[avr-chat] Getting started with an ATmega48

[joe]

I've downloaded the data sheet (from datasheetcatalog.com), and this
does a decent job of explaining what the pins are.  It does leave some
questions unanswered, though:

1. What voltage should I connect to Vcc?  It seems to imply that it can
work at 5V or 3.3V, but no actual limits are given.

2. It says that AVCC should be connected to Vcc, but "if the ADC is
used, it should be connected to VCC through a low-pass filter".  I'm
still new to electronics -- what does this mean?  I'm guessing a
capacitor, but what size and connected exactly how?  (The schematic at
<http://www.nongnu.org/avr-libc/user-manual/group__demo__project.html>
doesn't seem to show such a connection.)

Erm... I think that's all for now.  No wait, one more: this shiny new
AVR-ISP2 on my desk is a USB device.  I've never seen a USB device that
didn't require drivers hooked into the kernel (unlike serial devices,
alas).  But nobody I've talked to has mentioned this, or where I would
download OS X drivers for it... can other Mac users here comment on the
necessity & availability of drivers for this ISP?

Many thanks,
- Joe




--
Joe Strout -- address@hidden
Strout Custom Solutions