Developing USBProg Tool For Microcontroller

The project aims to build an open-source multipurpose tool that can be used for programming and debugging AVR and ARM processors, as JTAG interface, as simple I/O interface, or as USB to RS232 converter.

The USB connection on the project, that utilizes an easy to use update mechanism, makes the software on the adapter to be directly changed. The flashtool is used to install the bootloader and change the firmware. The bootloader has to be written into the flash of the ATmega32 to be able to change the firmware later on at any time. Alternatively, the USBProg can be used without the flashtool and write the particular .hex or .bin files of the firmware through the ISP interface of the ATmega32 directly to the flash. The reset jumper has to be set as with the programming of the bootloader.

Since the configuration of the 10-pole ISP socket matches the standard configuration of Atmel, the standard AVR programmer device can be connected to USBProg. A simple exchange of the firmware is provided by the platform from the bootloader. The new bootloader has been developed since there have been a few problem with old version.

Click here to see the rest of the project.