Learning About Arduino and ATMega8

: Description : Research into programming an ATMega8 chip using the internal 8MHz oscillator with a parallel cable programmer.

: Status : Successfully programmed a fresh ATMega8 mounted on a breadboard.

: See Also : Learning About the AVR Parallel Programmer

Hardware

• The hardware I have was apparently assembled from Programming the AVR Microcontroller with GCC (new location?)(cache) (updated mirror).

• File containing test source code and circuit pinout: avrm8ledtest-0.5.tar.gz (from this).

• AVR ISP Pinout

• Arduino-related parallel programmer schematic sketch

• This is the circuit I used: (Note: 10K = Brown, Black, Orange; 1K = Brown, Black, Red (see))

• I powered the ATMega8 from the +5V and Gnd from an Arduino Diecimila board.

• I have since constructed a programming "jig" to avoid keeping the circuit on the breadboard. More detail, and photographs can be found on the Learning About the AVR Parallel Programmer page.

Research

• uDuino -- ATMega168, 8 MHz internal oscillator, with programming

• Possible 8MHz fuses (which uC?)?

• "Don't use the Arduino "burn bootloader" command if your board is running on an internal clock; it will set the fuses to expect an external oscillator and the chip won't work without one."

• "fuse settings on the ATmega8 or ATmega8L for 4 MHz oscillator and brown-out detection enabled"

• Arduino Standalone 3.3 V 8MHz without external crystal

• ATmega 8 / 168 internal clock and fuse settings -- Lots of detail

• AVR Fuse Calculator

• ATmega168 using the internal clock

• "Note that the entire parallel bit-bang programmer block will only be included if the configure script recognizes your system enough to know that it will be able to handle parallel-port bit-banging."

• How-To update the Arduino

• Arduino on a prototype board

Notes

• In the 'Makefile' from 'avrm8ledtest-0.5.tar.gz' it seems like the pre-compiled file is not correctly referenced here (it should refer to 'avrm8ledtest_pre.hex' in both places):

load_pre: avrm8ledtest_pre.hex
        ./prg_load_uc avrm8ledtest.hex

• Command line:

sudo arduino-0010/hardware/tools/avrdude -C arduino-0010/hardware/tools/avrdude.conf -p m8 -c dapa -e -U flash:w:"avrm8ledtest.hex"