[geeks] Electronics

[Dave Kimmel]

On Aug 31, 2005, at 4:35 AM, Bill Bradford wrote:

> I immediately thought of this:
>
> http://olafval.de/mignon/english/index.htm
> Same type of LED matrix with an AVR, as a "game kit".

Neat!  I'm trying to do something very similar, but with more LEDs.

>> The processor that I'll be using is an ATMega16 microcontroller and
>> I'm going to try using a NES controller as the input device.  I
>> haven't figured out too many of the details yet.
>
> I'm going to be putting all the pin headers on my AVR Butterfly
> this weekend - it's based around at ATMega169.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/sets/784154/

When I got into the AVR processors, I just bought an STK500 and a  
couple of ATMega16s.  I'd already gone along the Basic Stamp -> OOPic  
-> PIC route, so I was already used to "bare" microcontrollers by  
this point.

> Just realized that in a month, I've gone from not knowing how to  
> solder
> at all, to having a nice temperature-controlled Weller iron (yay ebay)
> and being able to do stuff that I wouldnt have *touched* a month ago.
>
> My first-ever soldering attempt looks horrible now:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/31059934/in/set-693178/
>
> I look at it and *CRINGE* compared to what I did, say, last night  
> on the
> LCD kit.

Wow, you have improved!  I'm quite impressed!  I've been doing this  
on and off as a hobby for years and my soldering skills STILL aren't  
that good.

-- Dave Kimmel
    crisco_kid at shaw.ca