HELP Cheap/Interchangable Bread Boarded Arduino

Development Boards Arduino
1

I started off with the SparkFun Arduino Inventors Kit, had a lot of fun with it, and now I think I’ve zapped it as some of the I/O doesn’t seem to be working.

Rather than purchasing a new Arduino Uno for every project I plan to use these on, I’d like a cheaper option. I was wondering if purchasing all of the components and bread boarding them may save some money. I am a little unsure of which programmer breakout board to purchase though. Here is the list that I think I need please let me know if I am missing anything:

2x Electrolytic Decoupling Capacitors - 10uF/25V sku: COM-00523

2x Capacitor Ceramic 0.1uF sku: COM-08375

2x Capacitor Ceramic 22pF sku: COM-08571

10x 10 k Ohm risistor

10x 330 Ohm Risistor

Voltage Regulator - 5V sku: COM-00107

Crystal 16MHz sku: COM-00536

Pushbutton switch

10x LEDs

Headers

AVR 28 Pin 20MHz 32K 6A/D - ATMega328 sku: COM-09061

FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V sku: DEV-10008

USB Cable A to B - 6 Foot sku: CAB-00512

I could then use the programmer on a number of bread boarded projects and Perf board finished projects. Am I on the right track here?

2

That list is fine, except you will need to be able to burn the bootloader onto the AVR chip for it to work with Arduino, in which case you either need an avr programmer, or a working Arduino and look up how to used the Arduino ISP (its on the arduino website).

If you think you have damaged the Uno on the inventors kit, it is more than likely that the only thing broken is the chip itself. In which case you can still use the board, and just get a replacement AVR (ATMega328), which is only a $5 replacement. The old chip will just pop right out, and the new one pop in (There is a semicircle on the edge of the chip which matches with the semicircle on the socket to make sure it is in the right way round).

If you don’t have a programmer, Sparkfun sells the chip with the Uno bootloader: [DEV-10524](ATmega328 with Arduino Optiboot (Uno) - DEV-10524 - SparkFun Electronics)

3

Mouser has them for for $2.82.

Personally, I would get a programmer and a pile of various AVRs for experimenting. An AVR dragon would be a useful tool though if you are only doing arduino, it’s not really necessary.

4

Note that there are alternatives “in between” a full-blown Arduino (~$30) and putting your own chips together. You can start with Sparkfun’s own “Arduino Pro” series ($20), and go down to the Modern Device “Really Bare Bones” kits ($13) or bare boards ( $4) (which could be partially populated with parts such as you describe. Having a “known working” PCB is very handy.)

5

I concur on the ModernDevice.com RBBB.

You can buy them as a kit, assembled or just the pcb.

Kit contains more parts than you listed for only $13 each.

RBBB will work in a breadboard just fine.

moderndevice is in the usa, and ships very fast. He also carries pre-programmed 328 w/bootloader.

There is another even smaller one from europe,but I forget the name of it.

6

Thank you all so much! I also found them for $22 at amazon. I did not know about moderndevice.com. Looks like a great place! I think I am going to get another ATMega328 and shove it in my PCB. I also think I am going to populate my own board too, just so I have a better understanding.