Hardware Kit

AVR8 / Arduino-class

8-bit microcontrollers for ultra-low-power, deterministic control loops and simple sensing. Best for edge autonomy, safety interlocks, and dependable I/O under tight RAM budgets.

8-bit MCU Bare-metal Low power

Compute

8-bit @ 8-20 MHz, no FPU

Memory

Flash 16-256 KB, SRAM 1-8 KB (model-dependent)

OS/RTOS

Bare-metal / tiny scheduler

Toolchain

avr-gcc + avr-libc, avrdude

Power

3.3V or 5V, mA-level draw

Typical Boards

Arduino Uno (ATmega328P) / Nano / Pro Mini
Arduino Mega (ATmega2560)
ATtiny/ATmega custom boards for ultra-low power

Toolchain + Build Profile

Compiler: avr-gcc, avr-libc
Programmer: avrdude (ISP / bootloader)
Build: Makefile or CMake (cross toolchain file)

cmake .. -DTARGET=avr8
cmake --build .

Pin-Level + Electrical

Logic level: 5V (most boards) or 3.3V (verify board)
Interfaces: UART (TX/RX), I2C (SDA/SCL), SPI (MOSI/MISO/SCK/SS)
Timers/PWM: limited channels; use for motor control
ADC: 10-bit analog inputs; check reference voltage
Current limits: per-pin and per-port limits (datasheet)
Debug: ISP/ICSP header; UART for logs

Sensors + Peripherals

I2C IMU (low-rate), wheel encoders on interrupt pins
Analog sensors via ADC (potentiometers, current sense)
Simple ranging sensors (ultrasonic, IR)

Comms + Networking

UART radios (LoRa, XBee), I2C/SPI peripherals
No native Wi-Fi; add external modules if needed

Real-Time + Determinism

Deterministic loops; avoid blocking delays
Prefer fixed-point math and static buffers

Recommended Vault Modules

PID + LQR Toolkit Motion Profiles Serial Link Layer Scheduler + Watchdog MPPT + Battery SOC Grid Navigation A*

Pitfalls + Mitigations

Floating point cost; use fixed-point if possible
Stack overflow from large local arrays
Blocking delays break timing; use state machines
Brownouts during motor actuation; add bulk caps

Field Checklist

Verify voltage levels and level shifting
Set fuses/clock and confirm UART baud
Size buffers for worst-case paths
Enable watchdog and fail-safe outputs