How about something like the ATMega 128 … you could call it the Arduino Brute. Have headers on board to automatically connect 3 wire sensors and servo’s. But make it more like the Arduino Pro with its minimalist design but with options to hook up a 2x8 LCD or mini-b usb connections.
I can see where that would be extremely popular with experimenters. Especially of you could get a basic interpretor such as ZxBasic on it.
I dont know… maybe I am off my rocker but I find the arduino’s falling short of most my needs. Like robots and such because there is only enough I/O for the most simplistic designs. Which would probably be better suited to the Orangutan anyway.
Not exactly what you’re asking for, but a few other people have noticed the lack of I/O on the Arduino.
The good people of the RepRap project (http://reprap.org/) solved the problem by creating the Sanguino (http://sanguino.cc/), which uses the ATMega644.
Both of them remain compatable with the Arduino software IDE, while providing twice the flash and RAM. The Sanguino provides roughly half-again the I/O and the Illuminato roughly twice the I/O.
The Sanguino uses a different pinout than the original Arduino. While the Illuminato simply doubles-up the I/O pins on the original Arduino board to allow compatability with Arduino Shield boards (see the video).
I am currently working on a whole lot of I2c I/O modules to combat this exact situation. Very early stages of development, but I’m happy to share what I have with you.
My ‘vision’ for these was to use the Open Source licence…
Having now mentioned them, I expect that sparkfun will have a commercially available board within the next week .
I guess what I talking about envisioning is a board that does not require you to add additional boards or some bread board to accomplish simple tasks.
Such as connecting a servo(s)…
Most servo’s have a specific pin out (sig/+V/gnd) and use a socket connector requiring pins places the board.
A/D input sensors use the same pin out also.
i2c (4 pin) and spi devices could be split out to standard connector and might be either pin or socket connections.
However there could be some instances where you might want to plug things in such as LCD/Xbee and would need pins or sockets for those.
Arduino is an excellent idea… i respect the fact that it has such a good following. But it requires extra boards or breadboard to actually use it.
Many times it would be nice to just plug in a few servos or motor controller and a lcd or sensors to prototype and idea before designing software or new hardware specific to that function (see arduino UAV… awesome ideas that spawned something completely different then its prototyped form). All i am suggesting is to use a processor with more potential in I/O and arrange the board in such a way that they are usable almost instantly as their intended function (PWM/I2C/AD/SPI/TTL232/ISP). Maybe throw in a few extras also. Like mini-usb for communication or a micro-sd or LIPO charger or default LCD connection or Xbee. Maybe have a touch screen connection on the bottom of the board with sensors and servos plug in to other side.
Some of those ideas are extreme i know… but easily do able with a little fore thought.
No… what I was thinking about was something more like this. All it needs to be is a ATmega128… but I think a 64 will do!! Would like to see a few other minor things a more standard SPI and I2C interfaces maybe a standard lipo charger and connector. And that big ole ugly capacitor… thats gotta go!! Maybe a more efficient power supply would be required.
Would this not be a brute? Think of all the sensors and stuff you could connect to this thing.
rogue357:
No… what I was thinking about was something more like this. All it needs to be is a ATmega128… but I think a 64 will do!!
The Atmega1280 has 128k flash, and the Atmega2560 has 256k flash. They seem to just be larger memory (flash, ram, eepromm) versions of the Atmega640 the AXON uses. I recently got an AXON, and it is a nice controller, but I have a couple issues with power distribution on it. I think the non-PWM capable I/Os should be jumper selectable between unregulated (battery voltage) and regulated (+5V) power. I believe this will be done on the AXON2, as well as a few other changes, which is good. :D
rogue357:
Would like to see a few other minor things a more standard SPI and I2C interfaces
I'd like to see a 5 pin I2C header that conforms to sensors such as the SRF10. This would make it much easier to directly wire these and other I2C sensors from the AXON.
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