Do I need to have an Atmega on my Arduino to use it to bootload another chip?

Other Hardware 3rd Party Boards
1

I've seen some tutorials regarding how to bootload chips attached to a breadboard using an Uno.

I'm wondering if I need to have an Atmega installed on my UNO to use it to put a bootloader on a blank atmega using the breadboard method?
Or is the board without the chip enough?

Planning on using this method..

I'm curious if I can try removing and then reinstalling the bootloader again on my already bootloaded atmega328p-pu, just for experiments sake.

On that note, how do I erase/remove the bootloader or any software that came with my atmega328p-pu from the arduino so will be as fresh as if I bought fresh from a store bootloaderless?

Just want to practice bootloading into chips i buy without bootloaders before I actually buy them. Planning on getting the cheaper 328-PU
Thank you for anyone who can help me out.

2

filet:
I'm wondering if I need to have an Atmega installed on my UNO to use it to bootload something else on a breadboard?

yes

filet:
On that note, how do I erase/remove the bootloader or any software that came with my atmega328p-pu from the arduino so will be as fresh as if I bought fresh from a store bootloaderless?

The closest you could get using the Arduino IDE is to Sketch>Upload Using Programmer the default sketch(empty setup() and loop()). This will overwrite the bootloader and in most cases clear the EEPROM but the default sketch will be uploaded to the chip and the fuse settings might be different from when you bought it.

3

To return to stock, I'd connect to ISP and call avrdude directly - set fuses to default, then do a chip erase cycle, and it will be blank.

4

You need a programmer to change the contents of a chip.
An Uno can be run a programmer sketch, to install either a bootloader,

  • the bootloader can then install a sketch
    or a sketch with no bootloader,
  • the sketch will then start after a reset
    or a combined file with bootloader and sketch
  • the bootloader starts after a reset, if the correct serial activity is not detected, the sketch then starts.

You can use a programmer and load the memory with all 0s or all 1s, I don't know which reflects a factory fresh part, and you can also reset the fuses to match a factory fresh part.
Easiest way I think to do that is to use Atmel Studio with a programmer

It may also be possible using avrdude commands, I am not familiar with the commands to do that.

5

Thank you. I thought I could just use the board without the chip, and the PC/Mac will handle everything else. Guess I was really mistaken. Thank you for all the answers. Appreciate them.

6

You can without a chip (atmega328p) onboard, but previously you must change the firmware on the atmega16U2. There's the Hoodloader, look for it, it allows you to use the atmega16u2 as a isp programmer.

7

mart256:
You can without a chip (atmega328p) onboard

Ok. Sorry.
Now I'm confused.
Do I need to have the atmega328p-pu(or other bootloaded atmega) installed on my Arduino Uno R3 board to follow the steps in this link?
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoToBreadboard (The part where that's headed with Burning the bootloader)

OR

Can I just use the Arduino Uno without the Atmega installed on the board as some sort of interface?

8

filet:
Ok. Sorry.
Now I'm confused.
Do I need to have the atmega328p-pu(or other bootloaded atmega) installed on my Arduino Uno R3 board to follow the steps in this link?
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoToBreadboard (The part where that's headed with Burning the bootloader)

OR

Can I just use the Arduino Uno without the Atmega installed on the board as some sort of interface?

Those instructions will only work if the board has an ATmega328p installed on it, because that's what that ArduinoAsISP sketch that you need to load onto the board is running on.

I get the impression that your problem is that you have an Uno with no chip, and a non-bootloaded ATmega328, and you want to make your Uno work again. The easiest way is with another Arduino (or clone thereof), or a standalone ISP programmer (like a USB Asp - they're like $3 on ebay).

per mark256, it is possible to reprogram the atmega16u2 (the chip close to the USB connector on official Uno R3's - most clones use a different chip) to act as an ISP programmer using HoodLoader, which could then be used without the '328p installed. ( GitHub - NicoHood/Hoodloader: Advanced HID Firmware for Arduino Uno/Mega ) I've never done this (note that you may need to solder some of those pins onto the board - I don't think the Uno comes with headers on the 16u2 pins). If you're using a clone that doesn't have a 16u2 (most clones use a CH340G as the USB serial interface - the official board uses an atmega16u2), this will not work.

9

Ok! Got it completely. Im using the official board that came with the Arduino Starter Kit with Arduino Projects Book.

Thanks for all the answers. I understand now.