Embedded Electronics Blog

Program / Flash Arduino Uno with Atmel Studio

Elecrom
Connect Arduino Uno to Computer

Overview

Programming Arduino Uno with Atmel Studio 7 is super easy. The Arduino Uno is one of the famous platforms for embedded application development using AVR microcontrollers. It is most commonly used with the Arduino’s own software tool. However, many hardcore programmers still prefer to code for AVRs in native C. This approach offers tremendous flexibility, configurability, and hackability ( 🙂 ), which otherwise hindered by the Arduino software framework.

Arduino Uno board is based around ATmega328P AVR microcontroller. It has 32KB of flash memory, 2KB of SRAM, 1KB of EEPROM. It has a rich set of on-chip peripherals (6 PWM channels, 10 bit ADC, SPI, I2C, UART interfaces, Touch library support).

Most important aspect of any integrated development environment is its ability to program a given microcontroller. In order to Program/Flash Arduino Uno using Atmel Studio, all we need is a humble tool called as avrdude tool. You can download this tool separately instead of downloading Arduino software.

How ATmega328P Gets Programmed?

If you look closely, Arduino Uno board has a one more small microcontroller (ATmega16U2). This controller emulates a virtual serial port over USB interface on one side, receives the programming commands and hex code via this virtual serial port. On the other side, it talks to the Arduino bootloader (which is factory programmed) on the ATmega328P over the UART and flashes the received hex code.

Software & Tools required to Program/Flash Uno

  1. Arduino Uno board
  2. Atmel Studio (http://www.atmel.com/microsite/atmel-studio/)
  3. Avrdude ( Download and extract the archive to suitable directory – https://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/avrdude/avrdude-6.3-mingw32.zip ) (~ 1 MB)
    OR
    Arduino 1.8.0 (https://www.arduino.cc/en/main/software) (~ 88 MB) – Avrdude is included in the Arduino installtion

Steps

One time setup

    1. Open Atmel Studio and click on Tools > External Tools. We will add the necessary command required to launch the avrdude from Atmel Studio and tell Atmel Studio to pass required arguments to avrdude.
  1. Click Add to add a new external tool, and provide following information:
    Title
    “`
    UNO avrdude
    “`
    Command
    “`
    I:\Softwares\Electronics\AVR\avrdude-6.3-mingw32\avrdude.exe
    “`
    Note: If you are using a different path, provide the same.

    Arguments
    “`
    -v -P COM7 -c arduino -e -p m328p -U flash:w:$(TargetName).hex
    “`
    Explanation:
    -v : Enable verbose output. More -v options increase verbosity level.
    -P : Number of the serial port (COM port) on which Arduino Uno is connected
    -c : Programmer hardware type.
    -e : Erases the Flash and EEPROM memory of the target MCU before programming. This is mandatory.
    -p : Short name of the device to be programmed
    -U : memtype:op:filename[:format]
    writes the content of given hex file to the flash memory
    NOTE: COM7 is used as an example, you need to provide the correct port.
    TIP: If you connect your same Arduino Uno board to the same USB port of your computer, the COM port number will always be the same 🙂

    Initial Directory
    “`
    $(TargetDir)
    “`
    Select the check box Use Output Window

    You can refer to the screenshot below:

    Adding avrdude to as external tool to program Arduino Uno
  2. Click OK, and then click YES to save changes you have made.
    Now you will find the new external programmer tool listed as “UNO avrdude” under tools menu.

Burning/Programming/Flashing the code

    1. Build your solution (press F7)
    1. Make sure Arduino Uno is connected to your computer’s USB port and COM port value specified for the tool Arguments is correct.
  1. Click Tools > UNO avrdude
    It should start the programming. The output window will show the log similar to the one shown below: 
    avrdude.exe: Version 6.3, compiled on Feb 17 2016 at 09:25:53
             Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
             Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

             System wide configuration file is "I:\Softwares\Electronics\AVR\avrdude-6.3-mingw32\avrdude.conf"

             Using Port                    : COM7
             Using Programmer              : arduino
             AVR Part                      : ATmega328P
             Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
             PAGEL                         : PD7
             BS2                           : PC2
             RESET disposition             : dedicated
             RETRY pulse                   : SCK
             serial program mode           : yes
             parallel program mode         : yes
             Timeout                       : 200
             StabDelay                     : 100
             CmdexeDelay                   : 25
             SyncLoops                     : 32
             ByteDelay                     : 0
             PollIndex                     : 3
             PollValue                     : 0x53
             Memory Detail                 :

                                      Block Poll               Page                       Polled
               Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
               ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
               eeprom        65    20     4    0 no       1024    4      0  3600  3600 0xff 0xff
               flash         65     6   128    0 yes     32768  128    256  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
               lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
               hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
               efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
               lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
               calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
               signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

             Programmer Type : Arduino
             Description     : Arduino
             Hardware Version: 2
             Firmware Version: 1.16
             Vtarget         : 0.0 V
             Varef           : 0.0 V
             Oscillator      : Off
             SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude.exe: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e950f (probably m328p)
avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as 0
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as 0
avrdude.exe: erasing chip
avrdude.exe: reading input file "My Project.hex"
avrdude.exe: input file My Project.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: writing flash (1906 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.41s

avrdude.exe: 1906 bytes of flash written
avrdude.exe: verifying flash memory against My Project.hex:
avrdude.exe: load data flash data from input file My Project.hex:
avrdude.exe: input file My Project.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: input file My Project.hex contains 1906 bytes
avrdude.exe: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.24s

avrdude.exe: verifying ...
avrdude.exe: 1906 bytes of flash verified

avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as 0
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as 0
avrdude.exe: safemode: Fuses OK (E:00, H:00, L:00)

avrdude.exe done.  Thank you.

That’s it 🙂 … now you can utilize the full power of ATmega328 MCU on Arduino Uno board ! 🙂

#Programming #Burning #Arduino-Uno #Atmel-Studio #Uno-Programming

Exit mobile version