Programming The 50$ Robot HELP!!!

[Absolute]

Is there any alternative for the AVR STK Serial Port and AVR isp2 programmer for the 50$ ROBOT. I’m planning on making the 50$ robot, but the costs work out too much to ship the programmers to my country.

Could I use ‘USB PIC Programmer K150A’ to program the ATmega8 AVR microcontroller?
AND
Is there any possible way of building your own VR STK Serial Port and AVR isp2 programmer?

[superchiku]

u can build ur own programmer..u need to have a parallel port and a centronics printer cable... ill tell u how if u need it...

[GearMotion]

I think you should explore using an Arduino, or a Bare Bones Board ( http://www.circuitgizmos.com/products/cgbbb/cgbbb.shtml ) the advantage being that you use a bootloader for the programming, rather than using a programmer. All you need is a USB port (for a regular Arduino) or a serial port for the Bare Bones Board. Or if you build your own, you can get a preprogrammed AVR.

[Absolute]

I have found this schematic. Could i use this?

[Absolute]

u can build ur own programmer..u need to have a parallel port and a centronics printer cable... ill tell u how if u need it...

Could you show me how if possible.
thanks

[superchiku]

u an use the above one and mie too...

mine uses a parallel port and a centronics printer cable

u connect the cable with the mcu in this way..

centronics connector                              mcu
pin 7                                                      reset
pin 8                                                       sck
pin 9                                                       mosi
pin 10                                                      miso
pin 19                                                       ground

mind it this type of programmer is called as a bsd programer and itwont work with avrstudio...or ponyprog...only works with winavr....

[GearMotion]

u can build ur own programmer..u need to have a parallel port and a centronics printer cable... ill tell u how if u need it...

Could you show me how if possible.
thanks

http://www.olimex.com/dev/images/avr-pg2b-sch.gif

[GearMotion]

http://www.bsdhome.com/avrdude/

[SmAsH]

this is the one im attempting now. http://www.instructables.com/id/Ghetto-Programming%3a-Getting-started-with-AVR-micro/?ALLSTEPS

[GearMotion]

this is the one im attempting now. http://www.instructables.com/id/Ghetto-Programming%3a-Getting-started-with-AVR-micro/?ALLSTEPS

That was -essentially- the first type of programmer I used with AVRs. Since then I've found it worthwhile to get a $30-40 programmer from Digikey.com.

[SmAsH]

yea but $30-$40US is about $70-$90 here which is a lot of money to me as im just a student

[superchiku]

make u own as i told u ..

[SmAsH]

make u own as i told u ..

thats what i just did...

[GearMotion]

Look here:

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=7541.0

[SmAsH]

haha nice gearmotion, i was just about to link him to it you beat me to it! absolute, look down the bottom of the thread and see gearmotions post on the different arrangements of pins you can have.

[Absolute]

Thanks alot guys. i shall give it a shot.

[GearMotion]

haha nice gearmotion, i was just about to link him to it you beat me to it! absolute, look down the bottom of the thread and see gearmotions post on the different arrangements of pins you can have.

Now an update to all of that in the form of a quick blog I put together:

http://circuitgizmos.com/wordpress/?p=272