Avrdude

4 minute read

To handle the programmer when programming e.g. my ATMEGA168, I use avrdude.

Using avrdude

Installing it on my Mac was a breeze using MacPorts …

$ port search avrdude
avrdude @5.11.1 (cross, devel)
    an Atmel AVR MCU programmer
$ sudo port install avrdude
...
---> No broken files found.

List the JTAGICEs connected to USB

$ avrdude -c jtag2isp -p atmega168 -P usb:xx -v

avrdude: Version 5.11.1, compiled on Apr  6 2013 at 15:52:02
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/opt/local/etc/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/xtof/.avrduderc"
         User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

         Using Port                    : usb:xx
         Using Programmer              : jtag2isp
avrdude: usbdev_open(): Found JTAGICE mkII, serno: 070000005ACB
avrdude: usbdev_open(): did not find any (matching) USB device "usb:xx"

The four last digits of the serial number of the JTAGICE are important. We need them to identify the correct USB port.

Information about you JTAGICE mkII and the connected MCU

$ avrdude -p atmega168 -P usb:5a:cb -c jtag2isp -v

avrdude: Version 5.11.1, compiled on Apr  6 2013 at 15:52:02
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/opt/local/etc/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/xtof/.avrduderc"
         User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

         Using Port                    : usb:5a:cb
         Using Programmer              : jtag2isp
avrdude: usbdev_open(): Found JTAGICE mkII, serno: 070000005ACB
JTAG ICE mkII sign-on message:
Communications protocol version: 1
M_MCU:
  boot-loader FW version:        255
  firmware version:              4.38
  hardware version:              0
S_MCU:
  boot-loader FW version:        255
  firmware version:              4.38
  hardware version:              1
Serial number:                   07:00:00:00:5a:cb
Device ID:                       JTAGICEmkII
         AVR Part                      : ATMEGA168
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PC2
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom        65    20     4    0 no        512    4      0  3600  3600 0xff 0xff
           flash         65     6   128    0 yes     16384  128    128  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : JTAGMKII_ISP
         Description     : Atmel JTAG ICE mkII in ISP mode
         Vtarget         : 5.0 V
         SCK period      : 10.37 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.15s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: safemode: lfuse reads as 62
avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as DF
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as 7

avrdude: safemode: lfuse reads as 62
avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as DF
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as 7
avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Read a fuse

$ avrdude -p atmega168 -P usb:5a:cb -c jtag2isp -U lfuse:r:low.txt:i

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.15s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: reading lfuse memory:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.05s

avrdude: writing output file "low.txt"

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done.  Thank you.

The content of low.txt contains information about the low fuse in Intel Hex format ↗ and requires a little interpretation.

$ cat low.txt 
:01000000629D
:00000001FF

The two digits that are important here are the 6 and 2 on the first line. All the other digits are part of the Intel HEX format. 62 was also already found in the verbose output, as seen above.

Burn a fuse

$ avrdude -p atmega168 -P usb:5a:cb -c jtag2isp -U lfuse:w:0x62:m

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.15s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: reading input file "0x62"
avrdude: writing lfuse (1 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.05s

avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse written
avrdude: verifying lfuse memory against 0x62:
avrdude: load data lfuse data from input file 0x62:
avrdude: input file 0x62 contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lfuse data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.05s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse verified

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done.  Thank you.
$ avrdude -p atmega168 -P usb:5a:cb -c jtag2isp    -U flash:w:blink_1MHz.hex 

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.15s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
         To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "blink_1MHz.hex"
avrdude: input file blink_1MHz.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: writing flash (236 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.30s

avrdude: 236 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against blink_1MHz.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file blink_1MHz.hex:
avrdude: input file blink_1MHz.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: input file blink_1MHz.hex contains 236 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.20s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 236 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done.  Thank you.