The Atmel AVR AT90S2313 and ATTINY2313 series of micro-controllers have inspired a number of projects. Below are .zip file downloads for various projects using these flexible devices.
Today, I find myself fascinated. There are two sections to this home page .... first, my latest Atmel AVR micro-controller projects. The second section of this site includes my older projects using discrete components.
You will note that many of these projects utilize my earlier patent made through the University of Utah for Touch Plate Lighting. This circuitry is also implemented in many projects here. The idea behind it is using in-phase feedback on the shielded control line cable to allow consistent and sensitive operation with varying lengths of long shielded cable lengths. Such use allows only a metal plate connected to the inner conductor of the control line to act as a switching control point. All electronics, then, are located in the module at the light or power strip. Capacitance touch plates never wear out providing highly reliable switching control. An added advantage is that many touch plates at remote locations can control this module.
You will find kid's toys such as the stop light and single cell LED flashlight. There is a unique and very functional burglar alarm. There is an electronic combination lock for opening your garage door from the outside. Also, you'll find some timers with alarm functions. Then my other latest development is "The One Button Home." This allows any single touch plate in any room to turn off any other light or appliance anywhere else in the home. And there is more. Full description, instructions, schematic, and assembly coding for these and other Atmel micro-controller projects are included at this site.
Build your own! At the bottom of this page are ordering instructions for obtaining pre-programed Atmel AVR micro-controller chips
August 6, 2011. Need an accurate time keeper? The Accu Alarm Clock is a micro-controller project that makes a clock which can be very accurately adjusted for long-term, time accuracy. Further, it allows up to sixteen toggles of a power outlet. These toggle settings can be made daily or on specific days of the week.
A single bi-colored LED flashes out day-of-week and time every 30 seconds.
Crystal controlled, this project allows the clock to be tracked over several months to fine tune the clock correction routine. By doing so, many variables, including temperature, which may affect crystal frequency can be averaged out over many weeks. Expected accuracy can be up to two seconds per month.
This design allows up to 10 minutes of power interruption. However, none of the clock correcton or crystal divider settings are lost. They are stored in EEPROM memory which is read at boot up after power is restored.
A touch plate control system capable of attaching up to 150 feet of shielded control line gives the capability of this Accu Clock to be controlled at multiple points. Reprogramming of the clock correction is done through the touch plate.
April 21, 2011. While designed primarily as a toy for children's entertainment, this project serves as a very sensitive instrument to audibly listen to earth's magnetic field. It has both a low sensitivity as well as high sensitivity mode.
Children can dance with a small magnet near the sensor to produce a myriad of tones.
It utilizes the Speake FGM-3 flux gate sensor. A crystal referenced frequency is used to beat against the FGM-3 signal to yield an audio signal which monitors extremely small changes in the earth's magnetic field.
November 21, 2010 version. This night light turns the LEDs on at sunset and off at sunrise. Times are determined by an EEPROM memory table which can be programmed with times desired for your region. Time changes occur every fifteen days.
A separate LED flashes out the Standard Time day of week every 30 seconds. A touch plate rather than mechanical switch is used to enter data.
A capacitor with sensitive gate SCR are used to power the unit, thus it is very power efficient.
August 30, 2010 version of the Timer. In addition to earlier models, this one adds a convenient metronome and additional "Favorites" save time. It has a count up timer as well as a beep out of the time that has elapsed after the "finished" alarm is heard. (How many minutes did I over bake the rolls!). Lastly, it will beep on any programmed interval .... from seconds to hours.
Short dit pushes of the button add one minute to the total time. A longer, dah, (3/4 second push) add ten minute increments to the total time. You can even add hours. This is done by holding down the button and waiting for a beep. Each beep adds an hour to the total time.
No power is drawn from the battery when off. During use, it draws 2-4 ma from the 1.5 volt AA battery.
Set this out where all can see and it flashes out your address in the evening by using sequential flashes. IF you wish to add your street name, that, too can be flashed out using Morse code. A single push button is used to program the ATTiny2313V chip. This programmed information is remembered even during power downs.
Always a good conversation piece, and being solar powered, not much need for maintenance. A $3.00 Westinghouse Solar Garden Light was used for the solar cell and LED voltage step up circuitry. (Added July, 2010)
Having difficulty keeping track of the pills you take. Up to four pills can be programmed. It is designed to change the four LED lights at midnight each day to indicate if a pill should be taken or not that day. A double flash is given at the start of each new day for a pill that is to be taken. The flash can be changed to a single flash once you have taken that pill.
An ATTINY2313V micro-controller draws very little power so costs but pennies a year to keep in operation. (Added July, 2010)
Trumpet Timer/Silent Metronome
Practice Trumpet Timer plus Silent Metronome
Plug a light into this power strip, press the button to start an interval. After the desired interval, press the button again. The time between button pushes flash the light on and off for that duration. This on/off cycle repeats itself. The interval can be less than a second and longer than a day.
Short intervals make it a silent metronome.
The unit was designed at the request by grandson, Brian Lamb. He needed a timer with which to practice his trumpet playing. It is recommended that one rest for the same amount of time one plays. This timer fills that bill. The inexpensive ATTINY2313 micro-controller is used for this project. (Added April 28, 2010)
Trumpet Timer2
Portable Practice Trumpet Timer
This is the portable version of "Trumpet Timer/Silent Metronome." A series of three beeps is heard at the end of a set timing duration. It will not recycle as does "Trumpet Timer/Silent Metronome." No metronome function exists for this device. Press the button to start an interval. After the desired interval, press the button again. The time between button pushes determines the wait time before the Sonalert alarm sounds.
The unit requires one AA battery. The inexpensive ATTINY2313 micro-controller is used for this project. (Added April 28, 2010)
QUAD COMBO
Four AC Outlets Individually Controlled by Coded Touches of Touch Plate
The name, Quad Combo, was given to this unusual but useful project. Construct this low component count capacitance touch plate switch with long control line capability. Touch plates can be located at multiple locations. Besides being an ordinary touch switch, Quad Combo can be easily programmed to accept only certain dit-dah touches of the touch plate. Each of the four outlets can have a different code. This code can be as simple as one dit (short) or dah (long) touch, -- on up to as many as 254 dit-dah combinations of touches. The device is powered by an efficient capacitive power supply keeping operation costs to pennies a year. The inexpensive ATTINY2313 micro-controller does a stellar job for this project. (Added February 17, 2008)
A Touch of Light
Construct a very useful capacitance touch plate switch. Besides being an ordinary touch switch, this one adds capabilities to give the home a lived-in look. In addition, "A Touch of Light" has a programmable on time of up to 255 hours. Small component count and reliable control are achieved using the AVR ATTINY2313 micro-controller. The 100-foot long control line capability allows control of the light from a multitude of locations. The device is powered by an efficient capacitive power supply keeping operation costs to pennies a year.
A long time favorite and conversation piece in our home is the touch plate switch. With touch plates being only static metal buttons that never require replacement and the fact that several locations could control the circuit; it quickly became a very practical, valuable step saver. With the advent of the micro-controller, suddenly the circuit became simpler -- only 26 component parts were used. Additionally, it became even more practical! It's not only a touch plate switch but will do additional jobs like giving a room a "lived in" look while you're away. Random on/off operations are possible. A feed from the automatic garage door opener turns the light on for a short period of time. The ATTINY2313 was used for this project. Pennies a year operational cost is assured by use of an efficient capacitor type power supply.
The notorious "One Button Home." It might be notorious but it works very reliably. Here are the complete details including schematics, assembly language coding, and the instruction sheet. My most ambitious project to date ... a home lighting system whereby one can turn on or off ANY light or appliance in the home from a single touch plate located in ANY room of the home. A marriage of the touch plate with this system provides a very convenient, energy-saving, step-saving home addition. A simple two wire (telephone style wire) connects between all units in the system. Many features make this far beyond being an ordinary switch.
Intended to open an automatic garage door from a remote location using a single touch plate. A code of up to 255 dit (short touches), and dah (1/2 second touches) can be programmed into EEPROM memory ... a memory which will retain the code upon power down. You choose the security level --- you can have just a few dit, dah combinations or many. Non-mechanical touch plates prevent switch corrosion and unreliability for outdoor locations. A relay is momentarily closed when the proper code is entered. The Atmel ATTINY2313 micro-controller is used.
This was intended as a child's toy; however with slight modification it can be used as a very useful electronic combination lock with billions of code combinations. A single AA cell operates this device. A dit-dah code entry of from one to 255 pushes of the switch can be easily programmed into this device. You choose the security level by the number of dit, dah pushes of the switch. An LED light comes on continuously for 5 1/2 minutes when the correct code is entered. The Atmel AVR, ATTINY2313, micro-controller is used.
This was intended as a child's toy; however with slight modification it can be used as a very useful electronic combination lock with billions of code combinations. Similar to the above Toy Electronic Combination Lock project; this is an improved version allowing much longer life of the single AA cell that operates this device. A dit-dah code entry of from one to 255 pushes of the switch can be easily programmed into this device. You choose the security level by the number of dit, dah pushes of the switch. An LED light comes on continuously for 5 1/2 minutes when the correct code is entered. The Atmel AVR, ATTINY2313, micro-controller is used.
Download schematic, assembly coding, and instructions, (combokay.zip), Atmel AVR ATTINY2313 project
Inspired by the fact most alarm clocks have many buttons, why not a ONE button alarm clock? This one not only has a single button, but a single red/green LED for readout of the time.... perfect for the bedroom at night. THREE separate AC circuits are controlled by either a push-button or touch plate. Remote touch plates located 100-feet and more away from the unit can control on/off or even programming.
This ATTINY2313 project turns on an air conditioner (or other device) for a given period of time. One single button will program this timer to stay on for up to 255 hours.
Similar to the above Air Conditioner Timer, this TIMER2 project utilizes a direct drive to the Omron GGHU-2 bistable relay, making for a minimum parts-count timer. The same logic is used as for the air conditioner timer. One single button will program this timer to go on for up to 255 hours.
This is a burglar alarm (using an external sensor). When a positive +4 to +5 volt signal is received, the unit is triggered. Additionally, the time the intrusion occurs is recorded in memory for readout at a later time. Also, a wag between the red and green LEDs indicate the elapsed time since the last intrusion. This gives a quick view as to how recent the intrusion occured. The other option is to continually read out the exact time in minutes and hours since the intrusion. The internal crystal controlled clock can also be sequentially flashed out on the LEDs.
Grab the times a light is turned on and off. Once done, this cycle will repeat automatically day after day -- even on certain days of the week. These times can be permanently stored to or read back from the internal EEPROM memory. GRABTIME is the project. Grabtime allows up to 17 on and off operations(34 recordings). Further, these times can be manually entered if desired. Twice a minute, clock time is flashed out sequentially from one green and one red LED.
Grab the times a light is turned on and off.... and more. This is an updated project to the above "GrabTime" project. This one utilizes the newer Atmel ATTINY2313 chip. Additionally, it utilizes the long, 100-foot control line multiple touch plate capability. It also will ride through a power failure of five to ten minutes. Like GrabTime, above, it memorizes the on/off pattern of a light -- even on certain days of the week. Once done, this cycle will repeat automatically day after day. These toggle times can be permanently stored into or read back from the internal EEPROM memory. Grabtime allows up to 17 on and off operation pairs(34 separate recordings). Further, these times can be manually entered if desired. Twice a minute, the clock time is flashed out sequentially from one green and one red LED.
It's a clock. It remembers times the relay is toggled. Coding patterned after GrabTime3 above (without GrabTime3's touch plate capability). This project goes a step further.
An analog atomic clock time movement was used as a time reference for this project. Thus, daylight savings time changes are automatically made. Further, it outputs a 12 volt supply line which drops power for 1/60th of a second each day at 4:00 a.m. This provides night time time correction for any other project being powered and capable of reading this 4:00 a.m. pulse.
Time is flashed out by a red and green LED -- with morning times by the green LED and afternoon and night times by the red LED. Relay contacts are toggled at programmed times. The programming can be either manual or from the pattern of toggles from the push button switch.
Tired of a big keyboard and tiny buttons to enter the time to cook the cake? How about the One Button Kitchen Timer? Short dit pushes of the button add one minute to the total time. A longer, dah, (3/4 second push) add ten minute increments to the total time. You can even add hours. This is done by holding down the button and waiting for a beep. Each beep adds an hour to the total time.
The timer works from a 1 1/2 volt AA battery.
An improved version of the above "One Button Kitchen Timer." This one will not discharge the single AA cell powering the unit during idle times. Additionally, it has two new features --- a Yellow LED letting you know it's in a timing cycle. Further it will beep out (in dit-dah beeps) how long after the "time's-up" beeping started. Short dit pushes of the button add one minute to the total time. A longer, dah, (3/4 second push) add ten minute increments to the total time. You can even add hours. This is done by holding down the button and waiting for a beep. Each beep adds an hour to the total time.
The timer works from a single AA Alkaline or NiMH battery.
It's a touch plate switch with four independent outputs. One touch turns on or off circuit one, two touches, circuit two, etc.
Additionally, each of these circuits have program capability to be toggled at up to ten times from internal memory. It's like having four separate timers with multiple on and off times.
A single bi-color, red-grenn, LED sequentially flashes out time of day. It acts as a unique clock which can be read day or night.
Using the Atmel ATTINY2313 micro-controller, this unit will ride through a power failure of up to five minutes without losing loss of memory. Remote turn-on capability is given through the touch plate capability. This allows up to 100 feet of shielded control line leading to the remote touch plates. Extremely low power consumption is achieved by use of a capacitor type power supply and use of latching relays.
Five automatic water valves are controlled individually. They can be programmed to come on at a given time on an every day, every other day, every third day, etc., sequence.
Further, a valve sequence separate from the alarm time sequence can be activated immediately. Valves are programmed to come on in any sequence and each with individual times on.
It is also a programmable switch. It can memorize on/off times of the touch plate (even on a given day). This can be saved in both temporary and permanent memory storage areas. The permanent memory assures commands are never lost. It also can turn a light or appliance on or off after a given length of time ... up to 42 1/2 hours. It is a clock, flashing out hours and minutes from a single two-color LED. It runs on very low power (one milliamp) and uses a capacitor type power supply for efficiency. 34 separate alarm times can be programmed to toggle the on/off of AC power.
The Atmel ATTiny2313 micro-controller operates at 3-5 volts but reliably toggles the 5 volt Omron G6HU-2 latching relay because of voltage doubling effected at the outputs of the chip.
It is also a programmable switch. It can memorize on/off times of the touch plate (even on a given day). This can be saved in both temporary RAM and permanent EEPROM memory storage areas. The permanent memory assures commands are never lost. It also can turn a light or appliance on or off after a given length of time ... up to 42 1/2 hours. It is a clock, flashing out hours and minutes from a single two-color LED. It runs on very low power (one milliamp) and uses a capacitor type power supply for efficiency. 34 separate alarm times can be programmed to toggle the on/off of AC power.
The Atmel ATTiny2313 micro-controller operates at 3-5 volts but reliably toggles the 5 volt Omron G6HU-2 latching relay because of voltage doubling effected by capacitively coupling the outputs of the chip to the relay.
It is also a programmable switch. It can memorize on/off times of the touch plate (even on a given day). This can be saved in both temporary RAM and permanent EEPROM memory storage areas. The permanent memory assures commands are never lost. It also can turn a light or appliance on or off after a given length of time ... up to 42 1/2 hours. It is a clock, flashing out hours and minutes from a single two-color LED. It runs on very low power (one milliamp) and uses a capacitor type power supply for efficiency. 34 separate alarm times can be programmed to toggle the on/off of AC power.
The Atmel ATTiny2313V micro-controller reliably toggles the 5 volt Omron G6HU-2 latching relay by direct coupling.
Phone Off-the-Hook Speaker Clicker
If you need an audible as well as visual indication when a phone is off the hook, here's the circuit. It is self-powered from the phone line. An unobtrusive click is heard from a speaker every two minutes when the phone is off the hook. Additionally, the LED light comes on when the phone is returned back to it's hook.
Download zipped schematic and instructions. Uses CMOS discreet components.
Losing money replacing 9-volt batteries because a device is left on? Here's a simple 5-component circuit that turns off those devices after two minutes.
Checks or Money Orders accepted:
Wayne Simister
Automated Sound
584 Cortez Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84103-2123
E-mail: wsimister@hotmail.com