ReAl

avreal has been working correctly under 64-bit versions of Windows for some years. Experts installed right driver and the program worked properly. But of late years I use linux mostly so 64-bit Windows is not very interesting for me.
Now I found enough time, a place and a disk space for testing by myself DLPortIO driver under Windows7/32 and 64-bit DLPortIO emulator under WindowsXP/64 and Windows7/64. dd program worked hardly restoring hard drive partitions from images for many installation attempts on “clean” system by all possible (even incorrect) methods.

So, installation archives was added yesterday to download page. There are two archives for DLPortIO-32 (GUI and command-line installer) and one archive for DLPortIO-64 (command-line installer). You can download and install an appropriate driver.
I will explain all that several days later.

See more:
DLPortIO and 32-bit Windows.
DLPortIO x64 and 64-bit Windows.

avreal v1.28r5 (Tue 2010-10-12) has been released.

• Synchronisation lost after verification for FT2232/FT4232-based adapters — fixed.
• ATmega128RFA1 added

I have answered the question about differences between new “A-version” of tinyAVR/megaAVR mirocontrollers and their predecessors. Now I decided to compare the controllers more detailed from a programmer (as software writer) point of view. It is not an ultimate analysis of the differencies but not only Migration Notes were studied. Also microcontrollers datasheets were compared.

Continue reading ‘“A” and “not-A” AVRs’ »

avreal v1.28r4 (Tue 2010-09-07) has been released.

• Synchronisation lost after verification for FT2232/FT4232-based adapters — NOT fixed
• Incorrect verifcation of fuses — fixed.

A strange bug was found in avreal 1.28r2 and 1.28r3. At the coincidence of conditions

• An FT2232/FT4232-based adapter is used
• There are some data for top two flash bytes — either data from hex-file or erase counter
• flash and fuses are used in one avreal call
• -v verification switch is used

for some microcontroller types avreal fails with “synchronosation lost” error after the first verification.

Continue reading ‘bug in avreal 1.28r2 and 1.28r3’ »

avreal v1.28r3 (Mon 2010-08-16) has been released.

• avreal does not process fuses from Extended Fuse byte for ATmega16M1, ATmega32M1, ATmega64M1, ATmega32C1, ATmega64C1 — fixed.

Oops! Some bugs found.

Questions about differences between new “A-version” of AVR mirocontrollers and their predecessors often are found in site log. People look for “what is the difference between atmega48p and atmega48pa” or “atmega8a and atmega8 programming distinction”.

The “microcontroller programming” sentence may have different meanings.

Continue reading ‘What is the difference between ATtiny2313A and ATtiny2313?’ »

Sometimes avreal works unstable with LPT under OS Windows. Programming can be successfull or can fault, for example synchronisation lost.

A reason of these faults may be LPT polling by Windows Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem in order to detect connected devices. The polling is made at OS booting which is indicated by adapter LED blinking. Windows also can make the polling during its working. DLportIO.sys driver does not block access to LPT from another programs that why the polling can interfere in the microcontroller programming.

To avoid PnP interference download and run disable-lpt-poll.reg file. As you can see from the text, the file adds registry key which disables LPT polling.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Parport\Parameters]
"DisableWarmPoll"=dword:00000001

avreal does not process fuses from Extended Fuse byte for ATmega16M1, ATmega32M1, ATmega64M1, ATmega32C1, ATmega64C1. The fuses are read as 0 and not writed.

As can be found in site log phrase “synchronisation lost” is one of most popular in site search, but no one asks the question in comments.

“synchronisation lost” message means programmer-to-microcontroller communication fault. SPI interconnection between programming adapter and microcontroller works in the same manner as between two microcontrollers.

Continue reading ‘avreal synchronisation lost’ »