Connecting to programmer: . Found programmer: Id = ""; type = Software Version = .; Hardware Version = . avrdude: error: buffered memory access not supported. Maybe it isn't a butterfly/AVR109 but a AVR910 device? make: *** [initialload-upload] Error 1

Array owners, what's the fix for this one. This is a new chip, does this mean there's no bootloader loaded. thx

That means that AVRdude isn't communicating with the microcontroller. Either the Serial port isn't working properly or the microcontroller isn't communicating with it. Did you get the chip from Nerdkits? If so, it should have the bootloader on it. If not, there may or may not be a bootloader on the chip and if it does have one, it most likely wouldn't be the same as the one used by Nerdkits.

Oh Man! These guy's are going to get "smeared" again!! These are their chips without a bootloader!! Geez i was just going to send the programmer back. I'm finding it harder and harder to believe these guy's. They also said they tested the programmer, why are so many people having problems with them? Solder touching on the board would never pass a test. Soon we'll get to the bottom of these parts that are "not as described".

WOW

I HAVE BOUGHT A NUMBER OF CPU'S, 7805'S, AND ALL THE OTHER HARDWARE FROM THEM AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN 100%. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS IN BUILDING MY PROJECTS SINCE I STARTED IN APRIL BUT HAVE FOUND ALL HAVE BEEN ME & MY ERRORS....

THE GUYS AT "NERDKITS" ARE SOME OF THE BEST I HAVE FOUND.

MY TRACTOR SLED MONITOR WOULD BE AT A "0%" WITHOUT THEIR HELP AND SUGGESTIONS...

WHEN I STARTED IN APRIL I HAD NEVER USED "C" SO THE LEARNING CURVE WAS BIG....

THANKS NERDKITS

JIM KITSON

Hey JIM! Don't get excited i'm just giving them a nerding time. Wait...

FJC, I have had similar problems with a few of the chips. Had one today actually, turns out the problem was on my end, not on the NerdKits Staff side. Like JKITSON, I to have had many problems, one actually was a soldering issue. I emailed support {at} nerdkits {dot} com and had an answer within hours. They shipped me a replacement and I got it two days later. My guess is that if you email them, they'll bend over backwards to help you out.

Once I had a problem that I couldn't figure out so I sent the MCU back & they looked it over. Turns out I did something (not sure what it was) that prevented the MCU from working @ 14.7456Mhz but did work @ 7.3728Mhz. The NerdKits team sent me 4 of the smaller crystals FREE so I could continue using my kit.

I've even had the same problem you are having now, many times. I have found that by rebooting your computer and the MCU, the problem is usually solved. If not, triple check your wiring, that was my problem today, one wire on the wrong pin and nothing works.

Chris B. n3ueaEMTP

My guess is that it is not the bootloader on the chip as well. That's why I said if you got it from Nerdkits it should have the bootloader on it. By the way, If you ever need to put a bootloader on a chip it cannot be done with the serial programmer. It has to be done with an ISP programmer.

Rick

Here's the isp i got and can't get to work. I found three diferent wiring sceams but none for this particular isp. 10pin to 6 pin or 6pin to 6pin. I tried them all with the same "cannot connect check wiring" error. You got a schmatic that works? i'm here.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360175902591&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:CA:1123

This is right from the listing.

MOSI to pin 17
NC = Not connected
/Res to pin 1
SCK to pin 19
MISO to pin 18
VTG to 5vdc Regulated
GND to ground

Make sure you change the -c option in AVRdude to specify the new programmer type. Since I don't have that particular programmer, I'm not sure what the setting will be. You may have to try different one's if they didn't send a paper with it telling you what to use. My guess would be to try -c avrisp. But again that is just a guess.

Be very careful with the isp programmer especially if you mess with the fuse settings on the chip. The wrong fuse setting can render a chip useless without a high voltage programmer to reset it. I think that is one reason the nerdkit guys opted for the serial programming method through a bootloader. Much less chance of a chip getting programmed beyond easy recovery.

Rick

Hi Rick, Now I don't know what you mean by "Make sure you change the -c option in AVRdude to specify the new programmer type." Avrdude is part of winavr that's all I know. I'm on xp.

In your makefile, there will be a line like this in the standard Nerdkits code

AVRDUDEFLAGS=-c avr109 -p m168 -b 115200 -P /dev/ttyUSB0

The -c option specifies the programmer being used. For instance, with my ISP programmer, I have to use the pony-stk200. Yours is usb based that was why I was guessing maybe the avrisp. I'm not sure of the other settings either because I'm not familiar with that programmer. Possibly asking the seller or someone else here may help. However, until you get these settings right, the programmer will not work.

Also, if you try to use the original nerdkits programming method in Windows, don't forget to change the /dev/ttyUSB0 to comX where X= port your adapter is on (com1 for example).

Rick

Hi Rick,

Your confusing me again. The makefile that the nerds say to use doesn't have either one of those statements in there. They got two makefiles in there and the second one with the .fl looks like and also say's it's the foodloader makefile. I'm just supposed to go to that directory and enter make, without changing anything. So what makefile are you talking about?

OK, the make file example I provided was from the initialload makefile. The make file to load the bootloader is this one for the nerdkit. This file will set all the fuses and install the bootloader.

AVRDUDEFLAGS=-c dapa -pm168

all: fuses install

fuses:
    avrdude ${AVRDUDEFLAGS} -U lock:w:0x2f:m
    avrdude ${AVRDUDEFLAGS} -U efuse:w:0x00:m
    avrdude ${AVRDUDEFLAGS} -U hfuse:w:0xd5:m
    avrdude ${AVRDUDEFLAGS} -U lfuse:w:0xf7:m

install:
    avrdude ${AVRDUDEFLAGS} -U flash:w:foodloader.hex:a

See the "-c dapa" option in the AVRDUDEDFLAGS= line? That is specifying the programmer that they (NerdKits guys) use. (dapa = Direct AVR Parallel Access cable)

You will need to change the -c parameter passed to AVRDUDE through the make file from "dapa" to match YOUR programmer. Otherwise it will not work.

This link LINK shows all the parameters for avrdude. These options must be correct for your setup for avrdude to communicate to the chip though ANY programmer.

Hope I cleared it up a bit. Sorry if I'm confusing at times :).

Rick

Hi Rick,

Bare with me here, so you want me to use your above file "instead" of the makefile they provide? I'm missing something, there is no "dapa" in the makes they provide. Your file definatly looks like it would work, but it's not theirs, for "their" foodloader.

That is the exact file I got from my download from the code/bootloader folder. I don't know what files you have, but the nerdkits sample source code download (Code.zip) in the members area contains a folder called code. In that folder is another folder called bootloader. In that folder is a file called Makefile. That file is exactly what I posted. (cut and pasted). I'm not talking about the Makefile.fl. That file is for compiling the bootloader for various chips. You DO NOT need to re-compile the bootloader. The hex file is already there. All you have to do is make sure fuses are set properly And install.

I'm not sure what you have, where you got it from, or what is going on really at this point.

Might I suggest, you re-download the Code.zip file from the members area. Then we will have exact duplicate files to talk about.

And again, I reiterate, Since you stated the chips came from the Nerdkits guys AND they said they worked for them, why are you doing this anyway??

If you want to program via ISP, you don't need a bootloader. If you want to program with the bootloader, the chip is probably fine since it worked for the nerdkits guys and you should focus your efforts in the pc/programmer/avrdude/makefile portions.

Hi Rick,

I got it, geez if it weren't for u i'd be still way out in the left field :| Ok this getting clearer. I don't know why i didn't think that there would be changes posted. Anyway it still doesn't work, i'm trying to install anything at this point. The nerds are ignoring me today, they haven't givin me a definate yes or no in the matter. Is there a bootloader loaded? I don't know, do you know? as mentioned before it "might/could" be, but the way nothing is working and it's always with the same error, makes me think it's the compiler somehow. Make quit for some unknowin reason, when i came back to windows. So a compete uninstall of all files including avrstudio, and then reinstalled just winavr, to get make to work again, you think i'm missing something for the gcc?

Hey Guys... Is the programming swithch up?