Has anyone written an PDI programmer for the ATXMEGA32A4U on an Arduino?

Other Hardware 3rd Party Boards
1

I've ordered a ATXMEGA32A4U and am wondering about how to program the blasted thing.

Apparently it uses a "PDI programming interface" which I don't think I have, or if I do have it, I don't know what it looks like.

So I thought it might be useful to turn an Arduino into a PDI programmer. Has anyone done that already? If so, any tips?

Also, is there a "hardware" interface for it yet? "pins_arduino.c", that sort of thing.

2

Maybe you've seen this:
http://fourwalledcubicle.com/blog/2009/12/open-source-xmega-pdi-programmer/

3

I just received mine from LadyAda. They have a great website about it.

http://ladyada.net/products/atmega32u4breakout/

And their Wiki:

http://www.ladyada.net/wiki/products/atmega32u4breakout/index.html?rev=1302835337

4

atmega32u4 is not the same as xmega32A4u !

5

But the USB Atmegas are what the LUFA PDI programmer runs on. Same processor as on the Leonardo, too, plus all the pins are broken out for use.

6

Thanks for your answers everyone. :slight_smile:

I had seen that page, thanks Jack.

The Teensy page is interesting but links to a description of a pre-installed bootloader. I was interested in how to program the thing if it had no bootloader for some reason. Or just to discover its device signature.

The LadaAda page is also interesting. I hadn't spotted that one. :slight_smile:

From what I have been able to gather so far the low-level programming uses two pins (Reset and PDI_DATA) where you basically shove serial data (8 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity) through those two pins using Reset as clock and PDI_DATA as both Tx and Rx using two x 220R resistors to allow communications both ways.

It seems that you follow a fairly specific timed protocol of sending stuff down the reset pin, and then 0x1289AB45CDD888FF (lol) to enter external programming mode.

7

Nick,

I recently discovered that all the signature bytes for the Atmel CPUs are listed in the CPU data sheets available on their web sites (search the PDF for "signature"). I have not found a consolidated list anywhere, but here are the ones relevant for this thread:

Device Device ID bytes 2 1 0
ATxmega16A4U 41 94 1E
ATxmega32A4U 41 95 1E
ATxmega64A4U 46 96 1E
ATxmega128A4U 46 97 1E

They all agree with the codes listed in your board programming software :slight_smile:

8

Thanks for that Marco. Now the next trick is to get the hardware to "talk" PDI protocol. And get the actual chip to hand as well, of course. :slight_smile:

9

Hi Nick

I've just received some ATxMegas, and at the minute the only reaction I get from them is when I poke them with a stick. And that's not too exciting...

Just wondering if you ever managed to turn an UNO into a PDI programmer as I haven't found much info on using this things in an Arduino environment

Ta

Iain