arduino pro mini vs Nano

Just some thoughts that may help someone.

To get started I would recommend the Nano. You just need it , a usb cable, and the IDE downloaded. The Nano has a usb chip on the module. No hassle s about connecting.

The pro mini does not have a usb chip, but is otherwise the same. To use it you need a usb to TTL adapter. I bought an adapter with a FDTI232 chip and could not get it to work. So looked on the internet and found some of the FDTI chips are counterfeit and do not work , or do not work well. So I ordered a translator with a CH340G chip and that works. Connecting the TT L translator to the mini pro is done with five jumpers. Not difficult but a little more work.

Buying off Alli the translator module was $1.40 and the mini pro $1.25.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster
Loading thread data ...

snipped-for-privacy@krl.org schrieb:

In my first try I unplugged the controller from my Uno board, and connected the required pins to the Mini :-)

DoDi

Reply to
Hans-Peter Diettrich

On Sat, 14 May 2016 15:48:42 +0200, Hans-Peter Diettrich Gave us:

Use SolidRun products! :-)

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

I chose a Nano to control stuff mounted on a complex PCB. Ended up using all the pins and wishing for more, but appreciated its small size. Coulda mount an ATmega328p on my pcb and skipped the Nano, but I liked the idea of a replaceable controller part. (OK, coulda used the 328p's DIP version.)

Now I regret being forced to locate the controller socket on the PCB up against the panel to expose the USB connector. If I'd used a Mini, I coulda located it anywhere, just a USB jack at the panel. Oops, Mini has fewer pins, not good.

Two comments on the Nano. $3 versions from China work just fine. Nice.

ST's STM32 ARM Cortex M0 to M4 Nucleo-32 boards have the same Nano pinout, but you get lots more speed and capability. Selling for $10 up at Digi-Key.

But oops!! ST's PCB is a bit longer, and the USB jack is on the wrong end! so you can't upgrade existing designs.

--
 Thanks, 
    - Win
Reply to
Winfield Hill

The $2 ones have a USB-serial chip that does not have a signed driver (there exists a perfectly good driver, but it's not signed). No problem for XP, but for Win7 and later ( and MacOS) you have disable all driver signing for that bootup (or permanently, which is a security hole). No way, that I know of, to make a permanent exception for that driver.

--sp

--
Best regards,  
Spehro Pefhany 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

I dunno what you're talking about. Rumors prepared me for a struggle, but my stock version of Windows 7 came with the CH340 driver already installed by Microsoft, and it always works. This is the case for three different machines with three different copies of Windows Ultimate.

In fact, it's the Nano with FTDI that I've had trouble with. They mostly work, but sometimes not (USB connects, but no COM port gets assigned). But it's not bricked, later the same board works again.

BTW, other Arduino boards with software USB emulators always work fine for me.

--
 Thanks, 
    - Win
Reply to
Winfield Hill

On 14 May 2016 12:33:00 -0700, Winfield Hill Gave us:

My SolidRun boys over in Israel make some fine gear.

Costs more but does more and is far better engineered.

They even have a new Braswell line that runs Windows.

formatting link

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

Also the case for a machine running Ubuntu. The Nano's I have used have the CH340G usb chip.

The first translator I bought for the mini pro had a FTDI chip and did not work. So I made sure the second translator used a CH340 chip.

Reply to
dcaster

Oh, crud! I'm conflating this with another emulator driver I couldn't get to work with Windows 7 without disabling signatures (too many late nights). It definitely had problems with later versions of MacOS without disabling signatures.. can't get it to work on my Macbook pro otherwise.

formatting link

And there were problems (I thought) reported at first with Win10

Anyway my apologies, under Win7 it works fine on the two machines I have it on without disabling signatures!

You can't beat the functionality and development system for $2 and $0 respectively.

Yes, the FTDI clone issue is well known. I avoid anything that claims to have FTDI (and isn't 100% sure) for that reason.

--
Best regards,  
Spehro Pefhany 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

n-os-x/

the Uno form factor nucleo boards comes debugger at 10$

afaict most of the problems comes from FTDI themself trying to fight the clones, which seem a bit like poisoning you food to prevent someone else from stealing it

-Lasse

Reply to
Lasse Langwadt Christensen

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.