Make: AVR Programming: Learning to Write Software for Hardware

Atmel’s AVR microcontrollers are the chips that power Arduino, and are the go-to chip for many hobbyist and hardware hacking projects. In this book you’ll set aside the layers of abstraction provided by the Arduino environment and learn how to program AVR microcontrollers directly. In doing so, you’ll get closer to the chip and you’ll be able to squeeze more power and features out of it.

Each chapter of this book is centered around projects that incorporate that particular microcontroller topic. Each project includes schematics, code, and illustrations of a working project.

• Program a range of AVR chips
• Extend and re-use other people’s code and circuits
• Interface with USB, I2C, and SPI peripheral devices
• Learn to access the full range of power and speed of the microcontroller
• Build projects including Cylon Eyes, a Square-Wave Organ, an AM Radio, a Passive Light-Sensor Alarm, Temperature Logger, and more
• Understand what’s happening behind the scenes even when using the Arduino IDE

Table of Contents

Part I: The Basics
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Programming AVRs
Chapter 3. Digital Output
Chapter 4. Bit Twiddling
Chapter 5. Serial I/O
Chapter 6. Digital Input
Chapter 7. Analog-to-Digital Conversion I

Part II: Intermediate AVR
Chapter 8. Hardware Interrupts
Chapter 9. Introduction to the Timer/Counter Hardware
Chapter 10. Pulse-Width Modulation
Chapter 11. Driving Servo Motors
Chapter 12. Analog-to-Digital Conversion II

Part III: Advanced AVR Topics
Chapter 13. Advanced PWM Tricks
Chapter 14. Switches
Chapter 15. Advanced Motors
Chapter 16. SPI
Chapter 17. I2C
Chapter 18. Using Flash Program Memory
Chapter 19. EEPROM
Chapter 20. Conclusion, Parting Words, and Encouragement