The Arduino gets downsized, becomes the Nano

If you're a DIY'er, you're probably familiar with the versatile Arduino platform. Well now you can shrink your creations even smaller, thanks to a rejiggered form factor called the Arduino Nano. Capitalizing on the popularity of the previous Mini version, the Nano gets further downsized, reducing the components into a layout about the length and width of a stick of gum -- without sacrificing any of the functionality. Be honest, you're brainstorming some gum-pack-sized project right now, aren't you? Luckily you won't have to wait long -- the Nano will be available from Gravitech in June for an economical $49.99.

[Via Make]

[pete @ May 19th 2008 10:09AM]

I have no idea what this is, nor what it does.

[BlackCoffeeNoSugar @ May 19th 2008 10:16AM]

Neither do I.

[pete @ May 19th 2008 10:22AM]

I didn't say I don't want one, I do want one! I just don't know what it is.

[kal326 @ May 19th 2008 11:11AM]

No clue either, but I did try to RTFA and it won't load. Guess I'll just mark this one under mysteries of the universe and move on with my life.....

[supermeerkat @ May 19th 2008 11:14AM]

You gentlemen are not nedier enough to be on this site.

Begone!

[Bad Beaver @ May 19th 2008 11:44AM]

"Nedier" being the fancy pseudo-french term for "nerdy" of course

[packetsniffer @ May 19th 2008 11:44AM]

Neither does Engadget. Notice how they provide a keyword search link, but none of the posts featuring the Arduino tell what it is either. Tee hee.

[Crayola @ May 19th 2008 2:42PM]

You kidding me??? Everyone needs a DORX function!

[marty.com.au @ May 21st 2008 3:36AM]

People! People!! there is this new invention called g-o-o-g-l-e try it out some time!

:op

[Brian @ May 19th 2008 10:15AM]

It is small, at least...

[Tony @ May 19th 2008 10:17AM]

Summary of article:
Some weird electronics a couple of geeks use gets smaller
Awesome.

[Dan @ May 19th 2008 10:17AM]

I have no idea what it is either but, if I had to guess I would say it is a small programmable micro controller used in hobby electronics projects.

[Blaine Oliver @ May 19th 2008 10:21AM]

I just read the link and that gives nothing away either, maybe its a exclusive geek thing? Like a cult, but free entry is only granted when you know what one of these is?

[shamowfski @ May 19th 2008 10:23AM]

For more info:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/arduino/

[Mike Cohen @ May 19th 2008 10:24AM]

It's a programmable microcontroller. It's smaller. More than just a few geeks use it. It's great for prototyping and even good enough for using in the real thing.

[Hackius @ May 19th 2008 11:25AM]

Dude every microcontroller is programmable. That's why it's a microcontroller.

[Bad Beaver @ May 19th 2008 11:41AM]

You mean, like a microcontroller?

[Shinigami @ May 19th 2008 11:45AM]

The best comment to this point (some explanation afterwards).
Thanks.

Guys! If you don't know what this thing is, use "read" link. If you still don't understand a thing... forget about it and live a happy life.

[Evan @ May 19th 2008 3:27PM]

Most microcontrollers require that you plug them into a special board in order to program them. This plugs directly into your PC, so you have no extra hardware to buy! This saves hobbyists from having to buy programming hardware that they are only going to use once or twice.

[Ian @ May 19th 2008 10:30AM]

This UTube video makes it as clear as mud:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJR5wqiGLjM&feature=related

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 19th 2008 1:21PM]

So this microcontroller allows you to do blinking lights? Yawn.

[Tom @ May 19th 2008 10:31AM]

GREAT REPORTING ENGADGET, DONT BOTHER EXPLAINING ANYTHING FOR THE AVERAGE READER.
Caps lock.

[Low Ranked @ May 19th 2008 3:28PM]

Thanks for that Tom!
Enter.

[fashionista @ May 19th 2008 10:33AM]

A smaller and lighter girl repellent, just what I need! Lugging around the Player's Handbook was getting tiresome.

[Ben @ May 19th 2008 10:35AM]

Gumstick does the same since at least four years ... It's just about a full featured computer (well, ok, without graphic card, but who need one ?) for the size of a gum. Running a complete Linux 2.6

Commonly used in Robotic for instance ...

[Andrew H @ May 21st 2008 5:33AM]

Gumstix are also ~2-3x the price of the Arduino mini, and with a great deal more complexity. Gumstix and Arduino have totally different purposes and different compromises. They can co-exist quite happily as seperate products, one doesn't have to 'win' over the other.

I'm just getting into electronics after a long hiatus, and the arduino is perfect for me as a Java programmer, as I can program it, and know the code side is right and then test my electronics implementation. And since it was $32 for the physically larger version (a Diecimila clone, called Freeduino) it was far more affordable. I've already got it talking to an LCD display, and written a program to scroll the text on that display.

[Hackius @ May 19th 2008 11:25AM]

Yes and the gumstix is quite the "slit your wrists getting it to work" solution. Honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.

If you need to control low level stuff just use a microcontroller.
If you need power switch to an x86 solution like a laptop board or a VIA chipset.

Gumstix is smack damn in the middle of those two poles and doesn't fill either need well.

[punkr0csux @ May 19th 2008 10:43AM]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PeScmRwzQho

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=arduino&search_type=

Edumacate© yourselves

[kal326 @ May 19th 2008 11:15AM]

Nice show and tell article. I particularly liked the section that detailed the use of a screw stopper.....cause that's no lie.....

[Bad Beaver @ May 19th 2008 11:38AM]

Some small piece of electronics just got smaller—awesome! I'll have to chime in with the other disgruntled readers: You can probably get away with this on Make, but not here. Even glancing at your other posts on Arduino only revealed that it's some sort of controller.

[Steven @ May 19th 2008 12:07PM]

I fail to see the significance of this. There are zillions of microntroller proto kits around and, let's face it, this one isn't exactly groundbreaking: AVR with 16K of Flash? For 50 USD you can get a ARM7 board with 512K Flash.

[Not An Alien @ May 19th 2008 12:13PM]

I guess this is one of those moments where the title is all one needs to read to know what it's about, but only if you know what an Arduino is. If you don't it barely makes sense.

Arduino makes programmable microcontrollers. Yes, any microcontroller can be programmed. But Arduino uses a kind of a real IDE for that (wiring, the same IDE as Processing uses) and it's a bit more "user-friendly". Has a big community, etc.

In a nutshell, the standard Arduino is an USB microcontroller that interfaces with a number of devices such as sensors (anything from normal potentiometers and switches to temperature sensors, proximity sensors, etc), servomotors, etc. It's used on some robotic projects, but it's also used in "installation art" to easily control interaction between all those different devices.

Someone who uses Processing, Max, Puredata, VVVV and the like should already have heard about Arduino, or other alternatives, like the "Make Controller Kit". What makes Arduino different is that it's an "open source" microcontroller (!): you can download the schematics and build one yourself. There are a number of commercially-sold Arduinos too, of course, in a number of different sizes and formats. The nano is the newest one.

[Collin @ May 23rd 2008 7:26PM]

Lots of artists/crafters/makers who are into robotics, or physical interfaces are starting to use the Arduino, and when you're taking a stuffed animal and making it react to sunlight or tell time, size can be an issue...

It's like a Basic Stamp, but friendlier (and you code it with C++ in Processing).

[yelohbird @ May 19th 2008 12:38PM]

Really? The post made it this long without some apple fanboi jumping up and sic-ing the lawyers on making a technological product based on the names "Mini" and "Nano"? Must be a full moon tonight.

Wait...I just jumped up.

D-oh!!

[Doggerts @ May 19th 2008 12:56PM]

The Nano is actually larger than its predecessor, the Mini. The Mini, however doesn’t have an FTDI chip (and thus no USB).

(nerd)

[SweetSauce @ May 19th 2008 1:03PM]

Wow-

Engadget is damned if they report on some random event remotely involving technology and now they are damned for reporting on something that could actually be considered a gadget (Not that I know what this thing does either).

Can't make you people happy either way.

[Craig @ May 19th 2008 2:06PM]

Your point is?

[Craig @ May 19th 2008 2:06PM]

Your point is?

[James @ May 19th 2008 3:21PM]

Just a few geeks? Many thousands of hobbyists use microcontrollers, Parallax released the overpriced Basic Stamp around 15 years ago and it's still incredibly popular after all this time. Look at any robotics club around the world and you'll find most people using something of this nature. If you don't know at least what a microcontroller is, you're not a geek.

I myself am partial to Atmel AVR microcontrollers, they're cheap, powerful, can be programmed in Basic, C, and assembly, I've used them in dozens of projects over the last few years.

[Yor1001 @ May 19th 2008 4:08PM]

Wow and I though I wasnt geeky enough, yet I know how to create a proto board and programming a pic IC. I feel like my e-penis grew a extra inch today.

[Lee Sylvester @ Jul 9th 2008 6:20AM]

I thought everyone knew what an Arduino was! It's a circuit board that you can hook up to your PC to program and to interact with. The idea is to hook up electronic components, or other circuits (called shields) so as to increase it's capability, and control them with the onboard microcontroller, though you can add more if it doesn't suit your needs. The board is open source, so you can use it for whatever you please, including commercial applications.

As an example, you could create a robot, a security device, a RF door locking mechanism, or just simple flashing lights that are controller based on what track you're listening to in Winamp... The sky's the limit!

Anyone seen that bunny that alerts you to new emails and rss feeds and reads them out to you? Well, you could build one with an arduino as the starting point.

[NiñoScript @ Jul 10th 2008 2:10AM]

The sky is the limit... unless you make an Arduino-controlled-ROCKET!!!