Attending the iCubesat Conference in Paris and UKSEDS activities last week took more time than anticipated, so the hardware design has not progressed further since my last post, but I’ve instead been focusing on quicker jobs regarding software and regulation.

Firstly, I have been finding the tools needed to program the EEPROM that will tell the Pi each board’s unique ID number and other details that are used for a seamless connection (more details available here).

Next, I researched the software tools that the customer will use to program the AVRs. I discovered that the Arduino IDE unfortunately doesn’t support programming chips through the Pi’s GPIO pins. However, the AVRDUDE software commonly used for programming from bigger computers is available for the Pi, so can be used instead.

On the regulation side, I was able to confirm that kits do not require CE marking. This mark ensures the quality of products sold across the European Economic Area (EEA) and while I won’t be CE marking the AVR HAT for Raspberry Pi due to the huge expense that certification testing would require, I will certainly and personally ensure that every board is of the highest quality.

The next steps for the board will be

• collect together all the software required for programming AVRs from the HAT and bundle them into one easy to install package
• continue writing the user guide for a trouble free user experience
• continue hardware design – add the switches that will determine which chip is being programmed and whether the Pi or ATmega328P is acting as the programmer

Next week will be another busy one, with work picking up on the SpaceSoc lunar rover project for this year, but I hope to at least write some more of the user guide and add to the hardware design.

As always, you can find the latest updates on my blog and Twitter.

Development of the first product for my shop, the AVR HAT for Raspberry Pi, is well underway. It will allow you to quickly and easily program an ATmega328P and/or ATtiny85 directly from the Pi by attaching the board to the Pi’s 40-pin GPIO header.

I’m hoping to have the hardware design finished by the end of the week and will then start ordering blank boards and components from OSH Park and Farnell (suppliers TBC).

I’m also currently writing the user manual to make sure that the board is as easy to use as possible. Work on this may extend into next week.

Once I’ve made at least one prototype board and confirmed a high quality product, I will open orders to the public. The price and release date are TBC but will be announced soon, and I’m hoping to make shipping available globally. I’ll be posting more updates on this blog as development continues, and make sure to keep an eye on my Twitter for the latest news.