Searching the Internet for an AVR ISP shield for the Arduino to burn bootloaders onto ATmega chips, I see that a lot of them are no longer available. Why would this be? Is there a AVR ISP shield available that we can use with the current IDE or does anyone have a PCB design and/or circuit diagram to enable burning bootloaders onto ATmega chips?
Adafruit is selling one for $17.50 (https://www.adafruit.com/products/462).
However, it's often easier and a lot cheaper to build your own. There are lots of tutorials on the net, including a link to one in the page above, and basically the BOM is:
- blank shield: $1.80 http://www.dx.com/p/arduino-prototyping-shield-pcb-board-blue-138294
- 28-pin ZIF socket: $2.44 http://www.dx.com/p/diy-28-pin-zif-dip-ic-tester-board-socket-153277
(there is also a narrow version of the socket above, and it is preferable if you can find it) - headers
- a few caps: 10uF + 22pF
- 1 crystal 16.0000 MHz
- pieces of 26-32AWG wire
- a couple 3mm LEDs
- the same amount of 220-330 Ohms resistors
The total cost in parts above doesn't exceed US$ 6. Obviously you also need a soldering iron.
I built mine in about 1 hour.
Thank you, I'll get the shield and ZIF socket and build one myself.