Programming Interface for AVR PART NO. 2174664 "Programmers" for the AVR family of microcontrollers actually terminate in a 6-pin header socket, with no convenient means to directly connect to the chip to be programmed. You may have also noticed by now that the different AVR chips need to have different pins connected to the programmer. (They use the same 6 programming signals, but they appear at different pins with different chips...) This kit resolves these issues by providing a 40-pin ZIF socket on a small solderless breadboard, a few jumper wires, and a "demo" ATtiny2313 AVR chip that you can use to confirm that your programming interface is working properly. Now you can select whichever AVR chip you want to use, look up the pins that need to be connected to the programmer, place your signal wires from the programmer connector, place your chip in the ZIF socket, and you are ready to program! Time Required: 45 m depending on experience Experience Level: Beginner Required tools and parts: Wire stipper / cutter Needle-nose pliers (Nice to have, but not required) 6 small wire labels Small piece of electrical tape or a cable tie AVR Programmer Bill of Materials: Qty Jameco SKU Component Name 1 104030 40-pin ZIF Socket 1 20601 400-Point Solderless Breadboard 1 2152876 #22 AWG - Black Hook-Up Wire Kitbuilders will cut and strip the wires they need from this 25' spool. 1 1537061 AVR ATtiny2313V-10PU Demo Chip This is a "Demo Chip" that the kitbuilder can use to "exercise" his programmer and this interface to do some "example programming of an AVR microcontroller chip". Step 1 - Mount the ZIF Socket 1. Orient the solderless breadboard properly - so that "Row 1" is at the top 2. Insert the ZIF socket at the top of the breadboard, so that the top row of pins in the ZIF socket go into Row 1 of the breadboard - and in the center of the breadboard horizontally. (Approximately centered over the "slot" going down the center of the breadboard)
Step 2 - Prepare the Connecting Wires 1. Take the #22 AWG black insulated wire and cut 6 lengths of about 5.5". (You can make them a little bit longer if you like, but shorter than this may make it a little tedious to connect up to the chip...) 2. Strip about 0.25" of insulation off one end of each jumper wire and about 5/16" of insulation off the other end. 3. Insert the 0.25" stripped end of each wire into one of the 6 positions in the 6-pin connector that comes off of your programmer. For maximum safety, ensure that the insulation of the wires comes into contact with the body of the connector and that no "bare wire" is showing at the pin positions - it should all be within the connector. (If you were careful to have 0.25" of stripped wire, this should work out perfectly...) Step 3 - Install Strain Relief 1. Ensure that all wires are snugged up against the connector body and that no bare copper wire is showing (at the connector). 2. Install a small piece of electrical tape - or a twist tie, or a cable tie, or a piece of wire wrapped around the wire bundle - about an inch from the connector and tying together the ribbon cable coming from your programmer and the six wires that will be connected to the breadboard. Do this so good strain relief is provided protecting the wires from being pulled out of the connector as you handle them (plugging and unplugging them from the breadboard in the future...).
Step 4 - Label the Wires 1. Using any method you choose, prepare six small labels to be affixed to each of the six wires coming out of the connector. (Small pieces of tape, small pieces of adhesive file folder labels, etc) 2. Write the following signal names on the labels (one for each): MISO, +Vcc, MOSI, GND, Reset, SCK 3. If you are looking at the "open end" (or "bottom") of the 6-pin connector coming from your programmer - and the ribbon cable is leading off to your right - then the signals appearing at the (female) pin positions are as follows: Left Side: +Vcc MOSI GND Right Side: MISO SCK Reset 4. Now take your labels and carefully attach each of them to their corresponding wire. Attach the labels about 3/4" from the "loose" ends of the wires - the ends that will go into the breadboard. Step 5 - Install the Connecting Wires 1. Consult the datasheet for the AVR microcontroller you plan to program, and identify the chip pin locations for the six programming signals: MISO, Vcc, MOSI, GND, RESET, and SCK. (We provide an ATtiny2313 "demo" chip with this kit - which you can use if you don't yet have any others of your own...) 2. Note that if your AVR chip is smaller than the ZIF socket, the "chip" pin designations on the right side (higher numbers) will be different than the designations on the ZIF socket for those chip pins. 3. Now connect each of your six labeled wires from the programming connector to the appropriate pin at the ZIF socket. Double check your work.
4. The AVR chips with A-to-D converters also have additional Vcc and GND pins (identified as "AVcc" and "AGND") that are used for the analog portion of the chip. During programming, these analog pins should also be connected to the corresponding Vcc and GND pins for the digital side. Use an additional two jumper wires (cut them to about 5") for this purpose. (You won't need to do this if your AVR chip does not have "AVcc" or "AGND" pins, and this is not necessary for the ATtiny2313 Demo Chip included in this kit.) Step 6 - Final QC Check 1. Look over your work and ensure that all connecting wires are properly inserted into the breadboard and not "shorting out" to any other wires. Also check that they are all properly connected into the programmer socket with no bare wire showing or possible shorting out between wires. 2. Check that the ZIF socket pins are properly inserted into the breadboard, with no bending or shorting of pins. 3. Double check Step 5 (identifying the pin locations for all programming signals). Check that your installation of each of the signal wires is correct. Step 7 - Hook It Up 1. Ensure your AVR programmer device is not connected to your host computer (and therefore not powered). 2. Insert your AVR microntroller to be programmed into the "top portion" of the ZIF socket. (So that Pin 1 of the chip is in Pin 1 of the ZIF socket in the upper left position.) Check once again that the programming signals line up properly with the proper chip pins. 3. When your're ready, say a short prayer perhaps, and then plug in your programmer to your host computer - and see if it recognizes your chip.
4. From this point, you're on your own - have fun programming your AVR chips...you can download freeware such as AVRdude to program your chips.