So, there we were: Sitting at our desks, at our computers. And before we knew it, BAM! INTERNET! And when you're unexpectedly faced with this kind of a freak-circumstance, there's only one thing you can do: find something worth sharing. So here we go, our latest round of absolutely life-shattering links. You'll never be the […]
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 Gearmotor - the GM17
Hellooooo! I love getting new gearmotors to test. I get to break them apart, poke them, submit them to torture test - it's all great fun. My latest victim of inspection is our new GM17 HE Offset gearmotor. It uses a very power efficient 300-form factor motor to drive the 228:1 gearbox. It isn't a […]
Kyle on Discovery TV
Kyle Simmons has been very busy lately, particularly being on TV! If you're getting the Canadian Discovery Channel, check him out tonight on 'Daily Planet' (22 minutes into the program). Hmmm.... nice kits you're featuring there! For those of you who missed it, EXN.CA has the clip online! Read More...
Review of the Scoutwalker II
Nuts and Volts author Robert Nansel has reviewed our SW2 kit and has written up an excellent review. You can get a sample magazine from the Nuts and Volts website or search their distributers page for where you can get the magazine. Check out the add on page 53 for our add, as well as […]
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.