3 ms·

I don't get this, you use a dev board for ease of access. If you need a tiny footprint, just place the chip on your board O_o

Already__Taken 2y ago
there's a lot of applications where standard is more useful than custom, so size is a feature. costumes for example.
- Kirby64 2y ago
  I'd think for custom MCUs integrated into something like costumes (or jewlery), that you'd look for smaller sizing. No need for a 'DIP' style package. You go castellated designs, or something where you solder wires to the pins directly. Much more compact. Saves you the time of doing PCB design, but still off-the-shelf enough.
  - metadat 2y ago
    What does 'DIP' stand for?
    - Kirby64 2y ago
      “Dual in-line package” which is the style of plastic packaging with two rows of pins intended for through hole PCB usage. See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package
      - metadat 2y ago
        Ah, so it is related to a DIP switch. Thanks!
ssl-3 2y ago
It may seem irrational, but it's a bit of a leap to go from blinking an LED on a breadboard with an Arduino to blinking an LED with an ATtiny3217 (or whatever) soldered onto a custom PCB. I mean: Why re-implement an Arduino (and potentially do it badly) on a custom board, when one can just install a DIP socket on some protoboard and plug a relatively small widget like this in -- retaining all of the features that were useful in the beginning of the development process?
- Panzer04 2y ago
  It's not that hard? You just need a programming header at this point. Do the Dev with a full size board, then get whoever your PCB mfg is to P&P the real chips for cents.
Eisenstein 2y ago
You can put this in a breadboard though.
- xxs 2y ago
  ...and use the vertical USB plug. Weird.
  - shultays 2y ago
    Honestly sounds like it would do better than a horizontal one. It is always a struggle to plug usb to boards on breadboard
  - squarefoot 2y ago
    Yes, that is my main concern; an attached cable will put a lot of force on the pads and underlying tracks. I would consider sandwiching a small board with a plain horizontal connector soldered in.
g15jv2dp 2y ago
It's a fun challenge to miniaturize stuff. Not everything needs to be the most 100% uber efficient choice.
bombela 2y ago
For many small one off projects, you don't need enough ancillary components to require a dedicated PCB. Merely soldering a few pins to some buttons, LEDs, perhaps a ready made relay module etc. In this case, a perf board to hold everything together is more than sufficient. I made my own bathroom fan speed controller that react to humidity level by cobbling together some ready made modules, a few wires, LEDs, an arduino board and some Rust. It was much faster than making a dedicated PCB. In case you are curious, the fan is hidden away in the attic for noise isolation. The humidity sensor and an indicator LED lives in the intake grill above the shower. Connected via a few meters of ethernet cable running along the air duct to the control box. The sensor communicates via i2c. The control box adjusts the fan speed with a triac.

Already__Taken 2y ago

there's a lot of applications where standard is more useful than custom, so size is a feature. costumes for example.

Kirby64 2y ago
I'd think for custom MCUs integrated into something like costumes (or jewlery), that you'd look for smaller sizing. No need for a 'DIP' style package. You go castellated designs, or something where you solder wires to the pins directly. Much more compact. Saves you the time of doing PCB design, but still off-the-shelf enough.
- metadat 2y ago
  What does 'DIP' stand for?
  - Kirby64 2y ago
    “Dual in-line package” which is the style of plastic packaging with two rows of pins intended for through hole PCB usage. See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package
    - metadat 2y ago
      Ah, so it is related to a DIP switch. Thanks!

ssl-3 2y ago

It may seem irrational, but it's a bit of a leap to go from blinking an LED on a breadboard with an Arduino to blinking an LED with an ATtiny3217 (or whatever) soldered onto a custom PCB. I mean: Why re-implement an Arduino (and potentially do it badly) on a custom board, when one can just install a DIP socket on some protoboard and plug a relatively small widget like this in -- retaining all of the features that were useful in the beginning of the development process?

Panzer04 2y ago
It's not that hard? You just need a programming header at this point. Do the Dev with a full size board, then get whoever your PCB mfg is to P&P the real chips for cents.

Eisenstein 2y ago

You can put this in a breadboard though.

xxs 2y ago
...and use the vertical USB plug. Weird.
- shultays 2y ago
  Honestly sounds like it would do better than a horizontal one. It is always a struggle to plug usb to boards on breadboard
- squarefoot 2y ago
  Yes, that is my main concern; an attached cable will put a lot of force on the pads and underlying tracks. I would consider sandwiching a small board with a plain horizontal connector soldered in.

g15jv2dp 2y ago

It's a fun challenge to miniaturize stuff. Not everything needs to be the most 100% uber efficient choice.

bombela 2y ago

For many small one off projects, you don't need enough ancillary components to require a dedicated PCB. Merely soldering a few pins to some buttons, LEDs, perhaps a ready made relay module etc. In this case, a perf board to hold everything together is more than sufficient. I made my own bathroom fan speed controller that react to humidity level by cobbling together some ready made modules, a few wires, LEDs, an arduino board and some Rust. It was much faster than making a dedicated PCB. In case you are curious, the fan is hidden away in the attic for noise isolation. The humidity sensor and an indicator LED lives in the intake grill above the shower. Connected via a few meters of ethernet cable running along the air duct to the control box. The sensor communicates via i2c. The control box adjusts the fan speed with a triac.