Tiny processors: ATTINYx; questions

[NoCforMe]

Not sure this is the right place for this post, but here goes: I've become curious about the ATTINY family of microprocessors. Really tiny; the ATTINY-12, which might be the one I want to play with, comes in an 8-pin package. Pretty amazing little devices that can do a lot of stuff for such a small package.

I'd like to try playing around with one of these, programming it, without using an Arduino, which seems to be the most popular way to talk to these things. I'd like to use my PC, using a programmer connected via USB (or serial port?). So what I think I'm looking for is:

• A programmer, either ready-made or one I can build myself (I have some electronics chops)
• An assembler to produce the hex file needed for programming
• The software to upload code to the device and run and debug it

Anyone know anything about this? I found a lot of stuff online (eBay, Amazon, other places) for these processors, but nothing that looks like what I need. Even tried Microchip's site, but couldn't find any programmers or IDEs.

Any help appreciated.

[Siekmanski]

The most convenient development package is Atmels's own AVR Studio 4.xx ( Versions above are very bloated and slow.)
Supports source level execution of Assembly and C/C++ programs assembled with the Atmel Corporation's included AVR Assembler.
You can write your program and upload it directly into the microcontroller.

I like to use this programmer: "AVR ISP mkII In System Programmer". This programmer works as a charm within  AVR Studio.
There are many programmers you can use, as long as they support the types of atmel microcontrollers you want to program.

[NoCforMe]

So something like this?

And since it's an in-system programmer, you can also use it to program a chip by itself outside a system, right? (I'm kind of new to this stuff. I did do some programming years ago on the SX-28, which was a really kewl little μp. Have chips but no way to program them ...)

[daydreamer]

I think it's called cross-development using PC USB cable to other hardware
Good luck NoCforMe 
I sometimes do cross-development PC and got newer TI programmable calculator which supports USB cable and asm programs
Unfortunately I never got far with its cpu asm programming 
Still I can code anywhere

[NoCforMe]

Unfortunately I never got far with its cpu asm programming 

That's too bad. I was able to make a really nice piece of equipment with the SX-28, a very accurate camera shutter tester that measured the shutter open time down to a tenth of a millisecond. Very satisfying to finish a project like that!

[Siekmanski]

So something like this?

And since it's an in-system programmer, you can also use it to program a chip by itself outside a system, right? (I'm kind of new to this stuff. I did do some programming years ago on the SX-28, which was a really kewl little μp. Have chips but no way to program them ...)

Yes, that's the one. 

You can leave the programmer plugged in while you run the program in the microcontroller.
You can use the ports for your electronics even if they are still connected to the programmer.
You write your code, compile it, send the executable file to the microcontroller, and run the code in the microcontroller.
All you need is AVR Studio for all these tasks. ( and it's free. )