Howdy
I am new to arduino. I bought a Uno clone with a atmega328-pu onboard. I have also bought three blank mega328-pu. I would like to have some backup chips with bootloaders. I have tried several different ways to upload the bootloader, changing 0F to 14 in avrdude config file, very confused now.Can you just put a blank chip in the uno and burn the bootloader to it or do you have to use a breadboard? There for awhile I thought I cooked my original chip- would not upload sketches. Reinstalled arduino and the chip works again. Don't want to fry my only chip with bootloader. Can someone tell me the propper way to install bootloader on a new atmega328-pu.
Thanks
Search the forum for "optiboot bootloader", there was just a thread on this very thing.
Basically wire up your blank parts on a breadboard with crystal, caps, pullup resistor on reset, then wire in some lines from the Uno, the Uno runs and burns bootloaders into the blank parts. Is smart enough to recognize the part and put appropriate bootloader in.
You need some sort of "programmer" to burn the bootloader into a blank ATmega chip.
You can use an Arduino as that programmer (running AVRISP or optiLoader), but then the target chip has to be in a breadboard with appropriate extra components (crystal, etc.) If you have two arduino boards, you can use one as the programmer and one to hold the target chip. If you have a separate programmer device (like a USPTiny or an AVRASP), you can put the blank chips in your Arduino board to provide the support components.
Will this programmer be able to upload bootloader to 168 with help of pony prong? I dont have any avr programmer or arduino board I have made my own serial single side board version 3http://www.sparkfun.com/products/14
