Cheap programmer with USB interface

Good day!

I'm curious about which programmer with USB to get. My tasks are the following:

  • Upgrade Arduino Duemilanove (I'm waiting for one :)) to use optiboot

  • Program brand new ATmega8, ATmega16 with optiboot by putting them into Arduino board (by removing Arduino enabled-chip) and hooking programmer to ICSP header on Arduino

  • Set brand new ATmega8, ATmega16 fuse bits to use internal oscillator while programming as described above and use them in "minimal Arduino" (like this: (sorry, I need to obscure links by removing first "h", that's my first post on the forum) ttp://todbot.com/blog/2009/05/26/minimal-arduino-with-atmega8/)

I'm thinking about something like this: (sorry, I need to obscure links by removing first "h", that's my first post on the forum) ttp://cgi.ebay.com/AVR-USBASP-Programmer-ATMEGA8-ATMEGA128-ATMEGA168-etc-/330457885370?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf0d32aba

But it seems it uses 10 pin cable but arduino has 6 pins on the header (I should make an adapter?), is anything else I should consider?

Thanks in advance!

The difference in the header of the USB Asp is some Vcc and Gnd wires, the 10 pin and the 6 pin are equal in functions.

Thanks for the quick reply!

So this programmer will work for my tasks? As far as I understand arduino IDE comes with avrdude?

It might be worth looking at the high voltage programmers as well. They can reprogram the fuses on a chip in some cases where the isp programmers cannot.

According to USBasp it can reprogram fuses, but what are the cases when it can't?

Take a look here, http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1278784179

It is possible to program the fuses with a low voltage programmer to a condition that the chip is then not reprogrammable by the same low voltage programmer, & yes I have done it :slight_smile:

Thanks for the replies and link for "bricked" topic!

Is USBasp a good option in a whole or something else (better) exists?

I will let someone else comment on USBasp, I have not used it. I use AvrispII which works fine to burn bootloaders from the Arduino ide.

Has both 6 & 10pin ISP conncectors, and is almost certainly better supported than the average cheap eBay hardware...

Thanks for the response it seems to be a good option, but I want to buy something ready to use, not kit. So far I haven't found USBtinyISP in a form of a ready device, not kit.

It's a bit expensive but I really like this one...

Thanks!

I've build myself a stripboard usbasp programmer.

Using this layout:

It works well, only thing is you have to add it yourself to the programmers section.

As a "high" voltage programmer, you can always use this:

Thanks, stripboard is an option for me!

So far I haven't found USBtinyISP in a form of a ready device, not kit.

I bought the USBtiny kit from Ladyada and it went together pretty easy and works great. However SparkFun sells an assembled compatible USBtiny that will work with the Arduino IDE:

E-bay has a ton of assembled USBtiny compatible programmers from asian sellers also.

Lefty