[Noisebridge-discuss] Fwd: [Swarm] Arduino Mega spotted in the wild!

William Heath wgheath at gmail.com
Mon Mar 30 22:36:00 UTC 2009 

I was responding to what Jim was requesting.  I noticed you did not treat
his request with the same response.  What was different?
-Tim

2009/3/30 Christie Dudley <longobord at gmail.com>

> Sorry, this is not a workshop, this is a bulk order.  You're on your own as
> to what to do with it.  If you want one, please feel free to sign up.  If
> you need handholding, look elsewhere.
>
> Christie
>
> 2009/3/30 William Heath <wgheath at gmail.com>
>
> I am not a beginner but ok.  I have a CSE and MSCS.  I have programmed
>> motorola 68K's, eproms, etc...  I can do truth tables and map out the gates
>> necessary to realize those inputs/outputs in my sleep.
>> -Tim
>>
>> P.S.
>>
>> Just need a small refresher.  Ask me hardware questions if you want to
>> verify my knowledge.  I had the highest grade in my microprocessors class in
>> college as well.
>>
>> 2009/3/30 Christie Dudley <longobord at gmail.com>
>>
>> This probably isn't a good board for a beginner to start with.  The "Mega"
>>> version has a lot more complexity than you'd use if you're not already
>>> familiar with the arduino, I'd suggest you start there.  A tutorial on that
>>> can be found on the arduino website at:
>>> http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
>>>
>>> Christie
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 3:08 PM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>   i'd like to get one, but currently have no clue
>>>> how to get started with it. it would be helpful,
>>>> at least comforting, to see a link or two to a
>>>> tutorial or tutor or Noisebridge study group.
>>>>   i'll hold my breath and sign up.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, 2009-03-30 at 15:01 -0700, Christie Dudley wrote:
>>>> > Corey and I have been talking about going in on an order.  I was
>>>> > thinking it'd be cool to see if other folks from NB wanted to get in
>>>> > on this too.  I'd like to get the order sent out by Thursday morning.
>>>> >
>>>> > I've made a wiki page for signing up at:
>>>> > https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Mega_Arduino_Order - we can do this
>>>> > the way we usually do bulk orders.
>>>> >
>>>> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>> > From: Corey McGuire <coreyfro at coreyfro.com>
>>>> > Date: 2009/3/30
>>>> > Subject: [Swarm] Arduino Mega spotted in the wild!
>>>> > To: Swarm <swarm at lee.org>
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Arduino Mega spotted in the wild! Who wants to jump in on an order?
>>>> > Discounts at 5 and 10 http://tr.im/ardmega http://tr.im/megashield
>>>> >
>>>> > $65.00, 2/$123.50, 10/$585.00, 50/$2,600.00, 100/$4,875.00
>>>> > Special Offer
>>>> >       * Offer includes one FREE MEGAshield PCB per Arduino MEGA board,
>>>> >         valued at $6.50 each
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Arduino MEGA requires Arduino IDE 0015 or newer
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Overview
>>>> > The Arduino Mega is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega1280
>>>> > (datasheet). It has 54 digital input/output pins (of which 14 can be
>>>> > used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial
>>>> > ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack,
>>>> > an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to
>>>> > support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a
>>>> > USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get
>>>> > started. The Mega is compatible with most shields designed for the
>>>> > Arduino Duemilanove or Diecimila.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Schematic & Reference Design
>>>> > EAGLE files: arduino-mega-reference-design.zip Δ
>>>> >
>>>> > Schematic: arduino-mega-schematic.pdf
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Summary
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Microcontroller
>>>> > ATmega1280
>>>> > Operating Voltage
>>>> > 5V
>>>> > Input Voltage (recommended)
>>>> > 7-12V
>>>> > Input Voltage (limits)
>>>> > 6-20V
>>>> > Digital I/O Pins
>>>> > 54 (of which 14 provide PWM output)
>>>> > Analog Input Pins
>>>> > 16
>>>> > DC Current per I/O Pin
>>>> > 40 mA
>>>> > DC Current for 3.3V Pin
>>>> > 50 mA
>>>> > Flash Memory
>>>> > 128 KB of which 4 KB used by
>>>> > bootloader
>>>> > SRAM
>>>> > 8 KB
>>>> > EEPROM
>>>> > 4 KB
>>>> > Clock Speed
>>>> > 16 MHz
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Power
>>>> > The Arduino Mega can be powered via the USB connection or with an
>>>> > external power supply. The power source is selected automatically.
>>>> >
>>>> > External (non-USB) power can come either from an AC-to-DC adapter
>>>> > (wall-wart) or battery. The adapter can be connected by plugging a
>>>> > 2.1mm center-positive plug into the board's power jack. Leads from a
>>>> > battery can be inserted in the Gnd and Vin pin headers of the POWER
>>>> > connector.
>>>> >
>>>> > The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts. If
>>>> > supplied with less than 7V, however, the 5V pin may supply less than
>>>> > five volts and the board may be unstable. If using more than 12V, the
>>>> > voltage regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended
>>>> > range is 7 to 12 volts.
>>>> >
>>>> > The power pins are as follows:
>>>> >
>>>> >       * VIN. The input voltage to the Arduino board when it's using an
>>>> >         external power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB
>>>> >         connection or other regulated power source). You can supply
>>>> >         voltage through this pin, or, if supplying voltage via the
>>>> >         power jack, access it through this pin.
>>>> >       * 5V. The regulated power supply used to power the
>>>> >         microcontroller and other components on the board. This can
>>>> >         come either from VIN via an on-board regulator, or be supplied
>>>> >         by USB or another regulated 5V supply.
>>>> >       * 3V3. A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board FTDI chip.
>>>> >         Maximum current draw is 50 mA.
>>>> >
>>>> >       * GND. Ground pins.
>>>> > Memory
>>>> > The ATmega1280 has 128 KB of flash memory for storing code (of which 4
>>>> > KB is used for the bootloader), 8 KB of SRAM and 4 KB of EEPROM (which
>>>> > can be read and written with the EEPROM library).
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Input and Output
>>>> > Each of the 54 digital pins on the Mega can be used as an input or
>>>> > output, using pinMode(), digitalWrite(), and digitalRead() functions.
>>>> > They operate at 5 volts. Each pin can provide or receive a maximum of
>>>> > 40 mA and has an internal pull-up resistor (disconnected by default)
>>>> > of 20-50 kOhms. In addition, some pins have specialized functions:
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >       * Serial: 0 (RX) and 1 (TX); Serial 1: 19 (RX) and 18 (TX);
>>>> >         Serial 2: 17 (RX) and 16 (TX); Serial 3: 15 (RX) and 14 (TX).
>>>> >         Used to receive (RX) and transmit (TX) TTL serial data. Pins 0
>>>> >         and 1 are also connected to the corresponding pins of the FTDI
>>>> >         USB-to-TTL Serial chip.
>>>> >       * External Interrupts: 2 (interrupt 0), 3 (interrupt 1), 18
>>>> >         (interrupt 5), 19 (interrupt 4), 20 (interrupt 3), and 21
>>>> >         (interrupt 2). These pins can be configured to trigger an
>>>> >         interrupt on a low value, a rising or falling edge, or a
>>>> >         change in value. See the attachInterrupt() function for
>>>> >         details.
>>>> >       * PWM: 0 to 13. Provide 8-bit PWM output with the analogWrite()
>>>> >         function.
>>>> >       * SPI: 50 (MISO), 51 (MOSI), 52 (SCK), 53 (SS). These pins
>>>> >         support SPI communication, which, although provided by the
>>>> >         underlying hardware, is not currently included in the Arduino
>>>> >         language. The SPI pins are also broken out on the ICSP header,
>>>> >         which is physically compatible with the Duemilanove and
>>>> >         Diecimila.
>>>> >
>>>> >       * LED: 13. There is a built-in LED connected to digital pin 13.
>>>> >         When the pin is HIGH value, the LED is on, when the pin is
>>>> >         LOW, it's off.
>>>> >       * I2C: 20 (SDA) and 21 (SCL). Support I2C (TWI) communication
>>>> >         using the Wire library (documentation on the Wiring website).
>>>> >         Note that these pins are not in the same location as the I2C
>>>> >         pins on the Duemilanove or Diecimila.
>>>> >
>>>> > The Mega has 16 analog inputs, each of which provide 10 bits of
>>>> > resolution (i.e. 1024 different values). By default they measure from
>>>> > ground to 5 volts, though is it possible to change the upper end of
>>>> > their range using the AREF pin and analogReference() function.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > There are a couple of other pins on the board:
>>>> >
>>>> >       * AREF. Reference voltage for the analog inputs. Used with
>>>> >         analogReference().
>>>> >       * Reset. Bring this line LOW to reset the microcontroller.
>>>> >         Typically used to add a reset button to shields which block
>>>> >         the one on the board.
>>>> > Communication
>>>> > The Arduino Mega has a number of facilities for communicating with a
>>>> > computer, another Arduino, or other microcontrollers. The ATmega1280
>>>> > provides four hardware UARTs for TTL (5V) serial communication. An
>>>> > FTDI FT232RL on the board channels one of these over USB and the FTDI
>>>> > drivers (included with the Arduino software) provide a virtual com
>>>> > port to software on the computer. The Arduino software includes a
>>>> > serial monitor which allows simple textual data to be sent to and from
>>>> > the Arduino board. The RX and TX LEDs on the board will flash when
>>>> > data is being transmitted via the FTDI chip and USB connection to the
>>>> > computer (but not for serial communication on pins 0 and 1).
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > A SoftwareSerial library allows for serial communication on any of the
>>>> > Mega's digital pins.
>>>> >
>>>> > The ATmega1280 also supports I2C (TWI) and SPI communication. The
>>>> > Arduino software includes a Wire library to simplify use of the I2C
>>>> > bus; see the documentation on the Wiring website for details. To use
>>>> > the SPI communication, please see the ATmega1280 datasheet.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Programming
>>>> > The Arduino Mega can be programmed with the Arduino software
>>>> > (download). For details, see the reference and tutorials.
>>>> >
>>>> > The ATmega1280 on the Arduino Mega comes preburned with a bootloader
>>>> > that allows you to upload new code to it without the use of an
>>>> > external hardware programmer. It communicates using the original
>>>> > STK500 protocol (reference, C header files).
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > You can also bypass the bootloader and program the microcontroller
>>>> > through the ICSP (In-Circuit Serial Programming) header; see these
>>>> > instructions for details.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Automatic (Software) Reset
>>>> > Rather then requiring a physical press of the reset button before an
>>>> > upload, the Arduino Mega is designed in a way that allows it to be
>>>> > reset by software running on a connected computer. One of the hardware
>>>> > flow control lines (DTR) of the FT232RL is connected to the reset line
>>>> > of the ATmega1280 via a 100 nanofarad capacitor. When this line is
>>>> > asserted (taken low), the reset line drops long enough to reset the
>>>> > chip. The Arduino software uses this capability to allow you to upload
>>>> > code by simply pressing the upload button in the Arduino environment.
>>>> > This means that the bootloader can have a shorter timeout, as the
>>>> > lowering of DTR can be well-coordinated with the start of the upload.
>>>> >
>>>> > This setup has other implications. When the Mega is connected to
>>>> > either a computer running Mac OS X or Linux, it resets each time a
>>>> > connection is made to it from software (via USB). For the following
>>>> > half-second or so, the bootloader is running on the Mega. While it is
>>>> > programmed to ignore malformed data (i.e. anything besides an upload
>>>> > of new code), it will intercept the first few bytes of data sent to
>>>> > the board after a connection is opened. If a sketch running on the
>>>> > board receives one-time configuration or other data when it first
>>>> > starts, make sure that the software with which it communicates waits a
>>>> > second after opening the connection and before sending this data.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > The Mega contains a trace that can be cut to disable the auto-reset.
>>>> > The pads on either side of the trace can be soldered together to
>>>> > re-enable it. It's labeled "RESET-EN". You may also be able to disable
>>>> > the auto-reset by connecting a 110 ohm resistor from 5V to the reset
>>>> > line; see this forum thread for details.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > USB Overcurrent Protection
>>>> > The Arduino Mega has a resettable polyfuse that protects your
>>>> > computer's USB ports from shorts and overcurrent. Although most
>>>> > computers provide their own internal protection, the fuse provides an
>>>> > extra layer of protection. If more than 500 mA is applied to the USB
>>>> > port, the fuse will automatically break the connection until the short
>>>> > or overload is removed.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Physical Characteristics and Shield Compatibility
>>>> > The maximum length and width of the Mega PCB are 4 and 2.1 inches
>>>> > respectively, with the USB connector and power jack extending beyond
>>>> > the former dimension. Three screw holes allow the board to be attached
>>>> > to a surface or case. Note that the distance between digital pins 7
>>>> > and 8 is 160 mil (0.16"), not an even multiple of the 100 mil spacing
>>>> > of the other pins.
>>>> >
>>>> > The Mega is designed to be compatible with most shields designed for
>>>> > the Diecimila or Duemilanove. Digital pins 0 to 13 (and the adjacent
>>>> > AREF and GND pins), analog inputs 0 to 5, the power header, and ICSP
>>>> > header are all in equivalent locations. Further the main UART (serial
>>>> > port) is located on the same pins (0 and 1), as are external
>>>> > interrupts 0 and 1 (pins 2 and 3 respectively). SPI is available
>>>> > through the ICSP header on both the Mega and Duemilanove / Diecimila.
>>>> > Please note that I2C is not located on the same pins on the Mega (20
>>>> > and 21) as the Duemilanove / Diecimila (analog inputs 4 and 5).
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Images
>>>> > Some images contain optional accessories and components.
>>>> >
>>>> > Related items
>>>> > Arduino Duemilanove
>>>> > Price: $29.45
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Seeeduino fully Assembled - Arduino compatible
>>>> > Price: $23.99
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > ---- SWARM, A Large Scale Kinetic Art Project
>>>> > ---- http://orbswarm.com
>>>> > http://lists.lee.org/listinfo.cgi/swarm-lee.org
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > I refuse to give up childish things.
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>> > Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>> > https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> I refuse to give up childish things.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> I refuse to give up childish things.
>
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