Published April 25, 2023 © GPL3+

A Tiny Car Using a Tiny Microcontroller

You have seen cars made using Arduino it's good and big, but have you seen a tiny car using a tiny microcontroller?

IntermediateFull instructions provided1 hour92

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Microchip ATtiny85

BO Motor

BO Wheel

mini breadboard

a small cardboard box

SparkFun Dual H-Bridge motor drivers L298

connecting wires

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE

Story

You have seen cars made using Arduino it's good and big, but have you seen a tiny car using a tiny microcontroller? Ye, s you guessed it right, the attiny85. If you follow me on YouTube, you know that I am obsessed with ATtiny85. So one day this idea came to me (There are other makers who have got the idea before me so I took inspiration from them)

it's all done now it's time for the connections I'll provide the schematics and code in the description don't worry after connecting everything I put the motor driver inside the small box and then glued the motors to the side of the box

For the body of the car, I took a small cardboard box (of dimension 3.5*4.5), so that way I can put all the electronics in it.

Programming Part

1 / 2

let's upload the program to the microcontroller. Here I'm using an Arduino as ISP to program the attiny85. Don't worry I've got you covered, here you go check out this to learn how to program your attiny85. first, we need to upload a code from an example called Arduino ISP, in order to work with our Arduino as an in-system programmer (ISP).

after that, we go to our main code and select the upload using the programmer

That's it.

Connections

1 / 2

I am powering the L298 (motor driver) using the 12v battery. The attiny85 can work with a voltage range of about 1.8v - 5.5v, so here I am taking the 5v output from the motor driver to power the attiny85.

now make the connections as shown in the schematic below

PuttingEverything

1 / 2

after connecting everything I put the motor driver(with wires connected, carefully) inside the small box and then glued the motors to the side of the box

also, attach a 12V battery to the other side of the box and

its action time

Code

attiny85car.ino

const byte MOTOR1_BWD = 0;
const byte MOTOR1_FWD = 1;
const byte MOTOR2_FWD = 3;
const byte MOTOR2_BWD = 2;

void stop(){
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, LOW);
}

void forward(){
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, LOW);
}

void backward(){
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, HIGH);
}

void left(){
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, HIGH);
}

void right(){
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, LOW);
}

void setup(){
  pinMode(MOTOR1_BWD, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(MOTOR1_FWD, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(MOTOR2_FWD, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(MOTOR2_BWD, OUTPUT);
  
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_BWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR1_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_FWD, LOW);
  digitalWrite(MOTOR2_BWD, LOW);
}

void loop(){
  stop();
  delay(1000);
  forward();
  delay(1000);
  stop();
  delay(1000);
  backward();
  delay(1000);
  stop();
  delay(1000);
  left();
  delay(1000);
  stop();
  delay(1000);
  right();
  delay(1000);
  stop();
  delay(1000);
}

Credits

VinVout-io

10 projects • 5 followers

Electronics enthusiast. part-time Youtuber

A Tiny Car Using a Tiny Microcontroller

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

output_LjvTk9HQLj.pdf

Code

attiny85car.ino

Credits

VinVout-io

Comments

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A Tiny Car Using a Tiny Microcontroller

A Tiny Car Using a Tiny Microcontroller

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Story

Schematics

output_LjvTk9HQLj.pdf

Code

attiny85car.ino

Credits

VinVout-io

Comments

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