Open Panzer

Developer's Forum => TCB Dev => Topic started by: LukeZ on December 12, 2021, 10:10:05 AM

Title: Flashing Bootloader to Blank ATmega2560
Post by: LukeZ on December 12, 2021, 10:10:05 AM

For those building a DIY board there is sometimes the need to flash a bootloader to a blank chip. For those who start with an off-the-shelf Arduino Mega this is not necessary, the standard bootloader that comes pre-installed on Arduino boards will work just fine. But for those who are assembling boards from raw components, including blank ATmega2560 chips, then a bootloader needs to placed on the chip before the firmware can be loaded.

I have attached a PDF how-to guide that describes the process, as well as the files that are needed. In addition to these resources, you will also need:

• An ISP programmer - I have tested the USBasp, the AVR ISP mkII (both available on eBay and elsewhere), as well as the Pololu USB AVR Programmer v2.1 (https://www.pololu.com/product/3172)
• If you did not populate the pins for the ISP connector on your board, you will need something like the SparkFun ISP Pogo Adapter (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11591). If you did populate the ISP pins, then you don't need the pogo adapter (it is mostly useful for those who will be flashing many boards, such as the manufacturer).
• If you are building a large quantity of boards (most are not) then you may find it faster to load the firmware through the alternate Serial 1 port on the TCB (labeled "SER. 1"), instead of using the USB port. I don't think this should apply to any DIY people, but if you want to do it that way you can use the Adafruit FTDI Friend (https://www.adafruit.com/product/284), the SparkFun FTDI Breakout (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9716), or the already mentioned Pololu Programmer (https://www.pololu.com/product/3172) (which can work both as a serial adapter and ISP programmer).

If anyone needs help with this process feel free to ask your questions here.