After project source code is developed there is always need to flash it to microcontroller. There are few ways to program AVR microcontrollers. Usually we used to flash AVR’s with ISP adapter (or other programmer) that is not always handy especially when designing device for the end user who doesn’t have ISP adapter or doesn’t know much about flashing MCU. So it is better to flash a bootloader program AVR MCU once with programming adapter and later load firmware interactively when starting AVR.

Bootloader not only allows to update firmware without programmer but also enables to load different programs for different purposes depending on situation flexibly. But enough about this.

So my purpose today is to test AVR universal bootloader which is being developed by Shaoziyang. His purpose was to develop universal bootloader that works on different types of AVR microcontrollers with minimal code modifications. Bootloaders you can find on the Internet are mostly available for special types of microcontrollers and nobody wants to do a lot of modifications to adapt to different MCU when needed.

This AVR universal bootloader can support most types of AVR microcontrollers (Mega series), which have self-programmable capability, boot section and UART. If the device have many serial ports, you can use any one of them. Bootloader supports RS232, RS485 and RS422. It can also supports USI, SPI, I2C interface if you made some modify. This bootloader occupies less than 1k words flash maximum, and it may occupy less than 300 words minimum. The space occupied by the bootloader is relative with device type, configuration parameters, functions you select, and the optimize grade that the compiler use.

Main features of bootloader are:

• Support many types of AVR microcontrollers;

• Support AVR device with multi-uart;

• Support RS232/RS485/RS422 mode;

• Support customize communication baud rate and system clock frequency;

• Automatically calculate the baudrate error;

• Write with AVR GCC, 100% C code;

• High optimized code, occupy small space;

• Cut out the function conveniently, and can meet different requirements;

• Support Watchdog;

• User may use the LED to show the upgrade status;

• Support to use super terminal as download software on PC;

• Support verification while write to FLASH;

• Can define the size of user program section;

I have Atmega128 baord from Piconomic Design on my desk and I am going to try bootloader on it. First of all wee need to download bootloader files from authors site. You only need bootloader source files (download latest 3.1 version) and win32 application to communicate with target (download latest 3.1 version). Once files are downloaded, extract then to any location and leave them.

Now create new project in AVRStudio and copy following bootloader files (bootldr.c; bootldr.h; bootcfg.h) to project directory and add them to project tree. Now its time to modify project parameters that are in bootcfg.h file so they would fit Atmega128 settings. There are quite few parameters you may change, but most of them are OK. Lets see what I did.

• Changed MCU clock frequency

  • <#define F_CPU 7372800UL>;

• Changed Bootstart section address according to datasheet

  • <#define BootStart 0xFC00>;

• as Atmega128 has two USART ports, selected USART0

  • <#define COMPORTNo 0>;

• Turned off watchdog

  • <#define WDGEn 0> of course you can leave it, but you have to preserve it in your main application so MCU wont keep reseting;

• As my board has LED so defined where it is connected so I could see bootloading process

//enable LED indication

#define LEDEn 1

//LED control port

#define LEDPORT B

#define LEDPORTNo PB6

• Saved file – all modifications are done;

And there is last thing – we have to configure makefile to show what type of MCU is used, what frequency and where flash section starts. For this press “Edit Current Configuration Options” button in AVRStudio. First of all update General configs:

Then go to Memory Settings and create memory segment where bootloader starts. In my case it is 0xFC00:

Then I built the project which took 1366 bytes (1.0% Full).

Flashed bootloader to Atmega128 via ISP and Ponyprog and then configured fuses for correct Boot section size and enabled Boot Reset Vector:

Checking BOOTRST means that bootloader after it finishes loading program resets to 0×0000 address where loaded program starts.

Now its time to connect target board to PC COM port and upload test program. For this open avrubd.exe application. And configure options so it could communicate correctly. For this go to Options->AVR and select:

Options->System:

Options->Comport:

After options are set, open hex or bin file to be downloaded and press black Dn button. It will start sending connect key this means you have to reset target boar in order to enter bootloader. If you wait too long – connection will fail. This is how successful firmware update messages looks like:

In documentation text author says that bootloader has been tested with following AVR microcontrollers: ATmega8; ATmeag64; ATmega128; ATmega168; ATmega169(Bufferfly); ATmega16; ATmega32; ATmega162. So it is really good open source bootloader project everyone can use easily.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at 1:24 am and is filed under AVR Microcontrollers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.