Configure Arduino UNO r3 whit ATMEGA8A-PU

What is Arduino

Today Arduino is probably the most popular controller board for hobbyist persons. You can run RGB led strips, servos, sensors and whatever you can think about for your home automation or just for fun. Opportunities are endless.

This clone boards from ebays are selling less then $10 and are very attractive to start whit if you are not sure if this type of engineering will work for you.

Chinese clone problem

After couple of days i finally have successfully run this clone whit old atmega8 chip. The problem whit this clone is that it will come whit preinstalled cheap atmega8 chip, and the arduino ide cannot see the board. The solution is to create custom board driver for this articular chip.

Add new the board driver

• Download the Arduino environment
• windows: www.arduino.cc
• linux ubuntu: Software Center or from www.arduino.cc
• Connect the board
• Install drivers for UNO, you can find more info on google or arduino web site 
• linux ubuntu: 12.10+

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install arduino arduino-core

• windows: arduino web site
• Open file /boards.txt
• windows

C:/Program Files/arduino/hardware/arduino/boards.txt

• linux (open protected file)

gksudo nautilus usr/share/arduino/hardware/arduino/boards.txt

or

gksudo gedit usr/share/arduino/hardware/arduino/boards.txt

• Insert the code below AT THE END of the /boards.txt file and save it

##############################################################
# Custom board "Arduino Optiboot8"
# Arduino uno r3 ATMEGA8A-PU

opti8.name = Arduino Optiboot8

opti8.upload.protocol = Arduino
opti8.upload.maximum_size = 7680
opti8.upload.speed = 115200

opti8.bootloader.low_fuses = 0xBF
opti8.bootloader.high_fuses = 0xcc
opti8.bootloader.path = optiboot
opti8.bootloader.file = optiboot_atmega8.hex
opti8.bootloader.unlock_bits = 0x3F
opti8.bootloader.lock_bits = 0x0F

opti8.build.mcu = atmega8
opti8.build.f_cpu = 16000000L
opti8.build.core = arduino
opti8.build.variant = standard

• Launch the Arduino ide
• Select your board "Arduino Optiboot8"

Tools > Board > Arduino Optiboot8

• Select your serial port. If there is no USB option on serial port or serial port is not available, you have problem whit your board driver

Tools > Serial Port > USB

• Upload the test program

Conclusion

Whit some modification this clone board can run and do the job. If you need something more reliable i suggest you to buy genuine Arduino board, also this way you will support the creators of this amazing project.

Tested on Ubuntu 13.10 and Windows 7.