This project is a second revision of the MiniPOV. This version changes from the PIC 16F630 chip to the Atmel ATtiny2313, which is a little more expensive but has many improved features.
Microcontrollers are wonderfully useful devices. They incorporate all necessary parts of a complete computer into a single IC that need almost no external parts to run. Microcontrollers usually cost from $1-$20 depending on features and size.