{"id":9308,"date":"2020-10-29T22:04:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T22:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wolles-elektronikkiste.de\/digispark-the-convenient-attiny85-alternative"},"modified":"2026-06-07T13:42:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T13:42:25","slug":"digispark-the-convenient-attiny85-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wolles-elektronikkiste.de\/en\/digispark-the-convenient-attiny85-alternative","title":{"rendered":"Digispark – the convenient ATtiny85 alternative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In my last post<\/a>, I described how to upload sketches to an ATtiny85 (or 84, 45, 44, 25, 24). To do this, you need to set up your Arduino as a programmer or purchase a separate programmer, such as the USBtinyISP. A more convenient alternative in some respects, which I\u2019d like to introduce here, is the Digispark, originally developed by Digistump.  <\/p>\n

This is a module based on an ATtiny85 that can be programmed directly via the USB port. This means that no SPI wiring is required for uploading, nor is a programmer needed. Since power can also be supplied via the USB port, the circuits remain very clean and simple. <\/p>\n

Another advantage of the Digispark over the ATtiny85 is that it supports I2C using the Wire library. It\u2019s also worth noting that the (real!) Digispark has six pins available for I\/O, whereas the ATtiny85 has only five. More on that below. <\/p>\n

Price-wise, there isn’t much difference from the ATtiny85. Depending on the source and the quantity purchased, the price ranges from just under two to four euros, sometimes five. <\/p>\n

The downsides of the Digispark are its larger footprint and slightly smaller memory. Of the 8k of flash memory, approximately 2k is used by the bootloader. In addition, it has a boot time of several seconds, which is very long for a microcontroller. <\/p>\n

The Digispark is described in great detail here<\/a> on the Digistump website. So why write this post? For one thing, it\u2019s meant to serve as a step-by-step introduction and overview; for another, I\u2019d like to share my thoroughly positive experience with the module. In addition, there\u2019s some more specific information about the widely available clones, which, naturally, aren\u2019t documented by the manufacturer. <\/p>\n\n

Update 2026: This post is out of date in that the Digispark pages are no longer accessible. However, instead I recommend the package <\/strong><\/span>TinyCore<\/a><\/strong><\/span> from MCUdude, which supports the Digispark. I’ve described the package here<\/a>. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Pinout of the Digispark <\/h2>\n\n
The Digispark has six programmable pins, labeled P0 through P5. In addition to their function as digital inputs and outputs, these pins have the following additional functions: <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n