Arduino Nano vs Mini Pro

[paf]

He said he wants them for embedded projects, so presumably the smaller size would be more important.  Development can be done with an Uno clone though.

Good point. 

I think you are mixing up Unos and Leonardos here.  Leonardo clones are available also, but I haven't seen them in the smaller Nano-like size.

Unos can be used as keyboards also:
http://mitchtech.net/arduino-usb-hid-keyboard/

Leonardo clones exist (at least on eBay) and they seem to have a polyfuse:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leonardo-Pro-Micro-ATmega32U4-16MHz-5V-Replace-ATmega328-Arduino-Pro-Mini/321516943415


 

[MLXXXp]

Leonardo clones are available also, but I haven't seen them in the smaller Nano-like size.

The Arduino/Genuino Micro is essentially a Leonardo in a smaller form factor. Ebay clones are available (these are the longer ones with the reset switch). The shorter Sparkfun Pro Micro is also similar to a Leonardo but lacks some I/O pins and other signals, along with the reset switch, 3.3V output and ICSP header, but is available in a 3.3V/8MHz version (clones too).

[edavid]

Leonardo clones exist (at least on eBay) and they seem to have a polyfuse:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leonardo-Pro-Micro-ATmega32U4-16MHz-5V-Replace-ATmega328-Arduino-Pro-Mini/321516943415

Thanks, they are also available on AliExpress for about $3.

I guess another option would be a Digispark clone @ $1.50, but they don't have much code space.

[nbritton]

Nano.   It's worth the little bit of extra money to get the USB port built in.

Even with the CH340 USB to serial chip? I use predominantly Mac and Linux, my only Windows PC is my work issued laptop in my drawer that I never use.

Maybe you're not very good at searching 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-10PCS-ATMEGA328P-AU-ATMEGA328P-ATMEGA328-8-bit-microcontroller-AVR-32-k-flash-memory-QFP/32510774853.html

What about a through hole chip?

[edavid]

Nano.   It's worth the little bit of extra money to get the USB port built in.

Even with the CH340 USB to serial chip? I use predominantly Mac and Linux, my only Windows PC is my work issued laptop in my drawer that I never use.

There are drivers available for Mac and Linux, and some people seem happy with them, e.g.: http://0xcf.com/2015/03/13/chinese-arduinos-with-ch340-ch341-serial-usb-chip-on-os-x-yosemite/

Maybe you're not very good at searching 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-10PCS-ATMEGA328P-AU-ATMEGA328P-ATMEGA328-8-bit-microcontroller-AVR-32-k-flash-memory-QFP/32510774853.html

What about a through hole chip?

http://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-atmega328p%25252dpu-10pcs.html?site=glo&SearchText=atmega328p-pu+10pcs&g=y&SortType=price_asc&groupsort=1

[dadler]

If you intend to make your own boards at home, it's so much easier to use SMT parts. It's such a pain to have to drill TH holes...

The larger SMT parts (0805, SOIC, QFP32) are in some ways easier and faster to solder by hand as well (don't have to flip the board over, etc), even if you are sending out for boards.

[AlxDroidDev]

I have bought Mini Pro and Nanos by the pound (mostly from Deal Extreme) over the last few years. All of them worked as expected. The 328s themselves aren't fakes, since they worked as expected.

The only problem I had were with a few of the Nanos v3.0 that still had the fake FTDI chips (anyone remember the "FTDIgate" ?). the fake FTDI chips wouldn't  last as much and would fail after only a few hours. This didn't trash the boards entirely, because I still could program them using ICSP, bypassing the bootloader, meaning the 328s on them were still perfect. I didn't have this problem with the Nanos that feature the CH340 USB bridge.

I am more inclined to buy assembled Nanos and Mini Pros from China than spare Atmega328 in QFP32: when buying spare chips, these are much likely to be fake, and even Sparkfun has been a victim of fake 328s: https://www.sparkfun.com/news/350

[Phili76]

Nano.   It's worth the little bit of extra money to get the USB port built in.

Even with the CH340 USB to serial chip? I use predominantly Mac and Linux, my only Windows PC is my work issued laptop in my drawer that I never use.

There are drivers available for Mac and Linux, and some people seem happy with them, e.g.: http://0xcf.com/2015/03/13/chinese-arduinos-with-ch340-ch341-serial-usb-chip-on-os-x-yosemite/

To use the CH340 on OSX El Capitain you have to turn off kext driver signing. It´s working but you have to disable driver signing. Maybe there will be a driver someday on the official site.
Just found: http://blog.sengotta.net/signed-mac-os-driver-for-winchiphead-ch340-serial-bridge/

[paf]

....

The only problem I had were with a few of the Nanos v3.0 that still had the fake FTDI chips (anyone remember the "FTDIgate" ?). the fake FTDI chips wouldn't  last as much and would fail after only a few hours. This didn't trash the boards entirely, because I still could program them using ICSP, bypassing the bootloader, meaning the 328s on them were still perfect. I didn't have this problem with the Nanos that feature the CH340 USB bridge.

....

Did you try to repair them?

FTDI clone repair:
http://arduinotronics.blogspot.dk/2014/10/does-windows-ftdi-update-brick-your.html


Fixing the FTDI drivers – prevent auto updates
http://www.rei-labs.net/fixing-the-ftdi-drivers-prevent-auto-updates/

[Guide] Permanently repair broken fake FTDI chip
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=274387.0

FTDI Bricked Chips Fix
http://tech.scargill.net/ftdi-bricked-chips-fix

[AlxDroidDev]

Did you try to repair them?

Oh, yes, I did! I tried all of that. Somehow the FTDI on them went FUBAR, which makes me believe that not only the fake FTDIs are susceptible to the "FTDIgate" bricking problem, but they also have a very shorter lifespan.