Programming and Customizing the AVR Microcontroller
This reader-friendly guide shows you how to take charge of the newest, most versatile microcontrollers around, Atmel's AVR RISC chip family. Inside, Electronics World writer and astronomy instrumentation developer Dhananjay V. Gadre walks you from first meeting these exciting new computers-on-a-chip all the way through design and ready-to-launch products.
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a compact, practical introduction to programming and deploying Atmel AVR microcontrollers — it takes you from architecture and instruction set to real-world interfacing and product design. You will get worked examples and applied guidance that help bridge the gap between data sheets and shipping firmware.
Who Will Benefit
Embedded engineers, hardware hackers, and students who need a focused, applied introduction to AVR microcontroller programming and peripheral interfacing for small product projects.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic digital electronics and microcontroller concepts, familiarity with C or another procedural programming language; assembly exposure is helpful but not strictly required.
Key Takeaways
- Explain the AVR architecture and instruction set and how they affect firmware design
- Write low-level code in AVR assembly and high-level code in C for common AVR devices
- Configure and use timers, interrupts, ADCs, EEPROM and other on-chip peripherals
- Implement serial communications (USART), SPI and basic I2C-style interfaces and peripheral interfacing
- Program and flash AVR devices, set fuse/lock bits, and use common programming/debugging tools
- Design simple embedded products around AVR chips including PCB and power considerations
Topics Covered
- Introduction to AVR microcontrollers and RISC principles
- AVR architecture, register file, memory map and I/O ports
- AVR instruction set and assembly programming
- C programming for AVR: toolchains and coding idioms
- Timers, counters and PWM
- Interrupts and real-time response
- Analog peripherals: ADC and comparators
- Serial communications: USART, SPI and interfacing
- Non-volatile memory: EEPROM and flash, fuse bits
- Interfacing sensors, displays and external devices
- Programming, debugging and in-circuit programming tools
- Designing AVR-based products: PCB, power and reliability
- Appendices: instruction set summary and datasheet notes
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Covers similar practical ground to Mazidi's AVR texts but is older and less comprehensive; compared to Elliot Williams' Make: AVR Programming it is more traditional and hardware-focused but not as modern or hobbyist-polished.
