Even though we’ve described a versatile ATmega / ATtiny programmer in this very issue, this neat little unit caught our eye as a fantastic ATtiny programmer. Barely larger than a USB flash drive, it plugs straight into a USB port, with a tiny DIP8 socket for ATtiny45/85 programming. Designed by David Mellis at MIT Media Lab, it’s an absolute gem!
Thoughtfully designed, this unit offers everything you need, and nothing you don’t. A standard DIP8 IC socket provides a slot for your ATtiny. Sure, this isn’t quite as easy as a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket, but the space required for one of those doesn’t fit with this compact design. Instead, they’ve added a prototyping socket on either side, so you can still jumper-out your ATtiny to a breadboard or other prototyping surface, which means you don’t constantly have to remove and replace the chip while coding and recompiling, which could damage it.
Additionally, there are two ISP headers so you can use it as a USB-to-ISP breakout in addition to a handy ATtiny programmer!
We know... we’re going a little bit crazy for all things ATtiny, but they’re awesome! This programmer just adds to the list of great hardware that makes using these tiny little microcontrollers that much easier, and more reliable. So what are you waiting for? Go get one, already!
Want it now? Grab it online from Core Electronics: