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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Want very very cheap prebuilt micro board

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JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3660
Posted: 11:24pm 29 Jun 2012
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What's the cheapest board anyone knows?

Needs to be commercially available, don't need many I/Os or a fast CPU. Price is to include the essential parts (CPU, xtal, PCB, etc) and pre-built.

Let's say that even the Olimex PIC32-Pinguino-MX220 at 9.95 euro (about $12 or £8) is too expensive, so what's cheaper?

John
 
muddy0409

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Joined: 15/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 125
Posted: 02:52am 30 Jun 2012
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Boy, you're a bit hopeful aren't you??
Don't poo poo conspiracy theories.
Remember that everything ever discovered started somewhere as a theory.
 
vasi

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Joined: 23/03/2007
Location: Romania
Posts: 1697
Posted: 03:02am 30 Jun 2012
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If you need it only as a reference and you still need to specify the microcontroller...
If is an 18F, see here: jaluino bee

The cheapest one is the one you make yourself if you have already the required parts. Otherwise, you can buy only the pcb from seeedstudio.
Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton
Elvish name: Mablung Miriel
Beyound Arduino Lang
 
DuinoMiteMegaAn
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Joined: 17/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 231
Posted: 06:55am 30 Jun 2012
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DIY "Do it yourself" PINGUINO32
Only when the Pinguino team completes everything for this board.

BTW ... Lets not forget about the PICAXE and the Basic Micro Nano 8.
Dirt cheap 8 bangers. Edited by DuinoMiteMegaAn 2012-07-01
 
isochronic
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Joined: 21/01/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 689
Posted: 04:50pm 30 Jun 2012
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I'd suggest a "smart card" , using a smallish
pic (I think). Futurlec have one at ca $1.30.(?)

$12 each ? There would have to be many, many sold
for any worthwhile return.
 
djuqa

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Joined: 23/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 447
Posted: 05:16pm 30 Jun 2012
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AVR AtMega48 Dev. Board $12 on ebay posted to AussieLand
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vasi

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Joined: 23/03/2007
Location: Romania
Posts: 1697
Posted: 03:24am 01 Jul 2012
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I think this is a good choice
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10807

Right now, www.picaxe.com is down but there is a good source - is in your country and it can be cheaper...

Otherwise, you need first a programmer for your microcontroller of choice.
With help from friends from this forum I started with a picaxe08m, then I continued with a pic12f675, a serial programmer made with 2 transistors and Jal language. Destroyed 2 other microcontrollers and started saving for a pickit2 programmer - it was the best decision but not the best selection of the online market - got it three times expensive than usual on Romanian market.

Atmel have great microcontrolers but not for beginners - is too expensive to start with (including failures caused by wrong fuse configuration).
Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton
Elvish name: Mablung Miriel
Beyound Arduino Lang
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3660
Posted: 06:29am 01 Jul 2012
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So that's a couple at $12 (£8) pre-built. Lower?

I had no luck finding anything lower from Futurlec, so don't think they do unless I missed it.

Please, only pre-built complete (i.e. populated with CPU, xtal etc) boards. DIY is out.

John
 
DuinoMiteMegaAn
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Joined: 17/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 231
Posted: 08:24am 01 Jul 2012
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The best and lowest cost microcontroller development board with debugging (emulator) is by far the TI MSP430G value line LaunchPad Development Kit for $5.00 USD.
BTW... JohnS - Google works for me

 
crackerjack

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Joined: 11/07/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 164
Posted: 04:42pm 01 Jul 2012
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I second the TI Launchpad option at $4.30 delivered (worldwide) - each Launchpad comes with 2 x 16-bit microcontrollers, a USB cable, free download of software, and emulation built in. You can hardly go wrong. I have a batch of them at home and even if I just use them as LED flashers, it's still about as cheap as buying and hooking up a 555 and a couple of LED's. They are ultra-low power devices so really useful for battery powered applications. Coding for them in C is a little tricky - only because they have a squillion peripherals that need setting up in an arcane kind of way, but there is a free software tool called GRACE from TI that helps with that part.

I can't recommend the TI deal highly enough... but of course the old YMMV disclaimer applies and also, I have no affiliation with TI whatsoever.
 
djuqa

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Joined: 23/11/2011
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Posted: 05:37pm 01 Jul 2012
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Ti launchpad is out of Stock
"Please contact us for an estimated ship date." on ti.comEdited by djuqa 2012-07-03
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JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3660
Posted: 11:21pm 01 Jul 2012
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Thanks. I didn't know about that cheap MSP430 board.

DuinoMiteMegaAn - I googled endlessly but most people seem to think very cheap is $99 or $49. What search terms did you use?

I also found (clones of) the USBASP but anyone know whether they can be reprogrammed?

There used to be a $3 PIC10F... board but seems no longer.

John
 
vasi

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Joined: 23/03/2007
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Posts: 1697
Posted: 03:01am 02 Jul 2012
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According to this, there is an Arduino like IDE but you need to have bigger micros than the ones provided in launchpad.

Somehow, is a worthy investment for both educational and pro. areas.
Gettig Started Edited by vasi 2012-07-03
Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton
Elvish name: Mablung Miriel
Beyound Arduino Lang
 
DuinoMiteMegaAn
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Joined: 17/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 231
Posted: 09:28am 02 Jul 2012
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DuinoMiteMegaAn - I googled endlessly but most people seem to think very cheap is $99 or $49. What search terms did you use?


Try this "world's lowest cost microcontroller board"
This will point to TI and indirectly to the LaunchPad on TI web page.

The LaunchPad is 16 bit with a full development system. It can't be beat anywhere
at any price. Like CrackerJack, I also own "5 boxes" of LaunchPads in my lab.

BTW ... In the LauchPad kit they give to two microcontrollers. Subtract the price
of one microcontroller and the price drops to $2.00 USD <---- unbelievable
Get this ******* 1.58 euro.******* Better stock up. Edited by DuinoMiteMegaAn 2012-07-03
 
djuqa

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Joined: 23/11/2011
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Posts: 447
Posted: 01:34pm 02 Jul 2012
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  DuinoMiteMegaAn said  


BTW ... In the LauchPad kit they give to two microcontrollers. Subtract the price
of one microcontroller and the price drops to $2.00 USD <---- unbelievable
Get this ******* 1.58 euro.******* Better stock up.
You do realise it is HEAVILY subsidised at that price.
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elproducts

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Joined: 19/06/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 282
Posted: 05:22pm 02 Jul 2012
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  vasi said   According to this, there is an Arduino like IDE but you need to have bigger micros than the ones provided in launchpad.

Somehow, is a worthy investment for both educational and pro. areas.
Gettig Started


Vasi,
I don't know how you find this stuff. Thanks for sharing.
I didnt even know this existed.
www.elproducts.com
 
DuinoMiteMegaAn
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Joined: 17/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 231
Posted: 05:25pm 02 Jul 2012
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You do realise it is HEAVILY subsidised at that price.


Absolutely, but it really doesn't matter - that's why I got five LauchPad boxes. Once you got the board (emulator) then thats all you need. TI has been "heavily" subsidizing, this LaunchPad product for the last two years and they are NOT going out of business. They have deep pockets.
 
elproducts

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Joined: 19/06/2011
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Posts: 282
Posted: 05:25pm 02 Jul 2012
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There are the CHIPAXE boards at Howtronics.com .
8-pin to 28-pin.
Use internal oscillator.
Plug directly into PICkit 2.
www.elproducts.com
 
DuinoMiteMegaAn
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Posts: 231
Posted: 05:29pm 02 Jul 2012
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Still can't beat the 16 bit MSP430G LaunchPad for "about" $5.00 USD
 
djuqa

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Joined: 23/11/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 447
Posted: 05:30pm 02 Jul 2012
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  DuinoMiteMegaAn said  
You do realise it is HEAVILY subsidised at that price.


Absolutely, but it really doesn't matter - that's why I got five LauchPad boxes. Once you got the board (emulator) then thats all you need. TI has been "heavily" subsidizing, this LaunchPad product for the last two years and they are NOT going out of business. They have deep pockets.
5 - No wonder they are out of stock Edited by djuqa 2012-07-04
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