Burning a boot loader to a virgin chip (Sanguino)

I am working with some high school students that got a Sanguino kit that did not have the boot loader burned/flashed into the AVR chip.

After a lot of research I have blogged on how to use the USB serial cable to program the chip with Audino IDE boot loader code. So no need to buy or hunt down a programmer!

Here's the steps that I have blogged:

[exmrclean.blogspot.com]

It should be useful with other AVR chip types via the AVRDUDE program.

Thanks for posting this notice and the tutorial.

Your very welcome!

I see that you posted on the orginal blog that it worked for you with the cupcake.

Did you use it for both the Sanguino motherboard and the extruder controller?

If the extuder controller what was the difference in the commands and or fuses?

I've added some more information on the above blog. I thought it would bet best to keep it all in one location.

Javier

Hi Javier

Thats great to hear that you were able to use the same cable and software to program the extruder controller also.

And here's one you can build for about 1US$.
The programmer requires a printer port and doesn't protect the port against misuse. but I have been using this design for about 8 years with hundreds if not thousands of processors.

The parts are 1 db25 plug, 4 resistors and a capacitor.

[www.opend.co.za]

I got one of those type of Sanguino's a stretch back, but used the Arduino as a programmer route. It has come in so handy many times since for flashing bootloaders on to blank atmel chips.

I keep on planning to get around to building a dedicated board but never quite get there (I want the Arduino back for other projects).

For anyone planning to go this route you have to disable the programmer Arduino auto reset. Otherwise attempting to use the Arduino Burn Bootloader option fails. It inadvertantly resets the programmer which seeing activity within it's bootloader timeout then fails to load up the programmer sketch in it's own flash.

Using avrdude though form the command line works a treat.

Great work on the bit banging route though, it has got to be a cheaper route from A to B for those emergency moments.

Cheers

aka47

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Necessity hopefully becomes the absentee parent of successfully invented children.