Trying to burn bootloader to ATMEGA128L using nano as ISP

So I have a bare atmega128L with an 8MHX xtal on an olimex breakout board that I'm trying to burn a bootloader into. It is connected thusly:

Nano AT128L
D10/SS -----> Pin 20 RESET
D11/MOSI -> Pin 12 MOSI
D12/MISO --> Pin 13 MISO
D13/SCLK --> Pin 11 SS
GND ----- GND

I've compiled and uploaded ArduinoISP to the nano with no problem.

I've installed megacore.

I switch the board to MegaCore128, clock to 'external 8mhz'
BOD is set to 2.7V
EEPROM Not Retained
Compiler LTO disabled
No Bootloader
Port to the USB port of the Nano
Programmer to 'Arduino as ISP'

when I click 'Burn Bootloader', I get the following:

avrdude: Version 6.3-20201216
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Users/bownes/Library/Arduino15/packages/MegaCore/hardware/avr/2.1.3/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/bownes/.avrduderc"

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-14130
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
         AVR Part                      : ATmega128
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PA0
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom         4    12    64    0 no       4096    8      0  9000  9000 0xff 0xff
           flash         33     6   128    0 yes    131072  256    512  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          4    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : STK500
         Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
         Hardware Version: 2
         Firmware Version: 1.18
         Topcard         : Unknown
         Vtarget         : 0.0 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)

Error while burning bootloader.
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
         Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
         this check.


avrdude done.  Thank you.

Connections are all good, 128 has power. 


any clues would be most appreciated

in arduino isp - #define SPI_CLOCK (128000/6)

// Configure SPI clock (in Hz).
// E.g. for an ATtiny @ 128 kHz: the datasheet states that both the high and low
// SPI clock pulse must be > 2 CPU cycles, so take 3 cycles i.e. divide target
// f_cpu by 6:
//     #define SPI_CLOCK            (128000/6)
//
// A clock slow enough for an ATtiny85 @ 1 MHz, is a reasonable default:

#define SPI_CLOCK 		(1000000/6)


I changed SPI_CLOCK to (128000/6)

and get the same results

1 Like

Additional detail, when I switch over to a pro micro as an ISP, I get this:

/Users/bownes/Library/Arduino15/packages/arduino/tools/avrdude/6.3.0-arduino18/bin/avrdude -C/Users/bownes/Library/Arduino15/packages/MegaCore/hardware/avr/2.1.3/avrdude.conf -v -patmega128 -cstk500v1 -P/dev/cu.usbserial-bebadb0b -b19200 -e -Ulock:w:0x3f:m -Uefuse:w:0xff:m -Uhfuse:w:0b11001111:m -Ulfuse:w:0b10111111:m 

avrdude: Version 6.3-20201216
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Users/bownes/Library/Arduino15/packages/MegaCore/hardware/avr/2.1.3/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/bownes/.avrduderc"

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-bebadb0b
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
         AVR Part                      : ATmega128
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PA0
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom         4    12    64    0 no       4096    8      0  9000  9000 0xff 0xff
           flash         33     6   128    0 yes    131072  256    512  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          4    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : STK500
         Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x14

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x02

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10
         Hardware Version: 255227
         Firmware Version: -272691152.32766
         Topcard         : STK502
         Vtarget         : 1.8 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: stk500_initialize(): (b) protocol error, expect=0x10, resp=0x01
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
         Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
         this check.

avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Error while burning bootloader.

Not the same. In the first case, there is zero response - no answer from the target. It can be anything (clock, power...) but mostly HW connection. The second case, there is an obvious communication problem:

  • expect=0x14, resp=0x14 - good
  • expect=0x14, resp=0x02 - good answer, but it seems like expectation is wrong.
    See stk500v1 for more details.
    This is the result : avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error.

It seems like programmer and target are out of sync. So probably different value as @ua6em advises?

ATmega128 doesn't use the usual SPI pins for programming. See the datasheet:

Even though the SPI Programming interface re-uses the SPI I/O module, there is one important difference: The MOSI/MISO pins that are mapped to PB2 and PB3 in the SPI I/O module are not used in the Programming interface. Instead, PE0 and PE1 are used for data in SPI Programming mode as shown in the following table.

3 Likes

The data sheet I am using says MOSI/MISO are normally at pins 12 and 13 (http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/doc2467.pdf)

but alternately can be found on PB2 and PB3 (pins 12/13). But based on the schemnatic of the board https://www.olimex.com/Products/AVR/Header/AVR-H128-C/resources/AVR-H128.pdf I think they are using the original pins 2 and 3.

Moved MOSI/MISO to pins 2 and 3 on the Mega128L and get a similar result:

vrdude: Version 6.3-20201216
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "/Users/bownes/Library/Arduino15/packages/MegaCore/hardware/avr/2.1.3/avrdude.conf"
         User configuration file is "/Users/bownes/.avrduderc"

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-bebadb0b
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
         AVR Part                      : ATmega128
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PA0
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom         4    12    64    0 no       4096    8      0  9000  9000 0xff 0xff
           flash         33     6   128    0 yes    131072  256    512  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          4    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : STK500
         Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x14

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x02

avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10
         Hardware Version: 108750075
         Firmware Version: -381186000.32766
         Topcard         : STK502
         Vtarget         : 1.8 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: stk500_initialize(): (b) protocol error, expect=0x10, resp=0x01
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
         Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
         this check.

avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Error while burning bootloader.