• Micro Controller Programmer Ready!

    David Scholten • 02/14/2022 at 06:48 • 0 comments

    Finally, after delaying and getting the parts, I finally have a programmer for the TPI interface of the Attiny5  that doesn't require a header on the PCB! Behold!

    Here it is before stuffing it together:

    Here it is with the probes, etc. before assembly:

    So here's how it works simplified. There are 5 pins needed from the AVR Ice programmer to the Attiny5 TPI interface:

    Clock --> Use a probe needle
    Data --> Use a probe needle
    Reset --> Use a probe Needle
    GND --> Clip the GND clamp of one of the probes to the chassis of the device.
    Target Voltage --> Hopefully overridable in AVR studio? If not I'll split open the USB cable and give it 5V. This way it's basically forced to 5V logic levels.

    I've tested it and it is quite easy to stick up to three oscilloscope probes into the pads of the Attiny5 without having any other dedicated space (I've run out!).

    Also, this is an excuse to make a box that I'll use in the future. I can't believe TPI wasn't supported by the piles of only-just-slightly-to-old programmers I had lying around...

  • First Board Assembled

    David Scholten • 09/18/2021 at 00:18 • 0 comments

    Well, here it is. The first board has been assembled which will now allow me to write and debug the micro controller code. Once this has been done I can send off the hex file for Digikey to pre-program onto the micros to avoid the programming problem.

    But first to make a jig to align pins to actually connect to the micro-controller...

  • Parts for V2 Prototype Arrive

    David Scholten • 07/31/2021 at 06:57 • 0 comments

    The parts for the first assembly of V2 are here! There's enough for 5 assemblies.
    Goals are:
    -->Do they work?
    -->Write microcode/verify
    -->Is the LED useful? (looking for parts to remove).
    -->Design new enclosure.