Help with AVR ISP programming / which device?

[v81]

Hi, re-sparking an interest in electronics and Arduino etc here.

I have 2 devices purchased some time ago, and can get neither of them to work.
1st is an AVRisp clone from E-Bay, this one i think?
2nd is this USBisp from IC Station

I also have an Arduino nano from IC station with fake FT232RL (pid=0000)

So I've spent hours downloading Atmel Studio, Arduino IDE etc..etc.. and gotten nowhere.
Pretty dissapointed at the time wasted by clones, fakes and OneHungLow poorly documented crap.

I had used the AVRisp to put code in an ATmega32 a few years ago so it worked then in AVR Studio 4.?

I am now strongly considering wiping the desk clean and starting fresh with new micro gear.

I am considering buying a genuine AVR isp MkII from Farnell.
Am also considering in addition or in lieu of above a BusPirate v3.6 or v4

Question is what of the above would anyone recommend?
Or what else would anyone recommend?

Intention is to work with Arduino at this point, but i would like the flexibility of ISP for updating existing Arduinos here and saving some space by not using a bootloader.


PS:: Any advice on clearing the FTDI driver that changed the PID on the nano from my system, and is there a way i can work around it in future, both on this PC and friends machines?

[madires]

Actually you just have to find out which programmer type needs to be specified for avrdude. BTW, you can even use an Arduino as ISP programmer.

[Frost]

Question is what of the above would anyone recommend?
Or what else would anyone recommend?

I use the Atmel JTAGICE 3 together with the Atmel Studio 6
The device works for in-system programming and debugging
over the JTAG or the debugWIRE Port.

As an alternative, you can look for an Atmel AVR Dragon,
the Dragon is a little bit cheaper than the JTAGICE 3
but the Dragon also works well together with the Atmel Studio

[dannyf]

Question is what of the above would anyone recommend?

Any of them will work - all of them are proven reliable.

If all you could offer is "cannot get them to work", no one can help you.

[PeterFW]

I am considering buying a genuine AVR isp MkII from Farnell.

That is terribly outdated but i had horrible experiences using two different of those cheap DIY programmers years ago.
I bought a AVRISP MK2 that worked like a charm from the first day on.
After i started working on battery powered and mixed power suplly stuff, i was very glad i bought a genuine programmer were i do not have to worry abut the target voltage and just can plug it in.

[ajb]

These days the ATMEL-ICE is the best bang for buck in AVR programmers.  It supports all of Atmel's AVR and SAM (ARM) parts, works seamlessly with Atmel Studio, and the basic kit is <$60.

If you want to start with Arduino, though, you could just buy an Arduino and later on use it as an ISP programmer.  The only downside there is that it won't be supported in Atmel Studio.  You could write and compile your program there, but you'd have to use AVRDUDE or something like it to do the actual programming.

[v81]

Actually you just have to find out which programmer type needs to be specified for avrdude. BTW, you can even use an Arduino as ISP programmer.

Thanks for the replies all.
I have heard of AVRdude, will have to read up on it.
If my understanding is correct this software will do all i need in regards to programming and fuses etc..

That is terribly outdated but i had horrible experiences using two different of those cheap DIY programmers years ago.
I bought a AVRISP MK2 that worked like a charm from the first day on.
After i started working on battery powered and mixed power suplly stuff, i was very glad i bought a genuine programmer were i do not have to worry abut the target voltage and just can plug it in.

This sounds like the go, preference is to avoid AVR studio if i can.
I have a bit to learn, the goal is Arduino at the moment.
Reason for ISP instead of serial is that i have a few chips with old bootloaders, or no bootloader at all.
Also on some cases i may need to set fuses to run from internal clock (need to read up on this)

Clones and E-bay cheapies are good when they work, but are far to variable and poorly supported.

Given the Arduino slant on all of this is the ATMEL-ICE overkill, or will it add some useful features?
Will the ATMEL-ICE work in the Arduino IDE?

The AVRisp mkII is just over $50 AUD at Element 14 right now, this is looking to be the favorite.

[T3sl4co1l]

Think I saw MKII is discontinued (or going to be), at least at a few places...

I have an old one, and with the latest firmware update, it even does PDI (ATxmega, etc.), so I don't mind. (It doesn't do debug.. never has and never will.)  A Dragon or 'Dude is probably a better idea for a new purchase though.

Tim

[ajb]

If you're not going to use Atmel Studio for the foreseeable future, then sounds like you should just get an Arduino and use one of the Arduino ISP sketches for loading bootloaders and setting fuses.  You can always upgrade to a proper tool later on.