Arduino Pro Mini-compatible
Are you looking for a compact and great value low-power Arduino-compatible to embed in your projects? Or you just want a really cheap board? Then check out this Arduino Pro Mini compatible board from PMD Way.
It uses the ATmega328P microcontroller and runs the Arduino bootloader. Furthermore it has an extra two analogue inputs pins - not found on the DIP version. Awesome!
You can select between the 5V 16Mhz and 3.3V 8MHz version using the options menu.
Full specifications can be found on the Arduino website.
Note:
- When using these boards, try not to flex them too much. Once the header pins have been soldered onto the board, they are for electrical connection and not a physical mounting structure.
- The cosmetic appearance of the board may vary slightly to the photo above, such as PCB colour and font size, however the board will function as expected.
Using your Pro Mini with the Arduino IDE.
You will need to change the board and processor type in the Arduino IDE usin the Tools menu.
Set the board type to "Arduino Pro or Pro Mini" and the Processor to "ATmega328 (3.3V 8 MHz)".
The best way to upload a sketch to your Pro Mini is with an FTDI breakout board and USB cable. Then ensure the pins are aligned correctly with the FTDI board - match GND with GND on the FTDI board and you're set.
If you haven't soldered the six programming pins to your Pro Mini (or don't want to) then insert the pins into the FTDI breakout board, then place the Pro Mini over the pins. Be sure to hold the board firmly against the pins to ensure a good electrical connection while uploading the sketch.
If you receive the following error in the Arduino IDE during the upload process -
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
... the connection between the FTDI breakout board and your Pro Mini isn't right. Check the pin alignment and firmness - then try again.
Pinouts:
