[SOLVED] westfw's optiLoader! use2 UNO R3's OK? Program Blank 328P's in 2nd UNO?

Hi...

tonight was the big breakthrough in understanding.
by using the brilliant westfw optiloader I can do with less
and have a backup UNO which also functions as a holder/breadboard
for blank 328Ps

Yes?

i've seen two arduinos wired up and mention of ArduinoISP firmware.

yet, I haven't found and confirmation that the wiring example works with TWO
UNO R3s
(plus with optiloader the reset switch resistor isn't needed i think?)

IF it is possible to use the 2nd UNO just as though it was a wired breadboard?
I guess (obviously?) that I do NOT take the programmed 328 when using
optiloader... and then I wouldn't need to wire up the blank 328P in a breadboard

AND it would be therefore easier to use two UNOs to use optiloader?

Are there any gottchas? Something I've missed?

I'm thinking.... hey' love the 'less' vibe of not having a programmer.
Cool to have two identical UNO R3s and that either one can be a
blank 328P holder, mostly wired up already, while the 2nd until
runs optiloader and can program the blank 328.

Big yes?

So, I'd simply hook up the few wires from the UNO running optiloader
hit the reset switch and it would program the 2nd UNO which has had it's
factory 328 removed an a blank put in for programming.

Another Big Yes?

Whoa....So close!
THANK EVERYONE!

UPDATE: now reading this
http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,64105.0.html

So, the mention of ArduinoISP refers to the wiring in this diagram (link below)
So, simply replace the technique for ArduinoISP (link below)
with the optiloader technique. ie. primarily do NOT removing the 328 from the UNO.

Just foound this.
in the still/vidoe image down the page.
Does this show that 2 Arduinos is workable with optiloader?

http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,68183.0.html

hoping to find out and will mark as SOLVED if sososososo!!!!

woohoo. this is getting VERY VERY VERY cool.

So, any comments welcomed of course.

Yes; optiLoader was designed so that I could take it into a makerSpace and reprogram peoples' duemilanove w/328 Arduinos into "Uno" clones with faster uploads and more space. And m168/m8 as well. It turns out that there are reasons that this isn't that great an idea (m8/168 requires a boards.txt change as well, for example), but it is definitely the case that an Arduino running optiLoader can program another Arduino BOARD, as well as bare chips. The video shows a nice little ISP cable, but you can also use simple jumpers between the two boards as show here: http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoISP

(the wiring is the same whether you are using ArduinoISP or optiLoader, but the sketch operates much differently.)

EDIT LINE: still amazed to have had that reply with the
amount of posts here and time and all. I'm saying, awesome
the way my next steps now feel. I'll sort the last few puzzles.

--- earler text below ---

oh man, that's flippin' amazing to hear from you.

I'm at this page (your new beta testers mega thread)
reading all as tonight's been my big breakthru ...
http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,64105.165.html

TOPLINE: trying to figure out the actual wiring between two arduinos
like in your video where you deftly program 4 different boards.

Not only can i not find the actual wiring, yet. (been getting ahead of myself
these past few days so i figure it'll turn up)

UPDATE: i'd like to make a cable just like the one in the video where
4 boards are programmed one after the other. very slick and straight-forward.

Confused as as in two other pix/vid/diagrams
arduinoISP tutorial in particular there's wires coming from BOTH sides
of the boards Hope that's clear.

basically, with say two UNO R3's I only need one 6 pin cable going to
the 6 pin two row ICSP jack?

whoa! thank you.

HAHAHA I've just written the above without reading well your reply.
and it appears there's clues in there for me, the mostly still clueless.

So, I'm seeing things... you use a 6 pin cable that goes entirely from one side of the optiloader board

and arduinoISP and other posts and tutorials i see wires from both sides of both boards.

I was certain there was at least one pin that WASN"T on the other side in the places used.

heck, I'm gonna post this as is. sorry about that.
then pop back and clean it up. excited or what.

arduinoISP tutorial in particular there's wires coming from BOTH sides of the boards Hope that's clear.

You need pins 13, 12, and 11 connected to each other (these are the ISP SPI data signals)
You need an output pin (10, usually) from the programmer device to RESET of the target (reset is used to put the target into programming mode, rather than trying to run its program.)
You need GND as a reference voltage for everything. And it's frequently helpful to have +5V power.
On the "programmer" side, those pins are somewhat scattered across the board. 10-13 and GND are all on the "top" connector, but there's not power there. On the "target" side, RESET is on the bottom (or in the ICSP jack.)

basically, with say two UNO R3's I only need one 6 pin cable going to the 6 pin two row ICSP jack?

Yes; the target can be programmed (including power) using ONLY the ICSP jack. 6 wires.

Didn't know whether to add anything with how busy it all is here.
Tonight, optiLoader and all is easily the hugest 'drop into place' I've had.
time to move forward, knowing.

Coincidentally i had just posted a rushed edit atop the above post of mine.

EDIT LINE: still amazed to have had that reply with the
amount of posts here and time and all. I'm saying, awesome
the way my next steps now feel. I'll sort the last few puzzles.

Your wiring info and points answers the last puzzles. uh, and the rest is
pretty cool as well. hehe

life's crazy busy enough, and now with more AWESOME.

I was supposed to write an "Instructable" on using optiLoader, with pictures and videos and easy to follow steps. But that got sidetracked somehow (mostly, it kept getting more complicated the more I thought about it.) Until then, I'm "doomed" to answer questions on a case-by-case basis.
On the good side:

  1. Seeing and answering questions helps clarify what needs to be documented.
  2. Several other people are also answering questions about optiLoader and bootloading in general, so the "doom" gets spread around until its not really bad at all. (which is GREAT, and a fine example of the way an open source community is supposed to work.)