AVR Serial Port Programmer

About AVR Programmer

This simple AVR Programmer will allow you to painlessly transfer hex programs to most ATMEL AVR microcontrollers

without sacrificing your budget and time. It is more reliable than most other simple AVR programmers available out

there and can be built in very short amount of time.

AVR programmer consists of in-circuit serial programmer (dongle) and small pcb with a DIP socket where you can fit

your microcontroller and have it quickly programmed.

You may also use this programmer as a stand alone in-circuit serial programmer that can be used to conveniently

program AVR microcontrollers without removing them from the target circuit.

Entire AVR programmer has been build with using common parts and fits in the case of the serial connector. The socket pcb has been created to fit a 28-DIP AVR ATmega8 microcontroller, but you can build a socket pcb for any other AVR microcontroller out there. This AVR programmer is compatible with a popular PonyProg software that shows you a status bar of the programmingprogress.

AVR In-Circuit Serial Programmer Schematic

AVR Socket PCB

There are two connections; ICSP that connects to AVR Programmer, and external +5V supply

Ensures that the chip is receiving exactly +5V voltage and provides very reliable error free programming.

+5V voltage supply for AVR chip may be provided from external power supply or even better - directly from USB

Pony Prog :The Programming software

To be able to send hex file from your computer to AVR microcontroller you will need to download and install PonyProg2000. After the installation, the first thing you will need to do is configure PonyProg to work with our AVR Programmer. To do this go to "Setup" menu and select "Interface Setup". The following window will be shown and highlighted areas show you exactly which options should be selected.

In the next step select "AVR micro" and your microcontroller type that you will be programming (ex. ATmega8

At this point PonyProg configuration is complete and we can open hex program with which AVR microcontroller will be flashed. Go to "File" menu, select "Open Program (FLASH) File ...", and point to the hex file to open it up. You should see hex numbers as shown on the screen below. If you haven't connected AVR Programmer dongle to your computer's serial port yet, then now is the time. Make sure that AVR Programmer is physically connected to your AVR microcontroller through Socket PCB or through ICSP 6-PIN connector. Finally click on the highlighted icon "Write Program Memory (FLASH)", or go to "Command" menu and select "Write Program (FLASH)".

!! IF your Flash(.hex) file have special configuration bits Then you have to configure those bits manually.

Click on "Yes" button to confirm the programming.

Now sit tight, relax and watch the programming progress on the status bar. PonyProg will program AVR microcontroller and verify if the hex file was transferred without any errors. For your information this process shouldn't really take more than 10 to 30 seconds. This depends on the size of the program that you're trying to flash.

After programming is completed "Write successful" window will be shown letting you know that AVR microcontroller has been programmed, and is now ready to be used.

Programming The Security and Configration Fuse bit (if needed)

          First click on the sercurity and configration button in the tool bar,  a dilog box will apper as shown in the image blow.

To read the current security bit from the devive please click Read button in the securit and configration bits dialog box

now you are ready to change the configration bits
To caclulate these ceck box values accoring to your needs or to claculte by use hfuse and lfuse
please visit this page  Click here

just check and uncheck the boxes accoring to your setting and click write button.

now you are ready to go