Tag Archives: microcontrollers

Introduction to AVR Microcontrollers

Just what is a microcontroller? To get you understand quickly I define a microcontroller as a single chip computer. Yes it is a full blown computer in its own. It has a C.P.U., RAM, some amount of EEPROM (for secondary storage i.e. permanent storage without power), many on-chip peripherals(Timer,Serial communication, Analogue to Digital converters etc.). If you don’t understand, no problem I will be dealing them in detail in next tutorials. But compared to a P.C. their resources(RAM,speed etc)are less. But that is what is required ! Because P.C. is a general purpose computer, which means it can run thousands of different software that are available for specific needs. Like it can run a game. The same P.C. can run this browser in which you are reading this! It can run a custom solution for banks,railways and airways. It can run a 3D modeling, video editing & image editing software for a production company. Many of these are huge software,requiring lots of memory and CPU power. And a P.C. can run simultaneously many of these ! So to run them the host computer should have enough RAM and CPU power so that it can run heaviest of them. But in case of a microcontroller(aka MCU) which is used for a specific purpose like switching a Microwave oven heating off after […]

Part III – Making Programmer and Target.

Now you know what tools are required for MCU based development. And you are familiar with their uses. Now time to start some real development.To cover these parts you must have some basic knowledge and tools of electroniccircuit fabrication. So now, let us start with the most important tool the programmer. Making a programmer. There are many different types of programmers available on the net. The basic difference is their interface with the PC. Basically, there are three types of programmers. Serial Port based Parallel Port based USB Port based. Of these serial port based and parallel port based programmers are easy to make in minimal cost. However, the parallel port is little bulky as compared to serial port, I prefer serial one. One of the best programmers I have come across is PonyProg(http://www.lancos.com) Serial Device Programmer it is a package of simple and low cost programmer with easy to use GUI software. I have been using it from long time. So here I will teach you to make PonyProg device programmer.   Note As the serials and parallel ports are very old technologies they are fast disappearing from PCs. Most laptops are not having them and even desktops are dropping them. Therefore, its no surprise that your PC does not has serial ports. In this case, you have to […]