AVR USB Programmer

Users Manual

Robokits India
http://www.robokits.co.in
[email protected]

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Thank you for purchasing the Robokits AVR USB Programmer. This unit has been carefully engineered and
tested to provide superior performance. This document covers the features and operation of the AVR USB
Programmer.

This device is specially designed to work with Laptops/Notebooks which doesn’t have Parallel or serial
port. At full clock speed of 16 MHz of the microcontroller it can program the flash at very high speeds in
STK500 mode. This programmer is supported in STK500 as well as Human Interface Device (HID) mode. It is
supported on all versions of Windows, including Windows Vista and Longhorn, as well as on Linux.

Features

• Compatible to Atmel's STK500V2 with implemented USB to Serial converter.

• Compatible with AVR Studio, AVRDUDE and compilers having support for STK500V2
protocol.
• Supports 2 modes, STK500 and USB-HID for compatibility.
• Adjustable ISP clock allows flashing of devices clocked at very low rate, e.g. 32 kHz.
• High Speed Programming : Programs 32 KB flash in just 15 seconds at full speed of
microcontroller.
• ISP clock can be lowered with a jumper (if the programmer software does not
support setting the ISP clock)
• Second USB to Serial converter for processing debug output from the target.
• Uses USB power supply, no external supply required.
• Supported on Windows 98, XP, Vista and Linux.*

*On some PCs, the programmer can show clock errors while flashing the device, use HID
mode in this case. For Windows Vista and Linux, this device must be used in HID mode.

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Supported Atmel AVR microcontroller devices

CAN, USB &

90S AVR Mega AVR Tiny AVR
PWM AVR
AT90CAN128 AT90S1200 ATmega103 ATtiny11
AT90CAN32 AT90S2313 ATmega128 ATtiny12
AT90CAN64 AT90S2313 ATmega1280 ATtiny15
AT90PWM2 AT90S2313 ATmega1281 ATtiny2313
AT90PWM2B AT90S2343 ATmega16 ATtiny24
AT90PWM3 AT90S4414 ATmega161 ATtiny25
AT90PWM3B AT90S4434 ATmega162 ATtiny26
AT90USB1286 AT90S8515 ATmega163 ATtiny261
AT90USB1287 AT90S8535 ATmega164 ATtiny44
AT90USB646 AT90S2323 ATmega168 ATtiny45
AT90USB647 AT90S2343 ATmega169 ATtiny461
AT90S2333 ATmega2560 ATtiny84
AT90S4433 ATmega2561 ATtiny85
AT90S4434 ATmega32 ATtiny861
AT90S8534 ATmega324
ATmega325
ATmega3250
ATmega329
ATmega3290
ATmega48
ATmega64
ATmega640
ATmega644
ATmega645
ATmega6450
ATmega649
ATmega6490
ATmega8
ATmega8515
ATmega8535
ATmega88

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Jumper Settings
• USB-HID – To connect the programmer in HID (Human Interface Device) mode. If
this jumper is not shorted, the programmer will work in STK500 mode. In STK500
mode programmer will not work under Windows Vista.
• ISP Supply – To power up microcontroller board from USB 5V you can place this
jumper.
• Slow SCK – In STK500 mode, if target microcontroller speed is less than 1MHz place
this jumper.

Mode 1: AVR Studio (STK500) Supported mode

Installation STK500 Mode (Windows 98, ME, XP, Linux)

1. Remove USB-HID jumper. Insert the programmer in the USB port. After inserting the
programmer in the USB port you will get following message.

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2. You will get this window asking for appropriate driver. Choose option "No, not this
time" and click next if it asks for searching through Windows Update.

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3. Now Choose "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)", and click next.

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4. Choose the path of Robokits CD which contains "Robokits USB Programmer.inf" file. i.e.
"E:", click next.

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5. Click "Continue Anyway" option. This driver is not Digitally Signed by Microsoft.

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6. Click Finish to complete the wizard. Now your hardware is ready to work.

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7. For further customization go to Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device
Manager.

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8. Double click "Robokits AVR USB Programmer" to select appropriate COM port and
changing setting. By Default it will take any port available. To select other com port go to
Port Settings -> Advance -> COM Port Number.

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Instructions
• STK500 is one of the kits made by ATMEL for learning AVR. It uses STK500V2 for programming the
device.
• For more details about STK500V2 protocol visit www.atmel.com.
• AVRStudio is a free source Assembler, C compiler, Simulator and Debugger.
• It supports the STK500V2 protocol. For high speed programming you need to use this software.
• When you run AVRStudio it will show the following screen.

• Robokits AVR USB programmer assigns a serial port which has to be taken care of. In AVRStudio
auto detect function does not need the previous task to be done. It automatically connects to the
programmer.
• Click on the icon where the cursor is pointing. It will Auto connect the programmer without
specifying any COM port settings if the programmer is present at USB port.

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• Once you get the window shown above the programmer is ready to use.
• Select the device and the programming mode ISP / High voltage serial.
• Economy Edition of this product does not support high voltage serial programming.
• For high speed programming, go to Board tab.

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• Normally the setting here is for a STK500 protocol and not for STK500V2 so you have to change the
clock settings.
• Set the STK500 Osc: to 3.69 MHz and ISP Freq: 1.845MHz and click on the write tab. You will get the
message shown in the last box.
• This procedure is not required if you don’t want very high speed programming.
• Now you can go to program tab and browse the hex file you want to write in flash and EEPROM and
click program.
• You can set the Fuses and LockBits from the relevant tab.

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• After programming the flash you will get the message shown in the last box.

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Mode 2: USB-HID Mode (Any Windows version & Linux)
• Before inserting the programmer place the USB-HID jumper. This mode doesent
require any drivers in any operating system.

• Run RobokitsUSBProg.exe to install the programmer software. Latest version of this

software can be downloaded from
http://www.robokits.co.in/downloads/RobokitsUSBProg.exe
• To run this software you need to have .net framework 2.0. You can download this
from http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/7/567758a3-759e-473e-bf8f-
52154438565a/dotnetfx.exe
• .net framework 2.0 is also included on the CD included with programmer.

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• After executing the exe file, you should see the following screen.

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• After clicking next, software will be installed and shortcut will be created on the
desktop as well as in start menu. You can click Robokits USB Programmer icon to
start the software. You should see the following dialog when you start the software.

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Service and Support
Service and support for this product are available from Robokits India. The Robokits Web site
(http://www.robokits.co.in) maintains current contact information for all Robokits products.

Limitations and Warrantees

The Robokits AVR USB Programmer is intended for personal experimental and amusement use and in no case
should be used where the health or safety of persons may depend on its proper operation. Robokits provides no
warrantee of suitability or performance for any purpose for the product. Use of the product software and or
hardware is with the understanding that any outcome whatsoever is at the users own risk. Robokits sole guarantee
is that the software and hardware perform in compliance with this document at the time it was shipped to the best of
our ability given reasonable care in manufacture and testing. All products are tested for their best performance
before shipping, and no warranty or guarantee is provided on any of them. Of course the support is available on all
of them for no cost.

Disclaimer
Copyright © Robokits India, 2008

Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in this manual, may be
adapted or reproduced in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder.

This product and its documentation are supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any
particular purpose is either made or implied.

This document provides preliminary information that may be subject to change without notice.

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