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 ATMega88 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 V-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.atmega88.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 # TARGET=atmega88   HFUSE=0xdd  LFUSE=0xff
  47
  48 Windows:
  49 Start Windows and connect USBasp to the system. When Windows asks for a
  50 driver, choose "bin/win-driver". On Win2k and WinXP systems, Windows will
  51 warn that the driver is is not 'digitally signed'. Ignore this message and
  52 continue with the installation.
  53 Now you can run avrdude. Examples:
  54 1. Enter terminal mode with an AT90S2313 connected to the programmer:
  55    avrdude -c usbasp -p at90s2313 -t
  56 2. Write main.hex to the flash of an ATmega8:
  57    avrdude -c usbasp -p atmega8 -U flash:w:main.hex
  58
  59 Setting jumpers:
  60 J1 Power target
  61    Supply target with 5V (USB voltage). Be careful with this option, the
  62    circuit isn't protected against short circuit!
  63 J2 Jumper for firmware upgrade (not self-upgradable)
  64    Set this jumper for flashing the ATMega(4)8 of USBasp with another working
  65    programmer.
  66 J3 SCK option
  67    If the target clock is lower than 1,5 MHz, you have to set this jumper.
  68    Then SCK is scaled down from 375 kHz to about 8 kHz.
  69
  70
  71 BUILDING AND INSTALLING FROM SOURCE CODE
  72
  73 Firmware:
  74 To compile the firmware
  75 1. install the GNU toolchain for AVR microcontrollers (avr-gcc, avr-libc),
  76 2. change directory to firmware/
  77 3. run "make main.hex"
  78 4. flash "main.hex" to the ATMega(4)8. E.g. with uisp or avrdude (check
  79 the Makefile option "make flash"). To flash the firmware you have
  80 to set jumper J2 and connect USBasp to a working programmer.
  81 You have to change the fuse bits for external crystal, (check the Makefile
  82 option "make fuses").
  83
  84 Software (avrdude):
  85 AVRDUDE supports USBasp since version 5.2.
  86 1. install libusb: http://libusb.sourceforge.net/
  87 2. get latest avrdude release: http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/avrdude/
  88 3. cd avrdude-X.X.X
  89 5. configure to your environment:
  90    ./bootstrap (I had to comment out the two if-blocks which verify the
  91                 installed versions of autoconf and automake)
  92    ./configure
  93 6. compile and install it:
  94    make
  95    make install
  96
  97 Notes on Windows (Cygwin):
  98 Download libusb-win32-device-bin-x.x.x.x.tar.gz from
  99 http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net/ and unpack it.
 100 -> copy lib/gcc/libusb.a to lib-path
 101 -> copy include/usb.h to include-path
 102 cd avrdude
 103 ./configure LDFLAGS="-static" --enable-versioned-doc=no
 104 make
 105
 106 Notes on Darwin/MacOS X:
 107 after "./configure" I had to edit Makefile:
 108 change "avrdude_CPPFLAGS" to "AM_CPPFLAGS"
 109 (why is this needed only on mac? bug in configure.ac?)
 110
 111 Notes on Linux:
 112 To use USBasp as non-root, you have to define some device rules. See
 113 bin/linux-nonroot for an example.
 114
 115 FILES IN THE DISTRIBUTION
 116
 117 Readme.txt ...................... The file you are currently reading
 118 firmware ........................ Source code of the controller firmware
 119 firmware/usbdrv ................. AVR USB driver by Objective Development
 120 firmware/usbdrv/License.txt ..... Public license for AVR USB driver and USBasp
 121 circuit ......................... Circuit diagram in PDF and EAGLE format
 122 bin ............................. Precompiled programs
 123 bin/win-driver .................. Windows driver
 124 bin/firmware .................... Precompiled firmware
 125 bin/linux-nonroot ............... Linux device rule file
 126
 127
 128 MORE INFORMATION
 129
 130 For more information on USBasp and it's components please visit the
 131 following URLs:
 132
 133 USBasp .......................... http://www.fischl.de/usbasp/
 134
 135 Firmware-only V-USB driver ...... http://www.obdev.at/products/vusb/
 136 avrdude ......................... http://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/
 137 libusb .......................... http://libusb.sourceforge.net/
 138 libusb-win32 .................... http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net/
 139
 140
 141 2011-05-28 Thomas Fischl <tfischl@gmx.de>
 142 http://www.fischl.de