I almost forgot to mention making something with an AVR

Posted on by Magnus Tvedt

In addition to Robot Builder’s Bonanza by G. McComb, I am also reading Make: More Electronics, Electronics for Inventors, and Make: AVR Programming. And I really want to make my own AVR based something, but i cannot get the hardware up and running.

I wire up my Arduino to be the ISP, wire up a breadboard with a Atmega328 chip, but get failure messages from Arduino when I try to load simple Blink code.

My laptop is being blamed for now, as it is also not able to code the Adafruit Trinket, with similar error messages from the Arduino software.

Anyway, the reason for mentioning this, is that what I really want to do is to program my own chip, and install my own circuit board (printed or just prototyped) in the robot. That would be supercool.

When I fix the connection and is able to code AVRs, Mr. Elliot Williams (author of Make: AVR programming), I will be walking the path you have set.

The book

Posted on by Magnus Tvedt

There is always a book that explains how to do what you are trying to do.

I love to read technical books

  • before a project to get motivated
  • while I’m doing the project to get tips and guidance
  • after I gave up and took a shortcut, to see how it was supposed to be done

For teaching myself robotics, I got hand of the Gordon McComb book Robot Builder’s Bonanza and it’s amazing. I read it while I eat breakfast, I read it when I go check the mailbox for deliveries from China, and I read it if there is a red light (sorry about the delays, guys).

Robot Builder’s Bonanza has so many clever solutions with low cost and easy to do yourself ways of making mechanic and electronic devices. I also read it in the bathroom.