We've been working hard to bring you a conundrum* of new protoboards and other handy items to go with them (*conundrum - a collective noun used to describe massive amounts of protoboards inhabiting our shelves). This issue of Friday new products features roughly half of the whole selection we offer, which can cover pretty much […]
Arduino Uno and Neeeew York City!
Dave Hrynkiw
September 29, 2010
We're back from the Open Source Hardware Summit and the Maker Faire! Did lots; learned lots; got lots of touristy things done too.
One of the main highlights was meeting and listening to talks by three of the principle members of the Arduino team. They took pity on English-speakers, and named the new revision the Arduino "UNO" which we now have in stock, along with the upgraded Arduino Mega 2560. Here (in short) are the principle differences between the Duemilanove and the new Uno:
- It uses the same microcontroller as before, but is on a new re-branded board ("Uno") with slicker packaging & graphics. Oh, and a logo too!
- The pin lables are a bit tighter, and better show how they are used (hardware PWM is marked with a "~")
- Stickers! And neat paperwork explaining warrantee, how it was made and tested, and how each purchase helps protect a 1/2 square meter of Madagascar forest. Cool.
- CE / FCC certification. This is an important one, which assures electronics performance & noise control. Not an inexpensive proposition - kudos on getting this certification!
- Smaller bootloader - gives you more space for code for sketches!
- Better 3.3V regulator on board (old 3.3V came from FTDI chip, which was a bit wimpy)
- MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE: Replacement of the FTDI USB/TTL interface chip with an ATmega8U2 microcontroller. It's apparently cheaper, faster and definitely a whole lot more flexible. There's even a separate ICSP header on the UNO to let you reprogram this second microcontroller to make your Arduino UNO appear to be something vastly different USB device to your operating system.
The Open Source Hardware Summit was a busy day (went by very quick) and in general was quite well attended. Practically all the rock-stars of the genre were there, and all the talks were well worth the price of admission. We were happy to put our sponsorship behind an event of this quality, as it brought out very interesting discussions. I won't delve too deep into it here - view the archived video of the event, and see for yourself!
MORE POSTS
New: The L293D and GM4 motor!
New products added to our inventory include the L293D motor driver IC (a staple chip used in small-robot building), and the new clear-case GM4 servo gearmotor! No electronics, just a full 360° rotating, strong, modified servo! Check out the "New Products" link on the left toolbar for pricing and details.
New Product Friday: GSM Shield, Conducti...
Well today we are presenting things! Here's how they work. GSM shield comes supplied with a sticker that you can draw a little arrow on it, and then you mount the shield on a stick, and it will show the direction of where you have to go. To set the direction whisper your exact latitude […]
KISS and Show n' Tell
Herbie the Mousebot, that lovable robotic rodent of ours, is a pretty popular critter. Seeks light, avoids obstacles, chases other Herbies (when modified), and is generally a swell robo mus musculus. He doesn't whistle and can't quite drive a steamboat like certain other mice, but he's gets by alright. What most people probably don't know about […]
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.