My Arduino Uno has a ATMEGA328P-PU microcontroller, and bunch of other stuff on the board. I'd like to program the chip without the Arduino software, and only the minimum of other components. I want to eventually create things without the cost of Arduino, and I want to learn about the other parts on the board and add them back as as needed. I'm comfortable with C and gcc, so I can probably figure out the software part. But what, if anything, besides these two products below, do I need to have in the breadboard with the microcontroller? $ begingroup $ @capcom First google result for 'site:atmel.com atmega typical application' finds. Not only does this application note have a minimal circuit to get the MCU to work, it goes in to great detail on how to connect a programming port, select oscillators, deal with ESD hazards, potential glitches on the reset line, connecting JTAG, PCB layout, and basically everything a beginner needs.

Finding this information is the most useful skill a beginner can have. $ endgroup $ – Jan 15 '13 at 3:38 •. $ begingroup $ OK, I'll rehprase.

Aug 6, 2014 - The programmer you have programs the ATmega8 through the ISP interface. Extracted from the ATmega8/ATmega8L datasheet found here:. Oct 23, 2013 - Atmel designers have decided that having a separate Analog VCC and Ground is the best way of. From the ATMega8 complete datasheet.

Rob, you should know that any manufacturer of a non-trivial device will publish documentation to answer exactly this question. The manufacturers have a clear interest in making it easy for you to use their product.

Skimming the datasheet is the way to start. For complex things like microcontrollers, there might be a separate application note. 'typical application' are the magic words you need to use in your search terms. It's not that it's bad to ask for help, but it's good to know how to fish. $ endgroup $ – Jan 15 '13 at 16:28. All you need apart from the programmer and the chip is a couple of decoupling caps, and some way of connecting the programming signals to the breadboard. So: • 1 largish electrolytic cap (e.g.

>100uF) You can maybe do without this if your source is nice and quiet (e.g. Battery) • 1 100nF ceramic across the power pins of the micro • 1 10kΩ resistor to connect from the reset pin to Vcc to hold the micro out of reset.

• Some jumper wire to connect up nodes on your breadboard (you can buy ready made jumper wires, but I use a 22AWG roll and cut my own - much cheaper if you do this a lot) • A header to plug your programmer cable into. According to the it looks like you need a 2x3 pin 2.54mm pitch header.

I often read that it is good practice to connect VCC with AVCC. Even in the ATMega8 datasheet it says so: AVCC is the supply voltage pin for the A/D Converter, Port C (3.0), and ADC (7.6).

It should be externally connected to VCC, even if the ADC is not used. If the ADC is used, it should be connected to VCC through a low-pass filter. Free download 20 iso tank container dimensions programs to download 2017. Note that Port C (5.4) use digital supply voltage, VCC. But nowhere I can find an explanation as to why they have to be connected. A simple circuit for blinking a LED works without connecting VCC and AVCC. Do I just have to accept it, or is there a good reason? Mainly, it has to be connected because the manufacturer says it should.

Aside from that, they should for full operation of the chip (all ports/pins), to prevent floating pin issues on the AVCC side, to prevent noise on the digital side. There are issues where leaving the AVCC side unpowered causes parasitic power draw and can destablize the internal clock, or can prevent stable startup.

Atmel designers have decided that having a separate Analog VCC and Ground is the best way of allowing relatively noise free analog section, by allowing users to add filtering and separation of the Digital and Analog Planes, even inside the ATmega. It's not just the ATMega8, afaik all ATMegas and even some ATTinys have this design.