# Atmega32u4 board decision and confusion

**URL:** <https://community.sparkfun.com/t/atmega32u4-board-decision-and-confusion/28813>\
**Category:** MicroMod\
**Tags:** avr-atmel\
**Created:** [May 22, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/atmega32u4-board-decision-and-confusion/28813 "2014-05-22T01:17:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![harrybstoner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f14d63/32.png) [@harrybstoner](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/harrybstoner)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/atmega32u4-board-decision-and-confusion/28813/1 "2014-05-22T01:17:37Z")

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I have used Atmega32 in the past with FTDI USB-serial connector from PC with virtual com port. Now I am looking at a new project with Atmega32u4. I see boards like Olimexino-32u4 with built-in FTDI chip but I don’t quite understand how Arduino fits into things. I don’t want anything to do with Arduino.

All I want to do is port my existing Atmega32 C code to the Atmega32u4 and use (perhaps) LUFA code to act as a USB CDC device to communicate with the PC. Hopefully the PC code can still talk using COM API via the FTDI virtual COM port driver. The tools I used for the existing projects have been Atmel Dev Studio 4.x with WinAVR.

I presume now I would use Atmel Studio 6.x with LUFA extension. Still WinAVR?

Again, is there anything Arduino-specific in the bootloader or whatever for these boards? I am frustrated that I can’t ask a better question. I don’t want to buy a board to find out it is constrained to some other IDE or development environment.

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![n1ist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@n1ist](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/n1ist)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/atmega32u4-board-decision-and-confusion/28813/2 "2014-05-23T16:39:26Z")

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I don’t see an FTDI chip on that board; the 32u4 has built-in USB. You can always load a 6-pin header in the ICSP pads and program it with any AVR programmer, if you don’t want to use the existing bootloader.

Actually, any AVR-based Arduino can be used as a standalone development board without needing the Arduino environment or code. Either use the pre-loaded bootloader with AVRDude or a standard ICSP-based programmer like a Dragon or AVRISP

/mike

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**Author:** ![harrybstoner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f14d63/32.png) [@harrybstoner](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/harrybstoner)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/atmega32u4-board-decision-and-confusion/28813/3 "2014-05-23T18:19:20Z")

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> I don’t see an FTDI chip on that board; the 32u4 has built-in USB.

Sorry, my mistake. I was thinking of a different board. There is no FTDI chip involved.

> Actually, any AVR-based Arduino can be used as a standalone development board without needing the Arduino environment or code. Either use the pre-loaded bootloader with AVRDude or a standard ICSP-based programmer like a Dragon or AVRISP

Ok, so I believe I can use a board like the Olimexino-32u4, and develop with Atmel Studio and program it via USB (using the supplied/loaded bootloader) with AVRDude.

Thank you.