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The Pro Mini will have an extra pin that is grounded for this purpose. This essentially tells the adapter that it is always clear to send data.
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You will also note that the CTS input to the FTDI adapter is grounded, or held at a digital LOW. Note that the Transmit and Receive lines are crossed between the two devices, which makes perfect sense if you think about it. To connect the FTDI adapter to the Pro Mini you need to match the signals up as follows:
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Once that is done with the USB port just sits there, taking up both space and consuming some current. While this may seem like a major drawback it isn’t really, in many Arduino projects the USB port is only used for programming and debugging. For most applications, this will not be an issue.īut for all its extra versatility the Pro Mini has one feature lacking – it has no USB port. The 3.3-volt Pro Mini runs at a slower clock speed, 8 MHz. This opens up the possibility of creating battery powered projects, or directly interfacing with 3.3-volt logic devices. This is due to the surface-mount version of the processor having more leads than the DIP version that the Uno is based upon.Īnother way that the Pro Mini outshines its bigger brother is that it is available in both a 5-volt and 3.3-volt model. One way in which it is more capable than the Uno is that most Pro Mini designs have two additional analog input ports, which can also double as extra digital I/O pins. In fact, in many ways, the Pro Mini is even more versatile than the Uno.
MICRO USB TO SERIAL ADAPTER AMAZON FULL
The Pro Mini uses a surface-mount ATMega328, giving it the full power of the Arduino Uno in a much smaller package. You will have no problem finding one at a very low price.Īs its name would imply the Pro Mini is a very tiny device, it’s not much bigger than the DIP version of the ATMega328 chip. Although no longer available from the official Arduino store it is an open-source design and is now manufactured by several different companies. The Arduino Pro Mini was originally developed by SparkFun. And, as a bonus, we will build a battery-powered controller for a small robot arm. Of course, there is a way around this, so follow along and see how the Pro Mini can be useful for your next Arduino design. However programming the Pro Mini is done a bit differently than an Uno, mainly because the Pro Mini has no USB port. In fact in some ways it is even more versatile, and it’s small form factor and low cost makes it ideal for use in permanent projects. Although the Pro Mini is a small device it is quite powerful, as it uses the same processor chip as the Arduino Uno.
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