AVR-Microcontroller
in the Ham-Shack

Programmer for Atmel-AVR-Microcontroller

Hardware

If you want to write the flash memory or the EEPROM of the Atmel AVR-microcontrollers, you need a little hardware. I found it at Claudio Lanconelli. There are similiar schematics on other internet resources.

My board has two special features. I use a normal printer cable to connect it to the printer port. So I can place it on top of my desk for work. The pinout of the programming connector is similiar to the programming dongle delivered with the STK200/300 testboards. My AVR-boards have a connector "AVRPGM" for connecting the programmer.

The programmer does not have its own power supply. Power must be provided by the target system.

A 10-wire ribbon cable is used to connect the programmer and the target system. The connectors on the original cable for the STK200/300 are rotated against each other. I use the rotation too for compatibility.

Software

Porgrammer Software

Sp12 is a good software for programming the controller with this hardware. It is available for Linux and DOS. Installation is easy, following the documentation. You do not have to set the environment variable.

After you have started the program the first time, you will find a textfile called "_sp12rc" in your working directory. You should change the line "KANDA=0" to "KANDA=1". Check the line "PORT=xxx" for the correct port address of the printer port you are using and change it if nessessary. You find a little help in this file.

Commandline:

sp12 -wpCf filename.hex -weCf filename.eep

Assembler

On my Linux-mashine I use the assembler AVRA. It provides conditional assembly and a smart macro system. It is running on various platforms. This software is distributed as source code so it has to be compiled on the target system.

Command line for assembling:

avra -l filename.asm

or

avra -l filename.lst filename.asm

if you need a .lst-file

Another assembler is tavrasm by Tom Mortensen. It is available in a DOS-version too.

Installation of the assembler tavrasm is easy after download from the internet.

Command line for assembling:

tavrasm -h filename.asm -o filename.hex -r filename.eep -e filename.lst

You may use the original assembler of Atmel as well.

The Schematic

Layout, bottom layer

Layout, top layer

Layout, top overlay

Download

Layout data in PDF-fileformat

If you print the files with the Acrobat Reader on Linux, you have to switch off the postscript printing option "Fit to Page" to get the correct size of the print. On Windows you have to switch off the option Properties->pagesize in the Printer Dialog (I do not know the exact names).
Size of the board: 69mm x 46mm.

Layout, bottom layer: avr_pgm_bottom_layer.pdf
Layout, top layer: avr_pgm_top_layer.pdf
Layout, top overlay: avr_pgm_top_overlay.pdf

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Burkhard John

5.7.2006