The Microchip ATtiny104 Xplained Nano Evaluation Kit is a hardware platform to evaluate the ATtiny104
microcontroller.
Supported by the Atmel Studio and MPLAB® X integrated development platform, the kit provides easy access to the
features of the Microchip ATtiny104 and explains how to integrate the device in a custom design.
The Xplained Nano MCU series evaluation kits include an on-board mini embedded programmer, and no external
tools are necessary to program the ATtiny104.
The Microchip Website.................................................................................................................................14
Steps to start exploring the Microchip Xplained Nano platform:
1.Download Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE.
2.Launch Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE.
3.Optional: Use Atmel START to generate drivers and examples.
4.Write your application code.
5.Connect a USB cable (Standard-A to Micro-B or Micro-AB) between the PC and the debug USB port on the
kit.
When the Xplained Nano kit is connected to your computer for the first time, the operating system will perform a
driver software installation. The driver file supports both 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft® Windows® XP,
Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. The drivers for the kit are included with Atmel Studio/
Microchip MPLAB® X IDE.
Once the Xplained Nano board is powered, the green status LED will blink and Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X
IDE will auto-detect which Xplained Nano board is connected. Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE will present
relevant information like data sheets and kit documentation. The ATtiny104 device is programmed by the on-board
Mini Embedded Debugger and therefore, no external programmer tool is required.
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano
Getting Started
2.2 Design Documentation and Relevant Links
The following list contains links to the most relevant documents and software for the ATtiny104 Xplained Nano.
• Xplained Products - Xplained Evaluation Kits are a series of easy-to-use evaluation kits for Microchip
microcontrollers and other Microchip products.
– Xplained Nano - used for low pin count devices and provides a minimalistic solution with access to all I/O
pins of the target microcontroller.
– Xplained Mini - used for medium pin count devices and adds Arduino Uno compatible header footprint and
a prototyping area.
– Xplained Pro - used for medium-to-high pin count devices that features advanced debugging and
standardized extensions for peripheral functions.
Note: All the above kits have on-board programmers/debuggers, which creates a set of low-cost boards for
evaluation and demonstration of features and capabilities of different Microchip products.
• Atmel Studio - Free IDE for the development of C/C++ and assembler code for microcontrollers.
• MPLAB® X IDE - MPLAB® X IDE is a software program that runs on a PC (Windows®, Mac OS®, Linux®) to
develop applications for Microchip microcontrollers and digital signal controllers. It is called an Integrated
Development Environment (IDE) because it provides a single integrated “environment” to develop code for
embedded microcontrollers.
• MPLAB® Code Configurator - MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC) is a free software plug-in that provides a
graphical interface to configure peripherals and functions specific to your application.
• IAR Embedded Workbench® for AVR® - This is a commercial C/C++ compiler that is available for 8-bit AVR.
There is a 30-day evaluation version as well as a 4 KB code-size-limited kick-start version available from their
website.
• Atmel START - Atmel START is an online tool that helps the user to select and configure software components
and tailor your embedded application in a usable and optimized manner.
• Microchip Sample Store - Microchip sample store where you can order samples of devices.
• Data Visualizer - Data Visualizer is a program used for processing and visualizing data. The Data Visualizer
can receive data from various sources such as the EDBG Data Gateway Interface found on Curiosity Nano and
Xplained Pro boards and COM Ports.
Xplained Nano is an evaluation platform that provides a set of small boards with access to all microcontroller I/O’s.
The platform consists of a series of low pin count Microcontroller (MCU) boards, which are integrated with Atmel
Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE to present relevant user guides, application notes, data sheets, and example code
through Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE. The platform also features a Virtual COM port for serial
communication to a host PC.
3.1 Mini Embedded Debugger
The ATtiny104 Xplained Nano contains the Mini Embedded Debugger (mEDBG) for on-board programming. The
mEDBG is a composite USB device of two interfaces: a debugger and a virtual COM port.
Together with Atmel Studio, the mEDBG debugger interface can program the ATtiny104. On ATtiny104 Xplained
Nano, the TPI interface is connected between the mEDBG and the ATtiny104.
The virtual COM port is connected to a UART on the ATtiny104 and provides an easy way to communicate with the
target application through the terminal software. It offers variable baud rate, parity, and Stop bit settings.
Note: The settings on the ATtiny104 must match the settings given in the terminal software.
Info: The virtual COM port in the mEDBG requires the terminal software to set the Data Terminal Ready
(DTR) signal to enable the UART pins connected to the ATtiny104. If the DTR signal is not enabled the
UART pins on the mEDBG are kept in high-z (tri-state), rendering the COM port unusable. The DTR signal
is automatically set by some terminal software, but it may have to be manually enabled in the target
terminal.
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano
Xplained Nano
The mEDBG controls one status LED on the ATtiny104 Xplained Nano. The table below shows how the LED is
controlled in different operation modes.
Table 3-1. mEDBG LED Control
Operation ModeStatus LED
Power-upLED is briefly lit
Normal operationLED is not lit
ProgrammingActivity indicator; the LED flashes when programming/
3.1.1 Xplained Nano Clock Output
The mEDBG outputs its CPU clock to the CLK pin 8, as shown in 3.3 Xplained Nano Standard Pinout. The clock
output can be used to feed the target device with a more accurate clock if this is needed for the application.
3.2 Power Sources
The kit can be powered by different sources. By default the kit will have a 5V supply and the voltage is taken directly
from the USB port through a 500 mA PTC fuse. The voltage from the USB connector can vary between 4.4V to 5.25V
(according to USB spec).
If other voltages are required, the kit must be disconnected from the USB to avoid damage or contention to the USB
power. The mEDBG must also be disconnected from the target section of the board. The board can be powered by
applying a voltage to one of the power connections on the board, according to the table below. To avoid any power
leakage through the mEDBG, this should also be disconnected by removing the resistors shown in Figure 3-3. For
placement of power connections, see 3.3 Xplained Nano Standard Pinout.
VUSBUSB Voltage output when USB is connected (behind a PTC fuse). Can be used as power
input when USB is not used.
VREGRegulated voltage from VUSB. If the kit does not have a regulator, this is directly connected
to VUSB.
VCCTarget voltage supply. By default, connected to VREG through a 0Ω resistor. Apply external
voltage here if the resistor is removed.
Figure 3-1. Power Supply Block Diagram
USBTarget MCUPTC
Power source
Power connection
Power consumer
3.3 Xplained Nano Standard Pinout
Xplained Nano kits have a standard pinout in the mEDBG section, as shown in the tables and figure below. The
program/debug pins will change depending on the target interface but will remain at the same locations.
Xplained Nano kits have a target section where all I/O pins will be available and fanned out. Except for the VCC and
GND pins with fixed positions, there are no defined pin functions in this area. The first pin in the target area is the
VCC pin, located right next to the VREG pin of the standard section. The last pin is GND, and it is located next to the
CDC RX pin in the standard section. For reference, see the figure below.
3.3.1 Standard Pinout for TPI
Table 3-3. Xplained Nano Standard Pinout for TPI
Pin NumberNameDescription
VUSB /
VREG
mEDBG
0-ohm Resistor
VCC
1RSTReset line
2TPIDTPI Program data line
3TPICTPI Program clock output
4NCNo Connect
5VREGRegulated voltage or VUSB if no regulator present
Micro USB ConnectormEDBGPower disconnectStatus LED
Power disconnectmEDBG disconnect
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano
Xplained Nano
3.4 Disconnecting mEDBG
The target device can be completely separated from the mEDBG, but this requires some small modifications to the
board using a soldering iron. By removing the resistors in the sections shown in the figure below, the mEDBG is
completely disconnected from the target controller. If desired to connect the mEDBG again, solder in 0Ω resistors or
solder in 100-mil headers on the header footprints and use wire-straps to connect the interfaces.
The power to the target controller ATtiny104 is connected from the VREG supply to the targets VCC supply with a 0Ω
resistor, as shown in the figure below. To measure the power consumption of the device, remove the 0Ω resistor and
replace it with an ammeter. The ammeter can be connected between the VREG and VCC pads for easy
measurement.
Tip: To connect the two power domains again, solder in a 0Ω resistor on the footprint or a 100-mil header
on the header footprint at the edge of the board and place a jumper between VREG and VCC.
Removing the resistor while the kit is powered without an ammeter or jumper may cause the ATtiny104 to
VREG
VCC
Power disconnect
be powered through its I/O pins. This may cause permanent damage to the device.
Figure 4-1. Current Measurement
4.3 Peripherals
4.3.1 LED
There is one yellow LED available on the ATtiny104 Xplained Nano board that can be turned ON and OFF. The LED
can be activated by driving the connected I/O line to GND.
Table 4-2. LED Connection
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano
Hardware User Guide
ATtiny104 PinFunctionShared Functionality
PA5Yellow LED0Edge connector
4.3.2 Mechanical Buttons
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano contains one mechanical button. This is a generic user configurable button and when a
button is pressed it will drive the I/O line to GND.
Info: There is no pull-up resistor connected to the generic user button. Remember to enable the internal
pull-up in the ATtiny104 to use the button.
ATtiny104 Xplained Nano contains a Mini Embedded Debugger (mEDBG) that can be used to program the ATtiny104
using Tiny Program Interface (TPI). The mEDBG also includes a Virtual Com port interface over UART. Atmel Studio
can be used as a front end for the Mini Embedded Debugger.
5.1 Tiny Program Interface
The Tiny Program Interface (TPI) uses two pins to communicate with the target. For further information on how to use
the programming capabilities of the mEDBG, see Mini Embedded Debugger.
Table 5-1. TPI Connections
ATtiny104 PinFunctionShared Functionality
PA0TPI clockmEDBG
PA1TPI datamEDBG
5.2 Virtual COM Port
The Embedded Debugger acts as a Virtual Com Port gateway by using one of the ATtiny104 UARTs. For further
information on how to use the Virtual COM port, see Mini Embedded Debugger.
This user guide provides the latest available revision of the kit. This section contains information about known issues,
a revision history of older revisions, and how older revisions differ from the latest revision.
6.1 Identifying Product ID and Revision
The revision and product identifier of Xplained Nano boards can be found in two ways; either through Atmel Studio/
Microchip MPLAB® X IDE or by looking at the sticker on the bottom side of the PCB.
By connecting an Xplained Nano board to a computer with Atmel Studio/Microchip MPLAB® X IDE running, an
information window will pop up. The first six digits of the serial number, which is listed under kit details, contain the
product identifier and revision.
The same information can be found on the sticker on the bottom side of the PCB. Most kits will print the identifier and
revision in plain text as A09-nnnn\rr, where nnnn is the identifier and rr is the revision. Boards with limited space have
a sticker with only a QR-code, which contains a serial number string.
The serial number string has the following format:
"nnnnrrssssssssss"
n = product identifier
r = revision
s = serial number
The product identifier for ATtiny104 Xplained Nano is A09-2678.
6.2 Fuse Masking
The ATtiny104 RSTDISBL(External Reset disable) fuse has been masked out in the mEDBG firmware. This is done
to avoid users disabling programming and debugging of the ATtiny104.
6.3 Revision 2
The target device U200 on revision 2 of the kit has been changed from engineering samples (ATTINY104-SSNRES)
to non-engineering samples (ATTINY104-SSNR).
6.4 Revision 1
Revision 1 is the initially released revision.
Engineering samples are mounted on revision 1 for the target device U200 (ATTINY104-SSNRES).
Microchip provides online support via our website at http://www.microchip.com/. This website is used to make files
and information easily available to customers. Some of the content available includes:
• Product Support – Data sheets and errata, application notes and sample programs, design resources, user’s
guides and hardware support documents, latest software releases and archived software
• General Technical Support – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), technical support requests, online
discussion groups, Microchip design partner program member listing
• Business of Microchip – Product selector and ordering guides, latest Microchip press releases, listing of
seminars and events, listings of Microchip sales offices, distributors and factory representatives
Product Change Notification Service
Microchip’s product change notification service helps keep customers current on Microchip products. Subscribers will
receive email notification whenever there are changes, updates, revisions or errata related to a specified product
family or development tool of interest.
To register, go to http://www.microchip.com/pcn and follow the registration instructions.
Customer Support
Users of Microchip products can receive assistance through several channels:
• Distributor or Representative
• Local Sales Office
• Embedded Solutions Engineer (ESE)
• Technical Support
Customers should contact their distributor, representative or ESE for support. Local sales offices are also available to
help customers. A listing of sales offices and locations is included in this document.
Technical support is available through the website at: http://www.microchip.com/support
Microchip Devices Code Protection Feature
Note the following details of the code protection feature on Microchip devices:
• Microchip products meet the specification contained in their particular Microchip Data Sheet.
• Microchip believes that its family of products is one of the most secure families of its kind on the market today,
when used in the intended manner and under normal conditions.
• There are dishonest and possibly illegal methods used to breach the code protection feature. All of these
methods, to our knowledge, require using the Microchip products in a manner outside the operating
specifications contained in Microchip’s Data Sheets. Most likely, the person doing so is engaged in theft of
intellectual property.
• Microchip is willing to work with the customer who is concerned about the integrity of their code.
• Neither Microchip nor any other semiconductor manufacturer can guarantee the security of their code. Code
protection does not mean that we are guaranteeing the product as “unbreakable.”
Code protection is constantly evolving. We at Microchip are committed to continuously improving the code protection
features of our products. Attempts to break Microchip’s code protection feature may be a violation of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act. If such acts allow unauthorized access to your software or other copyrighted work, you
may have a right to sue for relief under that Act.
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