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Arduino chip sticker label

I’ve been working with a super minimal Arduino setup recently. After seeing Alex’s awesome Arduino/ATmega breadboard header, where he notes there’s no room on the PCB for pin labeling, I wondered if it would be possible to make a small sticker that goes on the ATmega chip, labeling the pin names.

Here’s my first attempt:
arduino-atmega-sticker

And in use:
arduino-atmega-sticker-use

This was created by printing on a full-page sticker then laser cutting it to shape. I could have also just cut out the sticker with scissors, or used regular printer paper and double-sided tape.

Some files if you want to try this out yourself:
- arduino-atmega-sticker.eps — EPS of just the sticker itself.
- arduino-atmega-sticker.svg — SVG version
- arduino-atmega-sticker.pdf — PDF version
- arduino-atmega-sticker-lasercut.cdr — Coreldraw file containing instructions & registration marks for printing then laser cutting your own sticker.

Posted by todbot on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm.

29 Responses to “Arduino chip sticker label”

Wow, that looks fantastic.
Could you post it in different formats? Maybe PDF or SVG?

Left by Alex on May 24th, 2009

Done! Now in PDF & SVG, in addition to EPS & CDR. :)

Left by todbot on May 24th, 2009

Laser cut stickers instead of scissors?! You win!

Left by John Park on May 24th, 2009

A long time ago, you could buy sticky labels like this for all the common TTL chips. I think they were called “Stickies”, and came in a sheet with several copies of the pinouts for the more frequently-used chips.

Left by John Honniball on May 24th, 2009

Why not just laser the labels onto the chips?

Left by Windell Oskay on May 24th, 2009

ooo, that’s a good idea. I wonder how the chip’s plastic would etch? Of course, it would make it harder to switch from Arduino dev to ATmega dev with a single chip, but ATmegas are cheap. :)

Left by todbot on May 24th, 2009

[...] Arduino chip sticker label Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Arduino | Digg this! Source: MAKE Magazine [...]

Left by Daily DIY Network - Science Projects Plans Guides » Blog Archive » Todbot’s Atmel-Arduino pin-outs sticker on May 25th, 2009

[...] Arduino chip sticker label [...]

Left by Todbot’s Atmel-Arduino pin-outs sticker - machine quotidien on May 25th, 2009

[...] Arduino chip sticker label [...]

Left by Todbot’s Atmel-Arduino pin-outs sticker | SquareCows on May 25th, 2009

[...] Arduino chip sticker label [...]

Left by The How-To Blog » Todbot’s Atmel-Arduino pin-outs sticker on May 25th, 2009

@John, I remember something similar called “Bug Backs”

Left by Lon on May 25th, 2009

Can you post the schematic from your minimal Arduino setup, please?

Left by ruedi on May 25th, 2009

Simple idea – utter genius!

Left by Sir Morris on May 26th, 2009

Great idea!

Maybe it would be good to put a little mark on one end to correspond with the notch on the chip, for those people who don’t know most AVRs have their reset on pin 1.

Left by the_don125 on May 26th, 2009

Good idea about the notch! I’ve updated the files (except the CDR) to have a little notch.

Left by todbot on May 26th, 2009

Ruedi, I’ve posted the schematic and more details about the setup here: http://todbot.com/blog/2009/05/26/minimal-arduino-with-atmega8/

Left by todbot on May 26th, 2009

Hi todbot

thank you very much for posting.

Ruedi

Left by ruedi on May 26th, 2009

That is cool, thanks.

Left by davenelson on May 26th, 2009

Nice! I am new to Arduino, waiting for my first one to arrive. Is your sticker for the Atmega328P or the 168, or do they have the same pinout? Maybe I am the only one who does not know, but in my opinion it could be useful to have this information in the post.

Left by Johan Adler on May 31st, 2009

Hi Johan,
This works for all ATmega8-style chips. I did this for the original ATmega8, as I have a few dozen of these, but it’s also valid for ATmega88, ATmega168, & ATmega328.

Left by todbot on May 31st, 2009

[...] If you like it, you will also like the Tod’s cool Arduino chip sticker. [...]

Left by Microcontroller cheat sheet on June 18th, 2009

Sometimes the coolest ideas are the simplest ones. As in, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Thanks, Tod!

Left by Chip on June 19th, 2009

[...] was amased when i saw [todbots] new arduino chip sticker. This kind of simplicity and it makes work a hell lot easier. So i went out and made my own avr [...]

Left by AVR chip sticker sheet « CyberDork.lt on June 25th, 2009

I used your label in my project, here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works/3875367596/

applied the label with some double-stick foam tape on the chip ;)

cheers

/bryan

Left by bryan on August 31st, 2009

Hi Bryan,
Nice! Looks like a much sturdier implementation of a minimal Arduino than anything I’ve done. Plus, adding the reset button and FTDI serial header makes it a *lot* easier to use I bet.

Left by todbot on August 31st, 2009

“I could have also just cut out the sticker with scissors, or used regular printer paper and double-sided tape” – then why didn’t you? :D

Well, if I had a laser cutter I guess I’d also use it for everything possible :P

Left by dor on September 25th, 2009

Haha, dor, yeah. After I finished making it, I realized “huh, I should’ve just used scissors”. But ended up using this sticker idea as a way of lining up the output from a printer with the laser cutter.

Left by todbot on September 25th, 2009

[...] if you liked that, you’ll also like this. Todbot.com created a set of tiny Arduino stickers that you can print out and place on your chip [...]

Left by ShadeTree EE » A microcontroller cheat sheet & Arduino stickers on October 12th, 2009

Brilliant Idea Tod! May I suggest including multiple copies of the image on the same page? It may save some paper, and in all likelihood, people would need more than one.

Left by Amr Malik on January 24th, 2010

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