I want to set the lock bit and fuses from inside the Arduino IDE, using an external programmer (Sparkfun's Pocket AVR Programmer).
For this example, let's focus only on the lockbit. I am using Arduino Pro Mini.
Inside the boards.txt file, I have located the Pro Mini section and more specifically this line:
pro.bootloader.lock_bits=0x0F
I have changed this to:
pro.bootloader.lock_bits=0x00
What I did, is I changed the lock bit, so that the flash in unreadable.
However, when I read the flash without the lock bit set and when I read it with the lock bit set, it is exactly the same. This means that the setting did not work.
Is there a way to make this work? I cannot understand why this does not work for me. Obviously, I select the Upload Using External Programmer option.
These are all the settings for this Arduino model:
pro.name=Arduino Pro or Pro Mini
pro.upload.tool=avrdude
pro.upload.protocol=arduino
pro.bootloader.tool=avrdude
pro.bootloader.unlock_bits=0x3F
pro.bootloader.lock_bits=0x00
pro.build.board=AVR_PRO
pro.build.core=arduino
pro.build.variant=eightanaloginputs
I don't think the IDE will try to change the lock fuses when you upload. It sets the fuses when you burn a fresh bootloader.
I think that to lock the FLASH with your sketch installed you will need to learn how to use 'avrdude' outside the IDE.
I would start by turning on "verbose messages during upload" and burning a bootloader. That will show you the 'avrdude' commands used to upload the bootloader and set fuses. Start with the commands to set fuses and get them to work outside the IDE.
What exactly does this command do?
You want me to execute this and report the results?
I am asking because the only thing i want to do, is modify the lock bit to 0x00.
Using this command for example: avrdude -c usbtiny -p m328p -U lock:w:0x00:m
in order to write the lock_bit, I get:
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f (probably m328p)
avrdude: reading input file "0x00"
avrdude: writing lock (1 bytes):
Writing | | 0% 0.00s ***failed;
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.04s
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0x00:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: WARNING: ignoring mismatch in unused bits of "lock"
(0xc0 != 0x00). To prevent this warning set unused bits
to 1 when writing (double check with your datasheet first).
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock verified
avrdude done. Thank you.
I have tried every different combination in the platforms.txt file. What frustrates me the most is that it does not work, although it should be working!
I don't know why nothing works. In any combination, I am still able to read the flash, which should not be possible, which means setting the lock bit failed.
I didn't try these values specifically.
If you mean the first command, it is the first one i tried. Later, i removed all the fuses parts and kept the lock bits only.
Let's look at the Arduino IDE output.
When I use tools.avrdude.program.pattern="{cmd.path}" "-C{config.path}" {program.verbose} {program.verify} -p{build.mcu} -c{protocol} {program.extra_params} "-Uflash:w:{build.path}/{build.project_name}.hex:i" -Ulock:w:{pro.bootloader.unlock_bits}:m
Then I get:
avrdude: Version 6.3-20190619
Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
System wide configuration file is "C:\Users\Nikos Stolis\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/etc/avrdude.conf"
Using Port : usb
Using Programmer : usbtiny
avrdude: usbdev_open(): Found USBtinyISP, bus:device: bus-0:\\.\libusb0-0001--0x1781-0x0c9f
AVR Part : ATmega328P
Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
PAGEL : PD7
BS2 : PC2
RESET disposition : dedicated
RETRY pulse : SCK
serial program mode : yes
parallel program mode : yes
Timeout : 200
StabDelay : 100
CmdexeDelay : 25
SyncLoops : 32
ByteDelay : 0
PollIndex : 3
PollValue : 0x53
Memory Detail :
Block Poll Page Polled
Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 3600 3600 0xff 0xff
flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0xff 0xff
lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
Programmer Type : USBtiny
Description : USBtiny simple USB programmer, https://learn.adafruit.com/usbtinyisp
avrdude: programmer operation not supported
avrdude: Using SCK period of 10 usec
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f (probably m328p)
avrdude: NOTE: "flash" memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: Using SCK period of 10 usec
avrdude: reading input file "C:\Users\NIKOSS~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_984948/Blink.ino.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (924 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 1.05s
avrdude: 924 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against C:\Users\NIKOSS~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_984948/Blink.ino.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file C:\Users\NIKOSS~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_984948/Blink.ino.hex:
avrdude: input file C:\Users\NIKOSS~1\AppData\Local\Temp\arduino_build_984948/Blink.ino.hex contains 924 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.84s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 924 bytes of flash verified
avrdude done. Thank you.
I figured that out... I was restarting the IDE the whole time.
I just realized that before the output, you get the command that is being used. I will try a new set of experiments and will post here.
Their differences are that I used both bootloader.lock_bits and pro.bootloader.lock_bits, as well as trying these with and without " " in the second parameter.
Somehow, the last parameter is never injected in the actual command.
What is really frustrating you is you do not know what you are doing, so you are throwing garbage into the process trying to make sense out of nonsense.
Fuses can be set from the IDE, but editing any of the .txt control files is not smart. With just a little research and use of avrdude, you can do things correctly. Use an UNO configured as a programmer, or buy one, search for Arduino ICSP programmer.
The UNO sketch is in the examples for the IDE, or use Nick Gammon's: arduino_sketches/Atmega_Board_Programmer.ino at master · nickgammon/arduino_sketches · GitHub
I know that I do not know what I am doing, this is why I am in a forum asking for help.
I also don't know why you are being so aggressive and rude for asking a question... This is your issue.
I already know how to do this process with AVRDude. But thank you anyway.
This works. It both uploads the code to the arduino and sets up the lock bit.
I am not sure why the IDE fails to inject the second parameter to the actual command.