Pololu Programmer V2.1

Other Hardware 3rd Party Boards
1

I bought one of these thinking I would be able to combine a couple of tools:

However, I haven't been able to find to find a way to connect up both Serial and ICSP with one cable and use it to power and bootload a part. I've been testing with a barebones board I have built up with a Serial header and an ICSP header with ZIF socket, crystal, caps, reset resistor, for a 328P.

If I provide power by a standard FTDI Basic (clone) then bootloading works, and if the FTDI is removed and the Pololu is connected in its place, serial downloading works.
If I plug the Pololu on the serial header (thinking it would provide power) and the Pololu's ICSP cable on the ICSP header, it won't bootload.
The Pololu shows up as 2 COM ports, one for Serial and one for the Programmer.
You can' select both under Tools:Port, and the one not selected seems not to work.

Is there a way around this without modifying the board somehow?
I recall folks modding Atmel AVR ISPMKii to provide power so a separate source is not needed (I never did that to mine, as after bootloading a Serial port is needed to download/debug code).
If the Pololu needs some kind of mod so I can provide power while bootloading, I might be interested in doing that. I see hole labeled VBUS - could it be as simple as running a wire or diode from there to the VCC pin on the Serial connector? And if so, why didn't Pololu make a separate pad to connect to?

Attached screen shot is the settings I am using

Pololu Programmer settings.JPG
Pololu Programmer settings.JPG879×778 97.5 KB

Pololu Programmer settings.JPG
Pololu Programmer settings.JPG879×778 97.5 KB

2

Sounds like a question for Pololu since they don’t provide schematics.

They do mention in their guide you’ve got to supply external power to the target board. They must have a reason why both the ICSP and serial interfaces aren’t tied to +5 USB power as that looks like a no-brainer to me. Maybe something to do with their other, non-Arduino products?

3

If the Pololu needs some kind of mod so I can provide power while bootloading, I might be interested in doing that. I see hole labeled VBUS - could it be as simple as running a wire or diode from there to the VCC pin on the Serial connector? And if so, why didn't Pololu make a separate pad to connect to?

Alternatively, you can use the programmer’s VBUS pin to power external devices. This pin is connected directly to the power line of the USB cable. As with the VCC output, you should not draw more than 80 mA, and you should not have too much capacitance.

It is generally safer to use the VCC output than to use VBUS. The power supplied to the VCC output goes through a diode, which prevents current from flowing back into the USB port, and the programmer’s linear regulator, which has current limiting. The VBUS pin provides no protections, so there is a higher risk that you would accidentally damage something.

4

So, wire VBUS to the VCC pin on the Serial header then.
Will add it in when I get some time.