[sdiy] PIC / Atmel Programmers

[Bert Schiettecatte]

Hi,

Having done a few AVR projects, let me add to this message: the AVR 
is a great processor. 

Unfortunately, I have lost quite some time trying various freely available 
serial and parallel programming adapters available from the net. In the 
end, I gave up and bought an STK500, Atmel's development kit. 

Why did I do this? Because almost all serial programmers on the net 
use some weird RS-232 hack that doesn't work with my laptop. The key is 
in the MAX232 RS-232 level converter and a processor that sits in between
doing protocol conversion. The STK500 uses an Atmel processor to convert 
between the RS-232 protocol and the protocol used to program your 
Atmel processor. Atmel also has an ISP dongle that might work just as 
well as the STK500 since it probably uses an Atmel processor inside 
to convert the programming signals. 

This is just my opinion, but I was tired of messing around with 
programmers that never worked properly. 

If anyone is interested: I have a bunch of Atmega16-16PI processors 
lying around not being used which I could put up for sale. These are 
Atmega16's, industrial version, through hole (DIP) package. I had to 
order 25 or so from my distributor, otherwise I couldn't order any at all. 

Bert.


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of Neil Johnson
Sent: dinsdag 27 mei 2003 19:33
To: Tim Parkhurst
Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: [sdiy] PIC / Atmel Programmers


Tim,

Many microcontrollers are now in-system programmable (ISP), usually just
needing a simple parallel-port dongle to connect to a few pins on the
micro.  If you can make it yourself then you could save yourself the $100.

Do a google to find out about ISP for PICs and AVRs.

Neil

--
Neil Johnson :: Computer Laboratory :: University of Cambridge ::
http://www.njohnson.co.uk          http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~nej22
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