Shortly after I decided to make the TinyLoadr AVR Programmer, I had an idea for another project. While the programmer works well, some people prefer using their own AVR programmer, be it a cheap USBasp or an AVRISP mkII.
There are plenty of ATmega and ATtiny breakout boards, but none (that I could find) that supported multiple AVRs with a single socket. Since I already had the TinyLoadr AVR Programmer which does use only a single socket, I decided to get to work.
Read more to find out more about it, or visit my Tindie store to grab one for yourself!
Overview
What I ended up with is essentially my TinyLoadr AVR Programmer, but without the programmer. The 6 and 10-pin headers allow you to connect any standard AVR programmer, and the ZIF socket lets you easily insert and remove your DIP AVRs for programming. The on board multiplexers route the SPI, power, and clock lines to different pins on the socket based on the jumper position. This means that just like the programmer, the breakout uses only one socket so the board is nice and compact and you don’t have to have multiple breakout boards for different AVRs.
Features at a glance
- Open source
- Compatible standard AVR programmers
- Supports a wide range of AVRs (see list below)
- 16MHz external clock source for all supported AVRs
- One 28-pin ZIF socket
- All ZIF socket pins broken out
- A Blink LED to test your microcontrollers
- 10 and 6-pin ICSP headers
- M3 (3.2mm) size mounting holes
- Easy to use for both beginners and advanced users
What microcontrollers are supported?
The following DIP microcontrollers are supported in the ZIF socket:
- ATtiny11
- ATtiny12
- ATtiny13
- ATtiny15
- ATtiny24
- ATtiny25
- ATtiny44
- ATtiny45
- ATtiny84
- ATtiny85
- ATtiny2313
- ATtiny4313
- ATmega8
- ATmega48
- ATmega88
- ATmega168
- ATmega328P
Note that this isn’t a 100% comprehensive list. Any AVR which is pin-compatible with one of the above mentioned AVRs (meaning its SPI and power pins are the same as one of the listed AVRs) should work just fine.
One jumper to select the microcontroller you want to program.
It’s simple to use
The TinyLoadr AVR Breakout is based on the already easy to use TinyLoadr AVR Programmer and it’s even easier to use.
Simply connect your AVR programmer to the 6 or 10-pin header, set the “uC Select” jumper to the appropriate microcontroller, and insert the microcontroller to the left of the socket, with the microcontroller’s notch facing left. That’s it!
It’s cost effective
Instead of spending $5 or $10 on a single-purpose breakout board, you can have a breakout board that supports the most common AVRs for just $15! If you’re interested then by all means, check out my Tindie store!
Compatible with your favourite AVR programmers, including USBasp devices.
The header pins are helpfully labeled and there’s also a legend so you can use the built-in blink LED to test.