If you're a bad/beginner programmer, I think the easiest way to get started is to build your own simplified Arduino clone on a breadboard or perfboard and use the Arduino IDE and libraries for programming. Get an FTDI adapter from Sparkfun and an Atmega328 with the Arduino bootloader already on it. (The alternative is to buy an Arduino and pop the chip out.) Build your clock around your perfboard clone. There are tutorials scattered about the Internet on how to build an Arduino clone on breadboard/perfboard, and the Arduino schematics are readily available.
This is exactly how I built my first clock: http://voisen.org/portfolio/mercury-retrograde/ (I'll happily share the source if you want it.) Sure, Arduino is hyped, but there's a reason for that. The Arduino "Wiring" libraries are really the key. They make AVR programming super simple by abstracting away the complexity of AVR Libc. This eliminates the need for AVRStudio (a beast of a program) or buying an AVRStudio compatible programmer (expensive). Once you're comfortable with the Arduino libraries, it's much easier to move to straight AVR Libc if you want. Really the Arduino isn't anything special. It's just an Atmega328 microcontroller + USB + power supply in a nice form factor with nice libraries and an (albeit crappy) IDE. But it has a huge and friendly user community, and tutorials/examples galore. My two cents, Sean -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
