Summary of DIY $5 USBTinyISP
This article details a high school student's project to build a DIY USBTinyISP programmer for under $5, bypassing the cost of commercial alternatives like Adafruit's $22 version. The author credits Tequals0 for the original design and explains the necessity of an ISP programmer over serial ports for uploading hex files to microcontrollers. Two PCB versions (DIP and SMT) are available for download, though perf boards can also be used based on the provided schematic.
Parts used in the DIY $5 USBTinyISP:
- Microcontroller
- PCB (DIP or SMT version)
- Perf board
- Schematic from Tequals0
- USB connector
Dear Adafruit, Sparkfun, Radioshack, and hobbyist companies of the like,
I’m a high-schooler with zero dollars in the bank. I can’t really afford to buy a $60 Arduino from RS when I could buy it for $15 on ebay, from Shenzhen or Hong Kong.
I understand that I am hurting your business by not buying your products, but by doing so I educate myself and others.
I just want to say thank you for teaching me how to make my own products when your products are too expensive.
Sincerely
tsjwang
Hey instructables!
First of all, I want to give absolute credit to Tequals0. You should check out his instructables account and follow him.
So, over the summer I needed to find a way to get OFF of the arduino board and onto smaller/cheaper microcontrollers for more permanent projects.
For a while I have been using the ArduinoISP sketch to upload files, but if I wanted to upload a hex file, I needed a real programmer (I needed a programmer that programs through the ISP and not through a serial port).
SO I looked at adafruit’s USBTinyISP, which I must say, was VERY cheap comparing to Atmel’s other programmers. USBTiny is also supported by Arduino IDE, so that’s great too.
As cheap as it was, it was $22; I don’t spend $22 on one thing.
so, let me get started on how to make your own usbtinyisp
I’m a high-schooler with zero dollars in the bank. I can’t really afford to buy a $60 Arduino from RS when I could buy it for $15 on ebay, from Shenzhen or Hong Kong.
I understand that I am hurting your business by not buying your products, but by doing so I educate myself and others.
I just want to say thank you for teaching me how to make my own products when your products are too expensive.
Sincerely
tsjwang
Hey instructables!
First of all, I want to give absolute credit to Tequals0. You should check out his instructables account and follow him.
So, over the summer I needed to find a way to get OFF of the arduino board and onto smaller/cheaper microcontrollers for more permanent projects.
For a while I have been using the ArduinoISP sketch to upload files, but if I wanted to upload a hex file, I needed a real programmer (I needed a programmer that programs through the ISP and not through a serial port).
SO I looked at adafruit’s USBTinyISP, which I must say, was VERY cheap comparing to Atmel’s other programmers. USBTiny is also supported by Arduino IDE, so that’s great too.
As cheap as it was, it was $22; I don’t spend $22 on one thing.
so, let me get started on how to make your own usbtinyisp
Step 1: Design
Attached in the zip folder are some PCBs I made for your convenience. There is a DIP version and an SMT version. I did SMT this time just for fun. There is no difference.
You don’t have to use the PCBs if you just want to make a perf board or something. There is a schematic from Tequals0 and that is all that matters
Attached in that zip files are other important stuff too, so I will refer to those.
For more detail: DIY $5 USBTinyISP
- Why did the author decide to build their own programmer?
The author wanted a cheaper alternative to the $22 Adafruit USBTinyISP because they had zero dollars in the bank. - What is the main difference between using a standard ArduinoISP sketch and this project?
This project uses a real programmer that programs through the ISP rather than through a serial port. - Can I use a perf board instead of the provided PCBs?
Yes, you do not have to use the PCBs if you want to make a perf board or something similar. - Are there different versions of the PCB included in the zip folder?
Yes, the attached files include both a DIP version and an SMT version with no functional difference. - Which software supports the USBTinyISP mentioned in the text?
The USBTiny is supported by the Arduino IDE. - Who should receive credit for the original design of this project?
The author gives absolute credit to Tequals0 and suggests following his instructables account.
