Readme.txt

   1 This is the README file for USBasp.
   2
   3 USBasp is a USB in-circuit programmer for Atmel AVR controllers. It simply
   4 consists of an ATMega48 or an ATMega8 and a couple of passive components.
   5 The programmer uses a firmware-only USB driver, no special USB controller
   6 is needed.
   7
   8 Features:
   9 - Works under multiple platforms. Linux, Mac OS X and Windows are tested.
  10 - No special controllers or smd components are needed.
  11 - Programming speed is up to 5kBytes/sec.
  12 - SCK option to support targets with low clock speed (< 1,5MHz).
  13 - Planned: serial interface to target (e.g. for debugging).
  14
  15
  16 LICENSE
  17
  18 USBasp is distributed under the terms and conditions of the GNU GPL version
  19 2 (see "firmware/usbdrv/License.txt" for details).
  20
  21 USBasp is built with AVR USB driver by OBJECTIVE DEVELOPMENT GmbH. See
  22 "firmware/usbdrv/" for further information.
  23
  24
  25 LIMITATIONS
  26
  27 Hardware:
  28 This package includes a circuit diagram. This circuit can only be used for
  29 programming 5V target systems. For other systems a level converter is needed.
  30
  31 Firmware:
  32 The firmware dosn't support USB Suspend Mode. A bidirectional serial
  33 interface to slave exists in hardware but the firmware doesn't support it yet.
  34
  35
  36 USE PRECOMPILED VERSION
  37
  38 Firmware:
  39 Flash "bin/firmware/usbasp.atmega48.xxxx-xx-xx.hex" or
  40 "bin/firmware/usbasp.atmega8.xxxx-xx-xx.hex" to the used controller with a
  41 working programmer (e.g. with avrdude, uisp, ...). Set jumper J2 to activate
  42 USBasp firmware update function.
  43 You have to change the fuse bits for external crystal (see "make fuses").
  44 # TARGET=atmega8    HFUSE=0xc9  LFUSE=0xef
  45 # TARGET=atmega48   HFUSE=0xdd  LFUSE=0xff
  46
  47 Windows:
  48 Start Windows and connect USBasp to the system. When Windows asks for a
  49 driver, choose "bin/win-driver". On Win2k and WinXP systems, Windows will
  50 warn that the driver is is not 'digitally signed'. Ignore this message and
  51 continue with the installation.
  52 Now you can run avrdude. Examples:
  53 1. Enter terminal mode with an AT90S2313 connected to the programmer:
  54    avrdude -c usbasp -p at90s2313 -t
  55 2. Write main.hex to the flash of an ATmega8:
  56    avrdude -c usbasp -p atmega8 -U flash:w:main.hex
  57
  58 Setting jumpers:
  59 J1 Power target
  60    Supply target with 5V (USB voltage). Be careful with this option, the
  61    circuit isn't protected against short circuit!
  62 J2 Jumper for firmware upgrade (not self-upgradable)
  63    Set this jumper for flashing the ATMega(4)8 of USBasp with another working
  64    programmer.
  65 J3 SCK option
  66    If the target clock is lower than 1,5 MHz, you have to set this jumper.
  67    Then SCK is scaled down from 375 kHz to about 8 kHz.
  68
  69
  70 BUILDING AND INSTALLING FROM SOURCE CODE
  71
  72 Firmware:
  73 To compile the firmware
  74 1. install the GNU toolchain for AVR microcontrollers (avr-gcc, avr-libc),
  75 2. change directory to firmware/
  76 3. run "make main.hex"
  77 4. flash "main.hex" to the ATMega(4)8. E.g. with uisp or avrdude (check
  78 the Makefile option "make flash"). To flash the firmware you have
  79 to set jumper J2 and connect USBasp to a working programmer.
  80 You have to change the fuse bits for external crystal, (check the Makefile
  81 option "make fuses").
  82
  83 Software (avrdude):
  84 AVRDUDE supports USBasp since version 5.2.
  85 1. install libusb: http://libusb.sourceforge.net/
  86 2. get latest avrdude release: http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/avrdude/
  87 3. cd avrdude-X.X.X
  88 5. configure to your environment:
  89    ./bootstrap (I had to comment out the two if-blocks which verify the
  90                 installed versions of autoconf and automake)
  91    ./configure
  92 6. compile and install it:
  93    make
  94    make install
  95
  96 Notes on Windows (Cygwin):
  97 Download libusb-win32-device-bin-x.x.x.x.tar.gz from
  98 http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net/ and unpack it.
  99 -> copy lib/gcc/libusb.a to lib-path
 100 -> copy include/usb.h to include-path
 101 cd avrdude
 102 ./configure LDFLAGS="-static" --enable-versioned-doc=no
 103 make
 104
 105 Notes on Darwin/MacOS X:
 106 after "./configure" I had to edit Makefile:
 107 change "avrdude_CPPFLAGS" to "AM_CPPFLAGS"
 108 (why is this needed only on mac? bug in configure.ac?)
 109
 110
 111 FILES IN THE DISTRIBUTION
 112
 113 Readme.txt ...................... The file you are currently reading
 114 firmware ........................ Source code of the controller firmware
 115 firmware/usbdrv ................. AVR USB driver by Objective Development
 116 firmware/usbdrv/License.txt ..... Public license for AVR USB driver and USBasp
 117 circuit ......................... Circuit diagram in PDF and EAGLE format
 118 bin ............................. Precompiled programs
 119 bin/win-driver .................. Windows driver
 120 bin/firmware .................... Precompiled firmware
 121
 122
 123 MORE INFORMATION
 124
 125 For more information on USBasp and it's components please visit the
 126 following URLs:
 127
 128 USBasp .......................... http://www.fischl.de/usbasp/
 129
 130 Firmware-only AVR USB driver .... http://www.obdev.at/products/avrusb/
 131 avrdude ......................... http://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/
 132 libusb .......................... http://libusb.sourceforge.net/
 133 libusb-win32 .................... http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net/
 134
 135
 136 2007-07-23 Thomas Fischl <tfischl@gmx.de>
 137 http://www.fischl.de