The Arduino IDE has an option "Tools/Burn Bootloader". What does it do?
I've tried to use it to burn a bootloader on a new ATMega328,using a USB to UART board with custom, appplication specific PCB, but it just show a comms error message.
I've even taken the original chip out of my Uno R3 baord and put the new 328 in, and then tried to "Burn Bootlloader" but the result is the same.
I can't find any info anywhere on the web that tells me what this particular function does.
In fact, I can't find any way to burn a bootlaoder to AtMega328P without using a breadobaord, oscillator, caps and a separate Uno.
In fact, I can't find any way to burn a bootlaoder to AtMega328P without using a breadobaord, oscillator, caps and a separate Uno.
Other than a dedicated programmer that is how it must be done. The bootloader cannot be installed via the serial port (UART, USB). It must be installed through the ICSP port or MISO, MOSI, SCK, RESET using a programmer. The programmer can be a dedicated programmer or another Arduino set up for ArduinoISP loaded with the ArduinoISP firmware.
The bootloader sets the fuses for various settings and allows for programming through the serial port on those chips with a hardware serial port.
The "burn bootloader" is a term in Arduino. In the memory of the board, there are two sectors - one smaller and one bigger one. The sketch you upload to the board is stored in the bigger one, and the bootloader is stored in the smaller one. The bootloader is a program that runs first and has the ability to program the bigger sector with a sketch.
A board can run well without a bootloader, but whatever times you will need to program it, then you will need to program it with the ICSP pins. Normally, the Arduino Uno has a bootloader, that it can program a sketch that it will get from USB or UART. But by default, the AVR chips are designed to be programmed with the ICSP.
You can't burn bootloader with USB. You should have another Arduino, or a ICSP programmer to burn the bootloader on your Arduino.
As for the idea of Googling, gee, I never thought of that. However you did give me the idea of Binging it, where I did manage to find a reasonably succinct explanation. Chalk one up for Microsoft, I guess.