Practical AVR Microcontrollers: Games, Gadgets, and Home Automation with the Microcontroller Used in Arduino

Practical AVR Microcontrollers: Games, Gadgets, and Home Automation with the Microcontroller Used in Arduino

by Alan Trevennor
Released October 2012
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430244462

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Book description

If you've heard of Arduino or even used it in your own projects, you probably know that the AVR microcontroller is the brain of the Arduino. In Practical AVR Microcontrollers, you'll learn how to use the AVR microcontroller to make your own nifty projects and gadgets.

You'll start off with the basics in part one: setting up your development environment and learning how the "naked" AVR differs from the Arduino. Then you'll gain experience by building a few simple gizmos and learning how everything can be interconnected.

In part two, we really get into the goodies: projects! Each project will show you exactly what software and hardware you need, and will provide enough detail that you can adapt it to your own needs and parts availability. Some of the projects you'll make:

  • An illuminated secret panel

  • A hallway lighting system with a waterfall effect

  • A crazy lightshow

  • Visual effects gizmos like a Moire wheel and shadow puppets

    • In addition, you'll design and implement some home automation projects, including working with wired and wireless setups. Along the way, you'll design a useable home automation protocol and look at a variety of hardware setups.

    Whether you're new to electronics, or you just want to see what you can do with an AVR outside of an Arduino, Practical AVR Microcontrollers is the book for you.

    What you'll learn

  • How programming the AVR is different from programming an Arduino

  • How to use the Arduino IDE to program the AVR, and when to use AVR Studio

  • How to network your AVR devices and use them in home automation

  • How to add intelligence to your AVR devices

  • How to make games with AVR

    • Who this book is for

    Beginning electronics enthusiasts as well as Arduino fans who want to go beyond the Arduino with the AVR microcontroller.

    Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents at a Glance
    4. Contents
    5. Foreword
    6. About the Author
    7. About the Technical Reviewer
    8. Acknowledgments
    9. Introduction
    10. Part 1: The Basics
      1. Chapter 1: A Brief History of Microcontrollers
        1. A Microcontroller Timeline
        2. Why Microcontrollers?
        3. Summary
        4. Coming Up Next
      2. Chapter 2: Building Our AVR Test Bed
        1. Test Bed Details
        2. Test Bed Ingredients
        3. Test Bed Software—Installation and Setup
        4. Choosing the Software: Why Arduino?
        5. Test Bed Testing
        6. TTL Level Serial Port
        7. Summary
        8. Coming Up Next
      3. Chapter 3: Arduino and the Naked AVR
        1. Comparing Approaches
        2. Putting All the Pieces in Place
        3. The AVR Type
        4. AVRDude
        5. Arduino and the AVR ID Problem
        6. Pin Name Translations
        7. AVR: Speak to Me!
        8. Terminal Emulators
        9. Summary
        10. Coming Up Next
      4. Chapter 4: Moving On!
        1. Making Things That Move
        2. Sensing Movement
        3. Summary
        4. Coming Up Next
      5. Chapter 5: Smarten Up!
        1. Intelligent Devices
        2. Downsides of Intelligent Devices
        3. The Anatomy of a Smart Device
        4. Summary
        5. Coming Up Next
      6. Chapter 6: Digitally Speaking
        1. When Intelligent Devices Speak
        2. Microcontroller KISS Communications
        3. Designing the Time-Getter Protocol
        4. Summary
        5. Coming up
    11. Part 2: The Projects
      1. Chapter 7: Introduction to the Projects Section
        1. Project Bases
        2. Project Chapter Formats
        3. Project Scope and Difficulty
      2. Chapter 8: Project 1: Good Evening, Mr. Bond: Your Secret Panel
        1. A Life Ruined by Movies and TV
        2. Making It Real
        3. Summary
        4. Coming up Next
      3. Chapter 9: Project 2: Crazy Beams—Exercise Your Pet!
        1. The Project
        2. Summary
        3. Coming Up Next
      4. Chapter 10: Project 3: WordDune
        1. How Much Do You Really See?
        2. The Hardware
        3. WordDune: The Build
        4. WordDune Gameplay
        5. WordDune: Game Software Setup
        6. WordDune Commands
        7. General Software Structure
        8. WordDune Sketch Code Walk
        9. Summary
        10. Coming Up Next
      5. Chapter 11: Project 4: The Lighting Waterfall
        1. The Passageway Light
        2. Mark II Electronics
        3. Take-Two Circuit Diagram
        4. Summary
        5. Coming Up Next
      6. Chapter 12: Moving to Mesmerize
        1. Duck Shooter Game
        2. MCU Shadow Puppets
        3. The Moiré Wheel
        4. Summary
        5. Coming Up Next
      7. Chapter 13: Smart Home Enablers
        1. Is Your Home Smart?
        2. Socket Cracking
        3. On the Radio: The Un-wired Home
        4. A Simple HomeHelp Protocol
        5. Remotely Commandable Light Stand
        6. Summary
        7. Coming Up Next
      8. Appendix A: Common Components
        1. Resistors
        2. Capacitors
        3. Light-Emitting Diodes
      9. Appendix B: A Digital Electronics Primer
        1. The Highs and the Lows
        2. I Count—In Denary?
        3. Deciding, Logically
        4. General Gates
        5. Understanding the Specifications of Gates
        6. Real Live Gates
      10. Appendix C: Breadboards
      11. Appendix D: Serial Communications
        1. Data Transfer Basics
        2. Asynchronous Data Transmission
        3. Okay, So Tell Me About RS-232 and RS-485
        4. Are There Other Types of Serial Data Interface?
    12. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Practical AVR Microcontrollers: Games, Gadgets, and Home Automation with the Microcontroller Used in Arduino
    • Author(s): Alan Trevennor
    • Release date: October 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430244462