hi all
I realised my project with arduino uno.
I used all digital I/O and 4 analogic input (to measure voltage for my project),
All is working fine on my breadboard.
Now I am looking to build a real PCB with my circuit.
For that: do I have to check for a scheme of arduino nano to add to my PCB drawing ? Is it the best to move to PIC for a real PCB ?
I am wondering what is the practise for that.
Thanks a lot

 

If u go pic, u will have to rewrite all of your code. Which is stupid.

 

Arduino Uno uses the Atmel 328p processor, just use that processor on your PCB.

 

Hi lerouge2, Mr Software has the right idea. Do you have any experience programming AVRs independent of the Arduino development platform? The ATmega328 or ATmega168 chips are relatively cheap. The ATtiny2313 and ATtiny4313 may be appropriate too, depending on how many I/O pins you need. The book, Make: AVR Programming is a great resource for this kind of development. Also, since you have your circuit on a breadboard, you may try using a Perma-Proto board for your finished project. They are laid out just like a breadboard. If you need more information or tips, I'm sure Mr Software or I can help you.

 

Another thought. You could use the 328P chip from your Arduino (since it is already programmed) for your finished project, and replace the Arduino microcontroller with another 328P (boot-loader pre-installed). I would also suggest soldering a 28 pin dip socket on the proto board so that you can pull the chip and re-program it in the future.

 

hi all
I realised my project with arduino uno.
I used all digital I/O and 4 analogic input (to measure voltage for my project),
All is working fine on my breadboard.
Now I am looking to build a real PCB with my circuit.
For that: do I have to check for a scheme of arduino nano to add to my PCB drawing ? Is it the best to move to PIC for a real PCB ?
I am wondering what is the practise for that.
Thanks a lot

why not just design a custom shield to snap into your uno?

 

Should you decide to design your own PCB around the 328p processor, you could use the freely available schematic and bill of materials (BOM) from the Uno as a starting point for what parts you'll need, and how to connect them.

 

Or u can buy Arduino Pro Mini. Get the 5 volt version. Pro Mini is about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of Uno, uses the same uC as uno so your code can go straight from uno to pro mini.

 

...and you would know that the microcontroller circuit already works -that can save hours or days of troubleshooting, not to mention time debugging any new code.

"Standard" Arduino boards are so common and inexpensive you can think of the components.

 

thanks a lot, the arduino mini looks like a good option for what I want to do

 

Hi,

Yes i have used Nano's in several projects now. You just use the board as is, and just program it to what you need using the Arduino IDE. This results in pretty fast turnover time.

 

...or the assembler of compiler of your choice. You can also run Forth and Basic on an ATMEGA328. The board is agnostic with regard to how the code was generated.

 

Hi,

Yes i have used Nano's in several projects now. You just use the board as is, and just program it to what you need using the Arduino IDE. This results in pretty fast turnover time.

This is by far the easiest way to go. You can find a Nano footprint for most PCB CAD programs. A Nano costs $3-5 from ebay. The only downside is it uses a USB-mini connector and not the more common USB-micro. I have done this numerous times. A big advantage is that you can make the PCB the right size/shape for your project.

You could design your own arduino compatible PCB but you will wind up spending more for the parts than a nano costs. Though, there is much satisfaction to going that route and it's a great learning exercise.

You could also use an Uno and design a shield for it but that's going to be even more expensive and, frankly, the Uno form factor is pretty lousy - makes designing a shield a PITA.

 

why not just design a custom shield to snap into your uno?

I used a Mega for a project, got a shield design for Eagle from Newark for the layout of the headers, deleted everything except the headers and used the space to design the board. It was a fairly simple board, but the process worked well.

 

Use the Nano. You can get three boards for about £8 (I like the Elegoo boards, nice quality, no problems at all).
Plus, as a bonus, you get rid of the wretched mis-spaced pins on the Arduino Uno etc.. You can try the bare-bones chip approach if you really want a challenge, but it saves very little in the long run except learning how to burn boot-loaders and new ways to upload programs. By the time you've added all the stuff like regulators and crystals, you'll wonder why you did it.
Instead of all the grief of leaning how to use stuff like Eagle, you can get to a finished and robust product using FR4 perfboard and wire-wrapping a whole lot quicker.

 

I use the Arduino Pro Mini as a component. The board is cheaper than the parts to build it. An external programming cable is needed.


Sorry about the lack of quality of the pictures.

 

I use the mini/micro for development, then at some point I typically remove the micro and mount it on my board.
Bottom is the original, top is next level for field testing.