anyone know of a bootloader , that works...i have been through 11 of them...one sort of works:the mighty 1284 with optiboot...it sort of works because i can load the program using the arduino as a programming board, but it doesn't load as a sketch...go figure...i know this subject has been beat up on various boards....so anybody had a bootloader that actually works using a arduino as an ISP?
Did you try the bootloader for the Arduino Mega (1280)? The ATmega1284 should be a lot like the ATmega1280 but with fewer pins.
My understanding is that chips with larger memories (1280/2560) require the newer STK500V2 protocol for bootloader burning. My further understanding is that the ArduinoISP sketch only implements the STK500V1 protocol. It may be that you need to buy a real ISP to burn a bootloader on your 1284 chip. 
You can get the USBasp programmer from eBay for under $4, including free shipping from China!
i'll try for the 1280 ...i plan to get a USBtiny for Adafruit soon.....its just funny that the Arduino will load it from the programmer level and not from the sketch
1280 bootloader doesn't work....lot of difference between 100 pins and 40 pins
The core described on this thread http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,80483.0.html, has several bootloaders that work with the 1284 series.
The problems reported seem to be from folks who program via one of the ad hoc tools, rather than the AVR ISP MKII... I will admit I haven't had much luck with his optiboot version, but have no problem with his original bootloader.
using a USBtinyISP works or the arduino as ISP....just using the sketch on Arduino 1.0 doesn't work for some reason. the only bootloader that works is steve marple one....and then you can only upload with ISP
oldPGMguy:
using a USBtinyISP works or the arduino as ISP....just using the sketch on Arduino 1.0 doesn't work for some reason. the only bootloader that works is steve marple one....and then you can only upload with ISP
What sketch above are you referring to?
the only bootloader that works is steve marple one....and then you can only upload with ISP
But if you upload a sketch with ISP then one isn't using the bootloader, I'm confused, again. 
Lefty
I have a newly installed & unmodified 1.0.1, I'll give it a shot shortly.
maniacbug I think did a great job putting the core files together, and making a couple of board types so there are options:
I don't have any comment on the Arduino as ISP process. I had a dedicated programmer for '328s, the one from mdfly.com, that I used for a while.
After I got my system hosed with mixed up download speeds between bootloaders & IDE, I just stuck with using Atmel's AVR Studio 5.1 & an AVR ISP MKii for the bootloader, initially so I could easily check on the fuses & lockbits, and also because it was faters, and FTDI Basic for sketches. More recently I got some forum help getting around the default Jungo driver for the MKii so that the IDE could be used for bootloading, and now I just do that as the IDE comes up way faster than Studio 5.
There's the work WestfW to make a standalone bootloader
and that NickGammon expanded on with more description including updating to cover the larger chips
and went even farther with loading sketches from SD card
I don't know if I can add significantly to all that, I'll see what I can do tho.
I do know I have a working bootloader that installs first time and sketches go in first time too.
Can't confirm it covers really large sketches, I've never gone that big, I've generally just needed dual serial and more IO pins without the necessity of adding shift registers to get there.
i know uploading a sketch with a isp is not using a bootloader...its the hex file.....the sketch is the the program you write, then upload to the micro...its just i haven't found a bootloader that works for the ATmega1284
Thanks for the info crossroads
I've posted this before. This is the one that I install using Atmel AVR ISP MKii, selected within the IDE.
optiboot_atmega1284p.hex (1.47 KB)
I NEW TO THIS AND I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE MC,HOW TO DUMP HEX FILE INTO ATMEGA1284.I HAVE TRIED USING EXTREME BURNER FLASH BUT IN CHIP LIST ATMEGA1284 IS NOT AVAILABLE.I CONNECTING USING ISP.ARE THERE ANY OTHER SOFTWARE.
THANK YOU