Looking to buy an Arduino Clone but it has the ATMega328 MC instead of ATMega328P. Will it be a problem?

Log in or register to post comments
Go To Last Post
12 posts / 0 new
Author
Message
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
#1
Posted by bagho: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 12:09 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

I'm looking to buy an Arduino clone for a low cost standalone project. But the one I'm preferring (in terms of balanced cost and build quality) has an ATMega328 MC instead of the ATMega328P that's present in my original Arduino. Now, from the past I have an experience of a major 'pita' while trying to load the UNO bootloader to an ATMega328 (changing device signatures in the Arduino IDE files.)

 

Now will this ready Arduino with ATMega328 Microcontroller pose the same problem during programming with the IDE?

 

I'm finding some Chinese clones with ATMega328P, but I prefer anything else. 

 

This: http://hacktronics.co.in/home/10...

Tags:

Tools, Arduino
Top
valusoft
valusoft's picture
Level: Moderator
Joined: Sat. Jul 2, 2005
Posts: 15644 View posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted by valusoft: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 12:49 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Did you mean the ATMega328-MU. There isn't a ATMega328-MC.

 

Ross McKenzie ValuSoft Melbourne Australia

Top
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
Posted by bagho: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 12:55 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Oopsy, sorry. MC = Microcontroller. My bad. The board has ATMega328-PU.

Top
valusoft
valusoft's picture
Level: Moderator
Joined: Sat. Jul 2, 2005
Posts: 15644 View posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted by valusoft: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:01 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

So... are you saying that you want the 28 pin DIP package instead of the SMT packaging? Why?

Ross McKenzie ValuSoft Melbourne Australia

Top
Bronze Markdavid.prentice
david.prentice's picture
Level: 10k+ Postman
Joined: Sat. Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 30476 View posts
Location: Wormshill, England
Posted by david.prentice: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:11 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Ño, I think that he wants the non-Picopower 328.
Just program the same bootloader as the 328P. The bootloader just lies about the Signature anyway.

Build for a Uno. It will generate a hex file for a 328P. It will upload and run just fine on your 328.

It is a mystery why anyone would want a 328. It is a similar price but with a poorer spec than the 328P.

David.

Top
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
Posted by bagho: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:11 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Yes. smiley Because I have an option of swapping the microcontroller if it fails, also I can use it to program Pro minis via the ICSP. (Tutorials say we need to remove the IC to program another board.)

 

More important reason for me, it's an Indian-made board. I got a chinese one and it had faulty connections within the board. This Indian one could be worse, but I need to experiment to be sure.

Top
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
Posted by bagho: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:15 PM (Reply to #5)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Thank you, David sir. So, you are implying that once the bootloader has been loaded by any means (I'm sure it's loaded from the factory) I'll not have to change anything in the IDE when I want to swap my original Arduino with this Indian clone? The bootloader will lie to the IDE that it's a 328P right?

Top
Bronze Markdavid.prentice
david.prentice's picture
Level: 10k+ Postman
Joined: Sat. Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 30476 View posts
Location: Wormshill, England
Posted by david.prentice: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:28 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Yes. That would apply to anything made outside of India.

When it comes to Indian manufacturers they do as they please.
Ask for advice about an Indian product on an Indian website.

I can see no point in making non-standard hardware or software. But I am English!

David.

Top
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
Posted by bagho: Sat. Dec 5, 2015 - 01:36 PM (Reply to #8)
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Thank you! I'm getting that. 

 

Top
Simonetta
Simonetta's picture
Level: Raving Lunatic
Joined: Wed. Mar 12, 2003
Posts: 3022 View posts
Location: Portland, Oregon USA
Posted by Simonetta: Sun. Dec 6, 2015 - 12:54 AM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

If you're looking to buy an Arduino UNO/nano clone then make sure that it has a Mega328P and not a Mega328.  Otherwise all the internal Arduino code that issues AVRdude commands get rejected because the idiot device signatures don't match.

 

The OneHungLow factory (the mythical place in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China where all the Arduino clones are made) has finally mastered the art of Arduino cloning.  Make sure that your new Nano or UNO clone has a CH340_ type USB/serial interface IC on the PCB, and you are unlikely to have problems using the device.   I get mine from BangGood.com for about $3 each.

 

Not kidding about OHL factory.  Dave Jones of the YouTube EEVblog has some choice words about the stuff that they ship out to all of us.  Ever get a 220VAC-to-USB little power converter block with only about 0.1mm between the 220VAC trace and the +5V output trace on the internal PCB?  Another OHL masterpiece.  Ever buy a hundred three prong mains power cables and find that there's no wire between the ground plugs (only two wires internally) on each cable?  OHL again.  Does the 'Underwriter's Laboratories' seal have a word misspelled?  OHL forever!

Last Edited: Sun. Dec 6, 2015 - 01:04 AM
Top
Bronze Markdavid.prentice
david.prentice's picture
Level: 10k+ Postman
Joined: Sat. Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 30476 View posts
Location: Wormshill, England
Posted by david.prentice: Sun. Dec 6, 2015 - 08:16 AM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Rubbish. The Arduino IDE will build for the controller specified by your "boards.txt" entry. e.g. a 328P for a Uno.

When avrdude asks the bootloader for the Signature, the Uno bootloader replies with the 328P value regardless of which chip is installed.

I would be 90% confident that Bagho will be fine with his Indian manufactured clone. But since it is Indian, only an Indian can verify this.

Indian manufacturers are notorious for being non-standard. e.g. different pin-outs, different schematic, different component values, ....

Chinese products are more conventional and often better made.

David.

Last Edited: Sun. Dec 6, 2015 - 08:18 AM
Top
bagho
bagho's picture
Level: Hangaround
Joined: Thu. Apr 16, 2015
Posts: 104 View posts
Location: India
Posted by bagho: Sun. Dec 6, 2015 - 07:58 PM
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Total votes: 0

Simonetta wrote:

Ever get a 220VAC-to-USB little power converter block with only about 0.1mm between the 220VAC trace and the +5V output trace on the internal PCB?  Another OHL masterpiece.  Ever buy a hundred three prong mains power cables and find that there's no wire between the ground plugs (only two wires internally) on each cable?  

 

 

Both experiences I have had, multiple times! Haha! wink

Top