8-Pin Grant

Build a PCB with an 8-pin microcontroller. We'll pay up to $35 for parts and boards.

I fell in love with the ATtiny412 microcontroller on a project I worked on. It has has 4kB on flash storage and 256B of memory. You've all been spoiled by your fancy ESP32's with 16MB of storage. While the ATtiny412 is wonderful, there are some other great chips out there. I encourange you to find one you like!

Good engineering is made through constraints, not infinite resources.

How it works

  1. Design it: Create a custom PCB using a modern 8-pin MCU. You must use KiCad for your design.
  2. Submit it: Send us your KiCad files and BOM. We'll review your design to make sure it follows our guidelines.
  3. Get $35 + tools: If approved, we'll cover up to $35 of costs for parts (DigiKey) and PCBs (OSH Park). Plus: we'll send you the tools you need to program your chips.
  4. Ship it: Build it, make some code, and share a video of it working. We might send a sticker!

FAQ

Who is this for?

Teenagers. If you are 18 or younger, you are eligible. If you are an adult, you are welcome to build along, but we cannot cover your costs.

What chips can I use?

Any 8-pin microcontroller is allowed. A great place to look would be here - it's the list for allowed MCU's.

What software must I use?

You must use KiCad. We love open source tools. Designs in EasyEDA, Eagle, or Altium will not be accepted for this grant.

I have no idea how to us KiCad.

That's okay! This is the perfect excuse to learn. YouTube is your best friend here. Search for "KiCad 9 tutorial for beginners". It will be frustrating at first, but seeing your own board in real life is worth it.

Can I use other parts?

Yes! You can use LEDs, sensors, resistors, batteries, buttons, etc. The brain must be an 8-pin MCU - no hiding an ESP32 underneath! If you have a question about a specific part, please ask us.

How do I get my parts?

We order the parts for you from DigiKey and the PCBs from OSH Park. We don't send cash; we send hardware! There's a chance you may receive different parts than requested (e.g. for passives) if we find multiple projects using similar parts.

How do I program the chip?

I'm not exactly sure! A lot of different methods to program chips exist nowadays. The modern AVR MCU's can be programmed via UPDI, however, you have free reign over what microcontroller you pick. We'll do our best to get you the correct tools for the job. If using a surface mounted chip, make sure to leave space for a SOIC-8 clip, and if using through hole parts, add headers for programming.

How do I know how much my project will cost?

To check the price of your PCBs, you can upload your KiCad PCB file to OSH Park. Creating a BOM for DigiKey is a bit trickier. In KiCad, set a property on each part with its Digikey part number in a field called Digikey Part (see below.) This number will not be the manufacturer part number, this is Digikey's internal part number. From there, export the BOM, and upload it to DigiKey. We'll get you up to 3 assemblies worth of parts if it's under the $35 limit.

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How long does the approval/review process take?

We aim to review submissions within 3-5 days.

Once approved, how long will it take to receive my parts and PCBs?

It might take a few weeks + shipping time . OSH Park operates in batches, and while we plan to order all PCBs at the same time, we can't make any promises.

Is the $35 grant limit flexible?

Yes. If your project goes a little bit over, that's fine. If it gets too high, you will need to cover the costs.

Can I order from other suppliers besides DigiKey and OSH Park?

No.

Are there any limitations on PCB size or layers?

To keep costs low and meet the $35 budget, your design must be a 2-layer PCB. We highly recommend keeping the board size reasonably small, ideally under 4 square inches. OSH Park pricing is based on area, so a smaller board will allow you to get more assemblies under budget. OSH Park provides directions on setting design rules here. If you'd like, we can get you your PCB in OSH Park's After Dark service.

Is there a time requirement?

No! We don't believe in time requirements. We just want you to make something cool.

Contact me in the #8-bit-grant channel in the Slack for inquiries. 

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