[noob-ask] burning bootloader using LPT programmer

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) General Frequently-Asked Questions
1

Hi All,

I am a noob and I've been working for a project on my friend's Arduino for two weeks now. He wants it back next week and I have to continue this project.

I've ordered some plain ATmega 168. What i think i have to do now is burn the bootloader. So that i can work with arduino IDE. Problem is, i dont have any external programmer such as 'avr isp mkII'.

but, thankfully another friend lent me this: http://www.avr-tools.de/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage_avr/product_id,35/category_id,14/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/

i tried to look it up on the internet but couldnt find any info about this thing.

The question is, can i burn the bootloader using that programmer?

If i can, i want to make somthing based on the serial one sided board.

2

Hi, i would either build it myself http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/ParallelProgrammer

or buy an AT AVR-ISP MK2 since there is a good chance your next computer will not have an LPT-port any more.

Bad news is the AV-ISP MK2
http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=2;GROUP=A38;GROUPID=2969;ARTICLE=45040;START=0;SORT=artnr;OFFSET=16;SID=26UujgjqwQARoAADzbZf0118999ad3232aadee17e69f6f87e288e
seems to be out of stock in germany (www.segor.de + www.reichelt.de) right now :-?

Eberhard

3

well, actually i'm in holland but im not a dutch.
its also out of stock in f4rnell.

so, ur saying that its not possible to program using that LPT port programmer?
What's the differrence between this LPT programmer and building my own parallel programmer?
I realize that the LPT programmer from my friend is 2x5 pins.

4

Hi,

so, ur saying that its not possible to program using that LPT port programmer?

No, I simply don't know :frowning: They don't give much information(could not see a datasheet...)

What's the differrence between this LPT programmer and building my own parallel programmer?

The DIY programmer should be cheaper to build.

I realize that the LPT programmer from my friend is 2x5 pins.

This page Using AVR microcontrollers: Minimalist target boards | Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has some info on the different pinouts (2x3 vs. 2x5 pins) The original arduino-board uses the 6Pin-version.
Eberhard

5

i decided to salvage a parallel male connector instead and build 'the parallel programmer'.. luckily, i got one and already built it.

now wish me luck burning the bootloader. i think i''m going to try uploading the sketch thru this parallel programmer as well.. i've seen the thread somewhere...

im gonna test the burned 168 and put it on my friend's arduino NG board.

thx for the explanation.

6

now wish me luck burning the bootloader. i think i''m going to try uploading the sketch thru this parallel programmer as well.. i've seen the thread somewhere...

info here: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/Programmer.

works great for me, have fun!

7

tried what the page told me to do ....

but i got this error right here:

avrdude: AVR device not responding
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
         0x0c != 0x00
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

i am using arduino-011 IDE. i've changed the preferences to this:
upload.using=parallel

i hope this is okay.. do i also have to add these ?

parallel.name=Parallel Programmer
parallel.protocol=dapa
parallel.force=true
# parallel.delay=200

do i still have to burn the bootloader?

8

if you are uploading a sketch to an atmega chip via the parallel programmer cable you dont need a bootloader.. the bootloader is only if you are using the serial method to upload sketches to it.

9

could it be that the i have the 'polling' problem as stated by the tutorial?

has anyone encountered the same error as i got above?

10

just a little recap

  • i'm using a parallel programmer that i built based on the hacking tutorial.
  • i have a few fresh Atmega 168, and i'm building one of it on a bread board.
  • circuitry is based on the serial single sided schematic
  • the power comes from a 9V battery
  • im going to burn the sketch directly using the parallel programmer
  • installed giveio and XP_stop_polling.reg
  • changed preferences to 'upload.using=parallel'
  • change board to 'arduino NG or older with ATmega 168'
  • currently using arduino-011

problems:

  1. i got this error down here:
avrdude: AVR device not responding
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
         0x0c != 0x00
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch
  1. I placed an LED on Pin 13(on arduino) or pin 19(on Atmega). The LED is dimmed, I dont know why this happened.

question:

  • what have i done wrong / what is it that i havent done?
11

I saw a similar message when I plugged my parallel programmer into the ICSP connector backwards.

Double check your programmer to make sure its wired up correctly and going to the right pins.

12

let's see if what i did was incorrect

parallel programmer pin vs atmega pin
11 + 220 ohm vs 18 MISO
1 + 470 ohm vs 19 SCK
2 + 470 ohm vs 17 MOSI
16 vs 1 Reset
18 vs GND

i connected my parallel programmer to the Atmega 168 as shown above. I hope what i did was correct.

or maybe my Atmega is fried? but im supposes that cant be coz at most my voltage was 9V.

13

a little update but nothin good.

i tried using my friend's computer and did the same steps as i did before.
unfotunately, i still cant burn the bootloader nor can i burn the sketch...

hope to seek more advice real soon, my deadline is coming...

thanks for all the help ....

14

kodockz,
A link that may help is:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200610013744/https://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/09/12/how-to-update-the-arduino/

However, I have a similar problem trying to use the parallel cable.
I can not even find a way to be sure the cable is working at all.
I double checked the cable from the connector to the pins on atmega chip, but when I plug it in, without power to the board, one of the led lights dimly. This makes me wonder.
Does anyone know if this is normal?

I also get the wrong signature, but the link above allows you continue past that using a command line option.

For me it was no help. After a set of 20 min. long progress bars there was no joy. And if I disconnect the cable I still got the progress bars! The whole operation seemed rather funky to me. The napkin diagram, the instructions that refer to the atmega 8, the fact that I couldn't find a second reference on the web for that particular cable, and the dim led, really made me feel like I was out in the ozone.

But I hope you have better luck! It's got to be something simple :wink:

15

@Hogan

Thx man, i've read that one before. But i think its using Arduino IDE 009. The 011 has a 'burn using parallel programmer' option on it. so Its suppose to work. But im gonna try it out anw.

hey, if you find some more things, lemme know soon coz my deadline is closing in ...

16

when I plug it in, without power to the board, one of the led lights dimly. This makes me wonder.
Does anyone know if this is normal?

FWIW, I think it is normal. I also get a dimly lit power LED on mine with the cable connected to the PC and no power in the arduino.

17

I also have hooked up my new atmega168 chip on to my diecimila and then connected that to the parallel programming cable that I built based on the build you own instructions: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/ParallelProgrammer

After trying various things to get it to work I have failed. When attempting to burn the bootloader from the arduino 0011 program from tools> burn bootloader> w/ parallel programmer I get the following:

avrdude: AVR device not responding
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
 ***failed;  
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
         0x00 != 0x07
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

Any ideas?

18

FWIW, I think it is normal. I also get a dimly lit power LED on mine with the cable connected to the PC and no power in the arduino.

Well, that made me feel more confident about my cable - even though I had metered it out twice before from the DB25 pins to the ATMega pins and it was OK.

So I tried it again on chip that needed a bootloader (at least) - using the IDE. I got . . .
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
***failed;
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
0x00 != 0x07
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

So I figured maybe I was working with an unloadable chip. So I tried my last good spare. I got the same error or similar, and bricked that good chip. :cry: No L Led at power up, and

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

when I try to load.

BTW I ran status_giveio.bat and it reported "ok". I previously loaded the polling patch and my LPT port is ECP on an XP PC. (I noticed "Try not to use an interrupt is set for the port - matters?)

I don't know what to do next - buy a "real" programmer and hope I can recover 3 bricked chips, or fold ;).

Any help or advice appreciated.

19

I also have hooked up my new atmega168 chip on to my diecimila and then connected that to the parallel programming cable that I built based on the build you own instructions: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/ParallelProgrammer

After trying various things to get it to work I have failed. When attempting to burn the bootloader from the arduino 0011 program from tools> burn bootloader> w/ parallel programmer I get the following:

avrdude: AVR device not responding

avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
***failed;  
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
        0x00 != 0x07
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch




Any ideas?

we got the same problem then...

have u tried using the arduino 010?

20

FWIW, I think it is normal. I also get a dimly lit power LED on mine with the cable connected to the PC and no power in the arduino.

Well, that made me feel more confident about my cable - even though I had metered it out twice before from the DB25 pins to the ATMega pins and it was OK.

So I tried it again on chip that needed a bootloader (at least) - using the IDE. I got . . .
avrdude: Expected signature for ATMEGA168 is 1E 94 06
avrdude: AVR device not responding
***failed;
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
0x00 != 0x07
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

So I figured maybe I was working with an unloadable chip. So I tried my last good spare. I got the same error or similar, and bricked that good chip. :cry: No L Led at power up, and

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

when I try to load.

BTW I ran status_giveio.bat and it reported "ok". I previously loaded the polling patch and my LPT port is ECP on an XP PC. (I noticed "Try not to use an interrupt is set for the port - matters?)

I don't know what to do next - buy a "real" programmer and hope I can recover 3 bricked chips, or fold ;).

Any help or advice appreciated.

i think you get this error
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

when you are not reseting the arduino before uploading