AVR-Chat

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 01:37:15 +1000, you wrote:

>Lasse Madsen wrote:
>> Is it possible to purchase a WORKING programming dongle that will replace my
>> current no good totally useless piece of Kanda crap STK200 dongle.
>> 
>> It must work from 1.8V to 5V and support standard SPI programming.
>> 
>> I'm fed up with my damn Kanda device letting me down once every month and
>> always two days before my deadline this is not the only time this has
>> happened I'm sick and tired of my "tools" not working 
>> 
>> The dongle I'm looking for must be totally isolated able to withstand a
>> hellfire missile and if I tell it to program a totally shorted AVR processor
>> then it must burn the shorts making it work again... 
>> 
>> I'm so mad right now that cost is really no issue, as long as it works and
>> its one billion percent reliable, in environments from deep space to the
>> polar circle and finally on the sun it self...
>> 
>> Since my Kanda properly fucked my parallel port up I'm in no mood for
>> another obsolete serial or parallel port dongle that I have to purchase an
>> old Pico line 8086 pc in order to operate successfully... 
>> 
>> There must be some USB, Firewire, PCI or even PCMCIA card that can be
>> purchased that just works...
>> 
>> Please give me a lot of response to what tools you are using and please
>> please please tell me if they work every day or you must walk three times
>> around a berry bush and sing Indian songs to make it work very other day...
>> 
>> Regards
>> Lasse Madsen
>
>I use a genuine atmel avr isp serial programmer that works ok. 1.8V would
>be a bit low tho.
>
>AVR Studio Interface
>ISP Programming of all AVR Devices
>
>Programs both Flash and EEPROM
>Supports Fuses and Lock Bit Programming
>
>Supports RC Oscillator Calibration
>
>Upgradeable to Support Future Devices
>
>Operates at Target Voltages from 2.7V to 5.5V
>Adjustable Speed ­ Supports all Target Boards Running at a Speed Higher than 8
>
>kHz
>RS-232 Interface
>
>Powered from Target ­ No need for Additional Power

Does not fit 'reliable' criteria - My third one died recently for no obvious reason.
Also seems to quite like. trashing the osc fuse settings of the first device programmed after
startup (probably an AVR Studio bug)
However they are cheap enough to carry a couple of spares....

Have you looked at the Equinox range ? They are promoted as production programmers.