[sdiy] request for help re arduino module pcb

[Jason Proctor]

>Paul Anderson wrote: "It can be dramatically simplified if you wish, as well."
>
>If you don't need to reprogram the chip or communicate with a 
>computer, you can deploy a minimal Arduino/Freeduino with just the 
>microcontroller, a socket, two capacitors, a crystal, and a 
>resistor. That's about as simple as it gets!
>
>That's what I do--use the Arduino board for development, then, when 
>I'm done debugging, I pull the microcontroller and put it in a 
>socket in a minimal board that has the 
>buttons/pots/encoders/lcds/etc. that I want to use. Several outfits 
>(sparkfun, for example) sell ATmega 168s/328s with the Arduino 
>bootloader already on them (the extra 1K of memory in the 328 is a 
>good thing, by the way, as it's very easy to run out of memory in 
>the 168).


it's true, however the whole point of the Arduino module is that some 
owners will write sketches for it which can be easily uploaded via 
the front-panel USB socket (check the pics in the arduino_synth 
group).

also i want to use a regular (or hardier) Arduino so that we don't 
build in tight limitations before the thing even ships. the current 
design maxes out the 168, though there's possible analogue out 
expansion possibilities using a different DAC.

there's a "platform" too, not that it's been agreed-on or anything 
though it has been publicised on the group. in theory this would mean 
that people could buy an Arduino with a protoshield, put together a 
subset, and run sketches written by the owner community. course you 
don't really need it just for MIDI processing.... but you would if 
you wanted to support other uprocs as you'd need to know where the 
MIDI UART was.

current capabilities -- MIDI I/O, 2 each analogue I/O, 2 each digital 
I/O, 4 scanned knobs, 2 switches, 2 LEDs.