Arduino Compatible Mega 2560 R3 ATmega2560-16AU Arduino Development Platform:
The Arduino Mega 2560 is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega2560. There are 54 digital input/output pins (of which 14 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button.
It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. The Mega is compatible with most shields designed for the Arduino Uno, Duemilanove or Diecimila.
The Mega 2560 is an update to the Arduino Mega, which it replaces. Additional features coming with the R3 version are:
Microcontroller | ATmega2560 |
Operating Voltage | 5V |
Input Voltage (recommended) | 7-12V |
Input Voltage (limit) | 6-20V |
Digital I/O Pins | 54 |
PWM Digital I/O Pins | 14 |
Analog Input Pins | 16 |
DC Current per I/O Pin | 40 mA |
DC Current for 3.3V Pin | 50 mA |
Flash Memory | 256 KB |
Flash Memory for Bootloader | 8 KB |
SRAM | 8 KB |
EEPROM | 4 KB |
Clock Speed | 16 MHz |
Lenght | 101.52 mm |
Width | 53.3 mm |
Weight | 37 g |
Arduino started as an open-source computer hardware and software project and user community that designs and manufactures microcontroller-based kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control the physical world.
The Arduino software is also open-source. The source code for the Java environment is released under the GPL and the C/C++ microcontroller libraries are under the LGPL."
The open source project sought to provide an inexpensive and easy way for hobbyists, students, and professionals to create devices that interact with their environment using sensors and actuators. Common examples for beginner hobbyists include simple robots, thermostats and motion detectors.