attempting to prgram 50$ robot,with no sucsess,help!

[123laurens]

ive ran ito ANOTHER problem making the robot (do the robot gods hate me?),this time while attempting to program it. im yousing sparkfuns pocket avr programmer and avrdude, and attempted it on both linux and windows.

for windows:i cant even install the driver suplyed by sparkfun. my windows 7 laptop thinks its a "security catalog"(WTF is that?) and seasi it is invalid for type: secuity catalog. ive actualy found a lot of these unrunnable security catalog when i look tro my dads aold computer games and programs.i dont have enything to run it with.so...am...yea...

for Linux:(Ubuntu:)after following pages of system modifications needed,haking and some sudo(admin) commands,it half works
i get the following in terminal:

Code: [Select]

[email protected]:~$ sudo avrdude -c usbtiny -F -patmega328p -U flash:w:main.hex

avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA328P is 1E 95 0F
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
         To disable this feature, specify the -D option.

avrdude done.  Thank you.
(thank you?realy?)
and yes i am yousing an ATmega 328
from the device signature,i can make out 2 possable conclusions:
1.the computer can acsess the programmer,but not the chip(for some reason)
2. the chip is not responding to the programmer,saing nothing back,or is not working(for some reason)

plz help,ive come this far,and i dont want to scrap my MCU,im quite proud of it(exept for it not working,possibly)
i wana robot!!!

[123laurens]

come on! this is urgent. just tell me what to do!

[macdad-]

Ok, on your windows version go to the INF file that came with the drivers. Should be called "pocketprog.INF". Or it's labeled as "Setup Information".

After you find that file, right click on it and hit "Install".

Now run AVRDude with the following parameters, Assuming your programming the Atmega88, replace "main.hex" with the name of your hex file:

avrdude -c usbtiny -B 1 -patmega88 -U flash:w:main.hex

[123laurens]

good news: the driver worked after installing it trough device manager(yaaaaay!)
bad news: gave me the same problem in comand promt.(boooooooooo)
(ubuntu is better. HA take that windows!)
it gives me the same problem weather the programmer and chip are connected or not.
so now what?

[macdad-]

Can you provide a screenshot?
You are using the Atmega88, if not then what MCU?
Check your connections to your microcontroller and the pocket programmer.
Check your connections to your computer and the pocket programmer.

Thanks