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Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: bhsmith on January 16, 2010, 07:38:57 AM

Title: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: bhsmith on January 16, 2010, 07:38:57 AM
Does anyone have one of theses: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9231 (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9231)  I have the Axon and I'd like to get rid of my dual boot to XP and just leave it at Vista.  So I'm trying to find out which programmer will be the best.  Either the Pocket AVR programmer or the ATAVRISP2 (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=ATAVRISP2-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=ATAVRISP2-ND)).  In the future I will be getting one of the Arduino microcontroller.  I don't know anything about those.  Will the programmers work with these or would I need something else?  Thanks!!!
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: madsci1016 on January 16, 2010, 07:46:39 AM
I bought this recently,

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1300 (http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1300)

but have yet to use it. It came with a few other features, like a very basic O-scope program. I will try it this weekend on my Axon and windows 7 64bit (I also have been doing the win xp virtual machine trick) and let you know how it goes.

Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: bhsmith on January 16, 2010, 07:58:02 AM
That was another one that I was looking into also. I'm just trying to figure out which would be the best way to go.
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: madsci1016 on January 16, 2010, 10:03:29 AM
Well, the Pololu programmer works like a dream. It took me a few minutes of understanding there documentation to get it to work with Win AVR, but after that, it takes 3 seconds to flash my Axon and there's no switching from Win 7 to Win xp!!!
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: bhsmith on January 16, 2010, 11:40:06 AM
Awesome, I will be ordering something here soon.  Let me know of any issues that you run into with the Pololu programmer.
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: madsci1016 on January 16, 2010, 09:35:56 PM
I have used it maybe 100 times all day today, and it never gave me an issues, other then Win AVR has a bit of a fit if i unplug it from USB while Win AVR is running.

It's so much easier to hit a button on the Win AVR toolbar, 3 seconds later the Axon is flashed.
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: bhsmith on January 17, 2010, 06:43:00 AM
I've only used the Axon.  Soon I will be getting an Arduino or one of the smaller cheaper micorcontrollers.  Do you know if the Pololu programmer will work with those?
Title: Re: Pocket AVR Programmer?
Post by: madsci1016 on January 17, 2010, 09:51:33 AM
It will work for any AVR breakout board as long as it has a ISP header. Just realize the first time you flash with the programmer, the boot loader is deleted.

The only thing i am unsure of, is how you would use the Arduino programing software with the AVR programmer.