Re: [avr-chat] Selection of AVR for my project

[Rick Mann]

On Apr 25, 2013, at 08:56 , Ing. Daniel Rozsnyó <address@hidden> wrote:

> My question was rather this programming issue - the datasheet is not very 
> specific about how it is done, the only thing it mentions is "Bootloader 
> support for programming through any communication interface" - does that come 
> with an empty chip or I have to flash it specially at least once?

As I understand it, you'll have to flash it at least once. What they mean is 
that bootloader code can re-program the part from any interface. So, you'll 
want to bring out the PDI pins (reset and the one next to it) to a header that 
can connect to an AVR ISP Mk II or any number of other Atmel programmers.

Then you can flash a DFU bootloader like 
http://alexforencich.com/wiki/en/xboot/readme, and then you can use some other 
means (a button on your board, a command sent via USB CDC, etc) to put it into 
DFU mode, and then the device will come up as a DFU device that avrdude can 
program.

I've been using GCC + avrdude + AVR ISP Mk II + PDI for my XMEGA projects. I 
also put down a TagConnet footprint on my board for access to the PDI pins. 
Eventually I'll put xboot on there, probably, but that's farther down the line.

-- 
Rick