.
In addition to the DIY Maker Movement, the boards are popular with veteran designers, architects and engineers.
“It’s very easy to try out design by building a prototype so that they can see what solutions work and toss out those that don’t. This is much easier to do early in the design process before more money has been spent on bringing an idea to fruition; Arduino can play a key role here,” Brock Craft, author of “Arduino Projects for Dummies,” told ItProPortal in late 2013.
“Just a simple example – I know a lighting company that recently used Arduino to control dimmable lighting effects for architectural lighting products they were developing. Using an Arduino helped them try out their ideas in an afternoon, rather than waiting weeks.”
Arduino boards are also extensively used in the educational community, with science and computing teachers in secondary schools choosing the versatile platform to teach kids the principles of programming and computational thinking.
“[Of course], Arduino is used in colleges and universities, [where] they are often found in design programs, particularly in product design, because Arduinos can quickly be used to prototype products that do physical things – like toasters or dispensers or remote controls, for example,” said Craft.
“It is also widely used in digital arts programs for making interactive artwork, music and performances. [Yes], there have been similar products on the market for many years and education curricula have used other alternatives. But what makes Arduino different – and is driving teachers to use them – is that Arduinos are easy to use. And if they need help, it’s easy for teachers and students to get it in the extensive online communities.”
“What you find is that if you can create a community around an open source project then it becomes really alive because everyone starts to contribute. If you don’t have an ecosystem, the platform won’t be successful. If you start charging for everything, everything dies very quickly,” he said.
“There are millions of sandwich places around the world, the recipe for sandwiches is open. Nobody can patent the recipe for a BLTs but yet there’s like a million restaurants doing BLTs. Everyday each one of them is adding a little source, each one is improving the recipe with technique, but effectively what goes inside the sandwich is out there and open and people still make money.”
As Bazni points out, open source hardware like the Arduino helps encourage creativity.
“I think it enables people to share the efforts that are needed to get the certain type of product or project started. Each person adds what some people call the secret source. You can take open source knowledge and add your own secret source,” he added.
“Or you can sell it or sell services around that product. [Arduino] wants to create a platform that’s going to take this and multiply the efficiency, [while] multiplying the value that people get by being part of that community… The challenge is to build a platform that solves a simple problem for a specific group of people: beginners for example. Our boards enable people to get ideas into products very fast. It’s people over Megahertz.”
I ordered the new Atmel ICE debugger as soon as it appeared on the company store. I see there is still stock so feel free to put in an order with us or your favorite distributor. Don’t get this new one confused with our JTAGICE3, sometimes called JTAGICE markIII or mk3. It looks similar, but this new one has two debugging connectors. One is for the AVR microcontrollers, and one is for ARM MCU devices. There is a nice slide-show and explanation on our Norway site.
The new Atmel-ICE is white and has two connectors for debugging. The old JTAGICE3 (inset) is silver and only has one connector, although you can upgrade the firmware so it can debug SAM D20 ARM-based MCUs.
This new Atmel-ICE replaces both the Dragon and the JTAGICE3. The only other ARV debugger you might need is the AVRONE! debugger that has trace capability. It’s 600 bucks, but that is worth every penny if you are trying to figure out where your program went or how it entered a subroutine or interrupt vector.
I unboxed my new Atmel-ICE today, here are the pictures:
The box has a Norse warrior on it, as tribute to the brilliant Norwegian engineers that invented the AVR chip.
Open the box and you see the Atmel-ICE on the left, safely snuggles in anti-static foam, and a box on the right with the three cables and breakout PCB.
Here is a close-up of the debug connectors. Identical, but the one on the right is for AVR and the one on the left is for ARM-based MCUs.
The Atmel ICE uses the micro USB connector. The two more expensive versions come with the cable, the bare PCB does not.
To keep costs down we didn’t paint the logo on, you can see it is nicely inset, as are the “AVR” and “SAM” indicators to tell you which debug connector is which. Check out how nice and small the unit is. This is another improvement over the JTAGICE2, and a real benefit on a crowded desk or lab bench.
Here is the cables that come in the 85-dollar unit. You also get the USB cable. Note the one cable comes with that cool breakout board.
The breakout board has a silkscreen on both sides to help you figure out what it plugs into.
Calibit is a digital caliper equipped with an AVR-powered data logger that allows the device to efficiently monitor hectares of orchards.
The datalogger – based on an 8-bit Atmel microcontroller (MCU) – features 128Kb EEPROM memory, LCD display, USB/UART slots, watch/calendar, as well as a rechargeable lithium battery with integrated safety system and temperature control.
“[This] new technology promotes the monitoring of fruit growth as it simplifies data collection – 15-20 minutes is all it takes to gather enough data to monitor each hectare,” a FreshPlaza writer explained in a recent article.
“[Plus, users can] create multiple measuring sessions to group data and improve management, [with] the USB cable and software enabling data downloads in CSV format.”
Although Calibit was originally designed to monitor fruit growth, the platform is capable of supporting a wide-range of applications including:
Cooperatives and collection warehouses to sample fruit before processing
Plant nurseries to verify the diameter of striplings, branches and trunks
Back in September 2013, Atmel launched the first stage of its AVR Hero Maker Faire Contest, which challenged Makers, designers and engineers to develop new AVR-powered devices and platforms with commercial potential. Winners for the first stage of the contest included Sumit Grover and Rahul Kar (two runner up prizes) from India and Juan Luis Gonzalez from Mexico.
The Simply AVR winner (first prize) will receive $1,500 in cash as well as coverage on Atmel’s social media channels: Twitter, Facebook and Bits & Pieces. Each of the four runner ups will claim a $500 cash prize, along with coverage on Atmel’s various social media channels.
Today, we’re going to be taking a close look at a recent AVR hack by “Gligli” that skillfully recreates the Prophet 600 – which also just happens to be the world’s very first MIDI synthesizer.
Indeed, at the January, 1983 NAMM convention, the 600 was successfully linked with a Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer in the first public demonstration of the MIDI protocol. According to Wikipedia, the link was facilitated by a MidiMate hardware interface and MidiTrack program, both developed by Moore and his partner, Paul Rother.
Image Credit: Wikipedia
As the original 600 was powered by a Zilog Z80 microprocessor that controlled modular analog voice chips, Gligli soon discovered that most of the synthesizer’s limitations in the 600 were due to the processor. After creating a PC-based emulator to better acquaint himself with the circuits, Gligli bought a used Prophet and started hacking.
“The [AVR-based] Teensy++ 2.0 (AT90USB1286) required a few hardware mods to fill the Z80’s shoes, including cutting off a pin and adding a few jumper wires. We really like the fact that no changes to the Prophet 600 itself were required,” explained HackADay’s Adam Fabio.
“Pull out the Teensy++, drop in the Z80, and you’re ready to party like it’s 1982 again,. The new processor interfaces directly with the Z80’s 8-bit bus. Since the AVR on the Teensy has built-in RAM and ROM, it simply ignores the ROM and RAM address spaces of the original system.”
Of course, interfacing a fast micro with older parts like an 8253 timer and a 68B50 UART does require some tweaking. More specifically, the system bus has to run slow enough not to violate timing requirements of various peripheral chips. As such, Gligli added wait statements to the upgraded firmware.
“Once the system was working, Gligli was free to start adding new features. He began by smoothing out the stepped envelope and filter generators, as well as adding new exponential modes,” said Fabio.
“From there he added new keyboard polyphony modes as well as pitch and mod wheel changes. Since this is an open source project, adding a feature is as simple as cracking open your favorite editor and writing it up.”
Interested in learning more? You can check out all the relevant project files on GitHub here.
So if you are attending one of our ToT events, or happen to see us stopping to refuel, be sure to come on over and take a selfie with the Atmel crew and our tech-packed mobile trailer. Don’t be camera shy, because you could win a brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3!
This weekend, Atmel’s ToT will be at SXSW in Austin, Texas. We’re based at the Hyatt Regency Austin from March 7-9, 2014, so be sure to stop by during the show to see our latest demos.
Atmel’s Tech on Tour trailer is on the road again and heading to Austin, Texas for SXSW. We’ll be at the Hyatt Regency Austin from March 7-9, 2014, so be sure to stop by during the show to see our latest demos.
In addition, we’re proud to host a guest appearance by Autodesk, the very same folks behind the world famous Instructables and 123D Circuits.
With 123D Circuits, you can breadboard and simulate your AVR-powered Arduino-based circuits, while writing, compiling and running code right in your browser. When you’re done, you can have the circuit board professionally made and shipped right to your doorstep.
Interested in learning more about Atmel’s tech on tour? You can check out our official ToT page here.
Jean-Noël says projected capacity is the primary principle behind his Atmel-powered Ootsidebox, with an electric field projected in front of the existing touch surface affected by movements of the hand. Simply put, it is possible to calculate 3D coordinates and recognize certain gestures by measuring the perturbations of an oscillator caused by the movement of the user’s fingers (or an object) at several centimeters from the control surface.
Recently, Atmel’s Tom Vu had the opportunity to discuss the Ootsidebox with product inventor Jean Noel Lefebvre.
Jean Noel: I kicked off this project 6 years ago and have worked on it full time since March 2013. Most of the parts used to construct Ootsidebox are actually off-the-shelf electronics.
More specifically, I used the Atmel AT90USB1286 microcontroller (MCU) to power the device. Currently, I am exploring the possibility of meshing the popular Unity 3D gaming Engine with Ootsidebox. Combining a well known gaming engine will help us tease out more latent, long-term potential for the project, while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of game play with touchless or hybrid touch/touchless technology.
TV: How does Ootsidebox differ from other touchless and gesture sensor solutions?
JN: First of all, there is nothing at the center. For the microchip solution, you need a center electrode with two layers integrated within the body. In contrast, Ootsidebox is designed to be platform and device agnostic. In fact, the incasing can be modeled to fit around existing technologies and devices. Take, for example, example, the Android or iPad. The idea that you can simply wrap this touchless interface around existing devices and products opens new possibilities while enhancing use-cases for existing devices.
With this external fitting, much like an accessory, one can quickly enable their devices to be touchless, with gestures executed from within 10cm (set to double very soon) at maximum in front of a small screen. The device can be used in many different scenarios. For example, say you are in the kitchen cooking with greasy hands filled with sauce. The Ootsidebox can be set to seamlessly interact with various kitchen appliances – without the user ever having to touch knobs, buttons, glass, dials or sliders. Instead, activating/adjusting appliances can be performed via simple gestures (left to right or circular motions). Of course, there are many additional applications that can benefit from a touchless interface, ranging from home consumer device, gaming, health or even industrial uses.
TV: Can you tell me more about the product design? Is there any particular reason you chose Atmel AVR?
JN: The design is very simple, using only well known “stock components” found on any distributor or reseller site. The more complex part may be found in the 14bits DAC in SPI. Most of the components are “old school” logical chips such as 4000 family (my best friends for a long time in electronics). As for the microcontroller, I didn’t need high performance uC, so 8 bits were enough. The idea is to prepare Ootsideboxfor mainstream adoption via a strategy of simplicity, a philosophy which fits well with Makers and the open source community. In terms of selecting the appropriate uC, I was careful to precisely balance price and performance. I also took into consideration various factors such as the large AVR community, availability of open source libs and the quality of the support and tools from the chip manufacturer. The mindset, reputation and philosophy of the brand (Atmel and Arduino) helped steer my uC choice. In fact, startups today are very closely tied to Maker Movement, reflecting Arduino and Atmel. That’s why I’m very confident when choosing Atmel, because Atmel and the Arduino community really support the Maker Movement today.
TV: How does Ootsidebox differ from other platforms on the market?
JN: It’s really a control device that computes touchless gestures versus touching and manipulating. Most of us are quite familiar with the ongoing touch revolution, as we use the very same interface interacting with smartphones and tablets on a daily basis. In addition, there are already commercially viable products such as Android devices equipped with sensor hubs that are designed to process gestural movement of the hand.
Ootsidebox differs on many levels, as the device is meant to be an add-on or fitting to an already existing device. Easy modification will encourage HMI enhancements for existing products or emerging devices. Remember, a consumer/user does not have to be married to just one product line from a major manufacturer. With Ootsidebox, you can control the devices without touching; move up, down, side-to-side, rotational, and even emulating the click of a button. Perhaps most importantly, the touchless interface will undoubtedly inspire future design roadmaps. For example, the touchless form factor is perfect for industrial and medical use. Just imagine a dentist needing to activate or handle various devices during treatment when messy hands are not necessarily ideal.
TV: What is the future of Ootsidebox? Do you plan on making it open source?
JN: Yes, there are plans to launch a campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo to attract more involvement in the development and use of this touchless sensor solution. The platform and innovative slope for additional development is limitless. We plan on releasing Ootsidebox as open source / open hardware, complete with specs for mechanical design. Crowdsourcing will help spur additional innovation, while allowing the platform to accommodate a wider degree of functionality.
JN: Afew years ago, disruptive products and ideas were conceived in garages. Today, the very same process takes place in Hackerspaces, where creativity thrives and technical skills abound. By designing projects in Hackerspaces, Makers and engineers are fully connected with a worldwide network of creative people boasting different backgrounds. This synergy significantly accelerates the innovation process.
TV: What is your personal experience with AVR microcontrollers (MCUs) and Arduino boards?
JN: I was using other brands before I discovered the benefits of AVR uC during my discussions about Ootsidebox with my friends at Elektor Labs.
Also during my stay at Noisebridge Hackerspace, Mitch Altman was using AVR Arduino to teach electronics for newbies (I really love what’s happening there). My first experience with the Arduino environment was with Teensy++ 2.0, based on the AT90USB1286 MCU. This Atmel AVR microcontroller is the one I used for my last prototype of the Ootsidebox tablet accessory, which will be launched soon on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. We are also working on a smaller project with Elektor Labs. Essentially, it’s a “3D Pad” built in the form of a shield for Arduino.
TV: Are touchless gestures the future of user interfaces?
JN: Touchless gestures are a part of the natural evolution of the more traditional user interface. It’s a way to provide a more natural and intuitive user experience, which is somewhat of a growing requirement due to the proliferation of complex equipment in our everyday life. Of course, touchless gesture interaction is also more natural. In the future, with the help of Ootsidebox technology, product designers and Makers will not create electronic platforms to “manipulate” or “interact” with devices, but rather, for individuals to directly “communicate” with them instead.
Really, people expect them to be as smart as living entities. I learned that during various discussions with scientists about the project. In the brain, “communicating” vs. “manipulating” simply does not invoke the same connections pathways. Clearly, touchless and gesture UI are paving the way to a very fascinating evolution of consumer electronics in the near future. That being said, I see touchless user interfaces complimenting, rather than replacing, multi-touch, much the same way the mouse didn’t replace a keyboard.
Clearly, this kind of technology can help save lives, while reducing nosocomial risk in healthcare environments. It may also allows drivers to stay more attentive to the road when navigating with gesture-based infotainment. Personally, I’m dreaming of disruptive aesthetic designs in the field of high-tech consumer electronics. I can’t wait to see what a guy like Philippe Starck will be able to create. As I noted earlier, this project is 100% open and we invite everyone to participate on Twitter. Just post your questions and suggestions here: @OOTSIDEBOX, while including the hashtag #AtmelBlog. I’ll answer you personally. You can also check us out here on Facebook.
When it is reliable, public transportation is almost certainly the way to go, especially for those who are environmentally conscious. Take Adrian and Obelix, for example. These two university students recently hacked an LED dot matrix display to show arrival times for stops near their dorm.
The duo found the display for the project, albeit with a defective controller, on eBay. However, Adrian and Obelix quickly swapped out the controller for a trusty AVR-based ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU) and TP-Link MR3020.
“The ATmega328P does all the hard work pushing every line into the registers of the display and multiplexing, [while] the MR3020 takes care of network communication where it’s wireless interface comes in handy, because you only need to provide power to the display,” the two explained in a detailed blog post.
“For now, a PC takes care of collecting all information and rendering an image, but this will eventually be done by the MR3020 in the future. For now, it’s more practical to do the rendering on a PC with Python, where later on a C-program would do all the work on the MR3020.”
It should probably be noted that the above-mentioned display actually comprises two separate displays – each with a resolution of 128*16 pixels. Indeed, each line is connected to a binary decoder.
“Both displays have a common line select, clock pin, enable and latch, but separate data pins and data output pins, so we connected the first dataout to the second and get a virtual 256*16 pixel display,” the two added.
Atmel is bidding auf wiedersehen to Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany.
During the show, Atmel announced and showcased a number of new products to drive smart, connected devices in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) including:
Other notable demos included Ivee Sleek Wi-Fi, a voice-activated assistance for the home that helps manage and control connected devices without hands; a finger print, voice-search, secure Bluetooth / USB drive that displays passwords; a tiny automatic camera and app that boasts a searchable and shareable photographic memory, as well as a 5mm x 5mm Cortex-A5 System on Module card.
A polyphase smart e-metering board based on a dual ARM Cortex-M4 core system-on-chip with an integrated metrology AFE was also on display in the booth, along with Atmel’s advanced AvantCar demo, a next-gen automotive center console concept with curved touchscreens that illustrated the combined use of Atmel’s XSense, maXTouch, QTouch and 8-bit AVR MCU technologies.
In addition, Atmel’s low-power MCU Expert Bob Martin presented “Differentiating and Optimizing for Static and Active Microcontroller Modes” during the hands-on workshop: “Applying Optimizing Techniques for Ultra-low Power Microcontrollers” (Class 07) and talked Hexbug hacking in the Atmel booth.
