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[on:]

I was wondering if you could use the usb2serial lite as a ISP and if so how would you go about doing it? Thanks for your help lads!

[Reply #1 on:]

The what?

[Reply #2 on:]

If the AVR has a bootloader already uploaded then with an USB to Serial adapter like this
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=TRIPPLITE+U209+000+R+TRIPP+LITE+USB2+SERIAL+ADAPTER+
you can program your micro controller.
You will also need (most probable) a MAX232 level convertor ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX232 ).

[Reply #3 on:]

Yes you can.
What you end up doing is using some of the IO pins to connect to the SCK, MOSI, MISO, Reset pins, and "bit bang" the SPI interface to install a bootloader, or to install code with no bootloader.
There is a geocities link floating around where 4 pins are added to a Duemilanove to allow connecting the FTDI chip outputs to the ICSP header to do this.

http://www.geocities.jp/arduino_diecimila/bootloader/index_en.html
Setup involves quote a few steps, but it does work. I still have my Duemilanove set up for this.

[Reply #4 on:]

I do not have any arduino board, I have just an USB to serial cable, the PC and avrdude.

Is there a software that allows avrdude to program directly an empty AVR (without any bootloader preloaded) using the RS232 signals CTS, DSR, DCD, RI as MISO, SCK, MOSI, RESET, respectively?

[Reply #5 on:]

I am not aware of any.

[Reply #6 on:]

To clarify, I have a http://arduino.cc/en/Main/USBSerial and I would like to use it as a AVR programmer. How do I go about doing that? (So i can upload boot loaders with it)

[Reply #7 on:]

I bought one of these: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AVR-Programmer-Works-with-AVRdude-and-Arduino-IDE-/280890704478?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item416664025e

Cheap, fairly versatile and works pretty good using a serial connection, but it needs a real RS232 port.

Otherwise, there are tons of USB based AVR ISP clones out there pretty cheap too.  Some better than others.  Like this: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-USB-51-AVR-ISP-Programmer-Downloader-USBASP-usbisp-/261111862849?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccb7ad641

Never used one though, so can't vouch for it, but you can't beat the price.

[Reply #8 on:]

@jtwhissel ,
I don't know that anyone has written any code that uses these pins on the ICSP header: +5, Gnd, SCK, MISO, MOSI, plus Reset from another pin, such as teh DTR pin, to allow the board to act as a programmer.
I would think it is certainly doable.

[Reply #9 on:]

I noticed on the avrdude-dev mail list a conversation about this.  Someone tried using an SI CP2103 USB to TTL bridge and managed to bit bang (using some additional circuitry, I assume) some code to an AVR.  However, they reported it too slow to be of use:

Somewhat surprisingly, it worked, though it's indeed slow.  I wonder if I'd have the patience to store a few KiB's in the MCU's memory.

With the CP2103 being at least twice as fast as the FTDI chip on the Arduino USB2TTL, it would appear that if you could make it work, it would not be practical.

As DirtBike suggested, it might be time to spring for a real programmer.  There all sorts of them available for under $15.

[Reply #10 on:]

I do not have any arduino board, I have just an USB to serial cable, the PC and avrdude.

Is there a software that allows avrdude to program directly an empty AVR (without any bootloader preloaded) using the RS232 signals CTS, DSR, DCD, RI as MISO, SCK, MOSI, RESET, respectively?

No.

[Reply #11 on:]

Like Crossroads said, it could be doable.  The Arduino USB Serial Light adapter is based on the ATmega8U2 chip.  And it has the DFU bootloader on it.  So you could load a modified ArduinoISP on it with the Atmel FLIP software.  The only thing would be to change to code to use the right pinouts on the 8U2 chip.  Then it could run as a ArduinoISP.

[Reply #12 on:]

Looks like I missed the  'Light' bit.  I thought he was referring to the older model.

So, I am forced to acquiesce.  It should indeed be possible.  Maybe something could be done with the LUFA library, and although it seems like a obvious thing to do, I am also not aware of anything that exists.