programmer problem

[superchiku]

ii have got this problem about making the programmer
there are cheap circuits availabe there by which we can make our programmer very easily but there are also many programmer circuits available to buy which are costly but both of tem do the same thing so for a newcomer like me what should i do

1.go with the cheap programmer circuits?
2.buy the costly ones?

[izua]

cheap ones offer something very simple, like downloading a hex into the chip.
advanced ones have facilities as holding in reset, debugging, emulation, flashing the chip etc.

i'd say, start cheap, make one, and if you like it and need something better, look for a commercial product.

[speccyget]

I have just bought this programmer from ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Serial-Atmel-ISP-programmer-works-with-AVR-Studio-4_W0QQitemZ120225910414QQihZ002QQcategoryZ36323QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I cant get it to work on the $50 robot circuit using Ponyprog. I am about to give up and tell my kids that it's impossible to make a robot in the kitchen.

[Admin]

I cant get it to work on the $50 robot circuit using Ponyprog

On the page you link to, it says 'This programmer works with AVR Studio 4 - AVRprog.' Not Ponyprog

it even has a pic:

[speccyget]

Sorry. I was just blindly following your tutorial. lol. Thanks. I have used AVRprog to program my robot and it sort of worked. The trouble now is that my robot just spins around and the sensors have no effect. Any ideas? I am a complete idiot at all this robotics stuff.

[airman00]

Sorry. I was just blindly following your tutorial. lol. Thanks. I have used AVRprog to program my robot and it sort of worked. The trouble now is that my robot just spins around and the sensors have no effect. Any ideas? I am a complete idiot at all this robotics stuff.

does one wheel go forward and one go backward?

[speccyget]

yes

[speccyget]

Now for some reason it isn't doing a thing. The led is constantly lit aswell. Even when I erase the chip the led still stays on. It didn't do that earlier.

[speccyget]

OK. It is doing something. When I cover the photoresistors the led glows brighter and when I uncover them they glow dimmer, but the servo's are not turning at all. The sensors when covered read 1.2 M ohm and 7.3 Kohm uncovered.Can somebody please help?

[airman00]

to properly debug it do the following step


see if you can get the servos to go the right way with ONLY the code for the servos, no photovore code yet

then we'll work our way from that

did you check your board for any shorting wires or wires going to the wrong places?

[speccyget]

I programmed it with the servo centering hex and nothing happens. I assume thats because I have already centered them. I have checked all my connections and have not got any shorts. As far as I can tell everything is wired up as it should be. Is there any way of changing the direct of the servo by programming?

[izua]

just slowly spin the servo horn by hand
if the servo is receiving the signal, it should try to push back with some force.
if it's not powered, when you'll power it, it will go to the correct heading.

[Admin]

When I cover the photoresistors the led glows brighter and when I uncover them they glow dimmer, but the servo's are not turning at all.

Whoa thats not supposed to happen . . .

Check your batteries, perhaps the charge is low? And of course look for shorts . . .

You are using my code without changes, right?