Instructions

Hacking It!
Before we think about what you can do with a microcontroller, 5 tri-
state I/O pinouts, how do you hack it? The geniuses at the MIT
Media lab High-Low tech site have step-by-step instructions
programming the ATtiny microcontroller using the popular Arduino
1.0.1 IDE. The hack requires that it runs on
the 8Mhz internal oscillator (which it
already does).
If you want to use an Arduino-as-ISP trick, you
modify a $3.00 6-pin ribbon cable by soldering a
single pin to the second line in and hook it up to
pin 10 on the ‘duino board. See the details on the
MIT website. Remember to remove the
battery when programming this way!
You can keep the battery in when using
Arduino-supported ISP programmers from
SparkFun and Adafruit, but remove the
‘USB Power’ jumper on the Adafruit
USBtinyISP, or set the ‘No Power’ switch
on the SparkFun AVR pocket programmer.
Use the “USBtinyISP” programming in the
Arduino IDE.
Arduino-as-ISP
trick needs
a hacked
cable
SparkFun AVR
Pocket Programmer
Adafruit USBtinyISP
So what kinds of SB-FireFly hacks are there? We’re working on:

Tucking them into translucent jars to float down the river for a
night-time art project.

Tucking them into balloons for an evening-at-the-park festival.

Replace some of the LEDs with IR transmitting LEDs, then using a
TSSOP4038 38kHz IR sensor to the spare GVS input, that reads
remote controls, so we can build...

Chiptunes for twinkle twinkle little star, Mario & Zelda themes.

An IR remote “macro” bug, that waits for TV “on” commands, and
also turns on the surround sound audio system via IR.

A miniature “TV-B-Gone” (another great OSHW project) pendant,
that transmits global “TV-off” signals.

An IR remote “learner” that can record and playback IR signals.
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SB-FireFly Manual