I've got some Atmega168 chips with bootloader code already on them that i'm going to turn into standalones. I'd like to save the expense of buying a dedicated programmer to upload sketches to them.
Can I use the freeduino I already have to somehow do this?
I know I can swap over the chip in the freeduino but I'd like to be able to program the chips in circuit.
well it's a little klugy but there is a way. You would have to have the grounds typed together for both boards. Also wire the +5vdc lines together between the Freeduino and the external 168 unless you already have a +5vdc power source on the external 168.
You then would have to remove the 168 chip from it's socket on the freeduino. Finaly, wire digital I/O pins 0 to 0 and 1 to 1 between the Freeduino and the standalone chip. This lets you use the communications components on the Freeduino to talk to the bootloader on the standalone chip. I'm sure you already know that your standalone chip will have to have a pull up resistor wired to +5vdc for the reset pin and needs it's own 16mhz crystal&loading caps or a 3 pin resonator.
Make sense?
Lefty
@ retrolefty
Kludgy works for me. I was hoping it was going to be something like this. Thanks.