In this class you'll be using the Arduino IDE, but we're going to venture beyond the Arduino development board. What Arduino offers is simplicity and a bundle of components, but this might not be exactly what you need to make your project successful. After all, there are advantages to being able to program the chip outside of a development board in terms of space as well as freedom of application, it also has a big influence on the cost of components.

Over the course of the class you will build a breadboard example of an Arduino-compatible board and you'll learn some of the tricks to programming the chip in the absence of the Arduino board. We'll go into clocking the chip and loading code using our FTDI Basic Board. The class will examine the basic examples in Arduino wired on the breadboard, including digital and analog examples, which is a great chance to trouble shoot your boards and code! In addition, we will cover using the ATMEGA 328 as a programmer to load basic code to the capable and inexpensive ATTINY85 8-pin Controller.

Classes take place at the ~~world renowned~~ infamous SparkFun building. We provide all the tools, irons, solder, parts, etc. You'll be programming the ATMEGA 328 in various breadboard circuits and loading code with the Uno bootloader. By the end of the class, you will have a functioning example to take home and experiment with or embed in your project.

Note: Class registration is fully refundable until Friday, January 6th, at 5:00pm MST. Please call to do so. If you wish to cancel after that time, or miss the workshop for any reason, we will transfer the amount you paid to SparkFun store credit, but cannot issue refunds. Thanks for your understanding! Prerequisites: Due to the advanced nature of the material, a solid background in Arduino is a prerequisite. We think you'll be ready if you take the 'Intro to Arduino' class offered the day before, but to be fair it'd make for a long weekend. Kids 14+ are totally welcome, provided they have the background to enjoy the class.

What to bring: Just a laptop and maybe a bite to eat for lunch.

If you do not have a laptop SparkFun has 15 laptops that will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve a laptop email education@sparkfun.com and we will let you know if there are any still available. If you do not have a laptop, please check with us ASAP so we can make sure we have one to reserve for you.

Date: Sunday January 15^th, 2012
Time: 9 AM – 5 PM (with a break for lunch from 12 - 1)
Location:SparkFun
Instructors: TBD