Re: [avr-chat] Re: Programmer for everyone!

[Graham Davies]

David Kelly wrote:

> You know Graham designed, built, and sells the ...
> ICE Cube JTAG ICE tool?

Yes, I did this at a time when the only other JTAG ICE clone available was 
the Olimex one.  Having purchased that, I discovered it was so badly 
designed I decided not to use it.  They may have improved the design and, 
anyway, there are many other JTAG ICE clones out there today.  The AVR 
ICE-Cube remains unique in "perching" right on top of the JTAG connector, 
thus having no ribbon cable and working well in poor EMI situations.

> what can be lifted from Atmel's designs in order to produce
> enhanced products both freeware and commercial?

The AVR ICE-Cube and other clones were possible because Atmel made the JTAG 
ICE design generally available.  You can find the schematic on the Web. 
Also, it is very simple.

> Graham's (and others) JTAG programmer looks exactly like an Atmel
> JTAGICE mk-I to AVR Studio, and as such run Atmel's firmware which is
> loaded by AVR Studio on first use.

I read the AVR Studio license agreement and couldn't find anything thay 
prohibits this, but I don't ship the AVR ICE-Cube with the Atmel software 
pre-loaded because that would be splitting up the AVR Studio distribution 
package.  Other clone makers are not so pedantic.  Atmel probably don't care 
about this, but Atmel's attidude to cloned interfaces in general remains a 
mystery to me.

> I really would like to see the AVR Dragon enhanced to support the full
> range of 8-bit AVRs.

Oh, yes.  I think there is general agreement that the limitations are 
artificial and intended to protect sales of the much more expensive JTAG ICE 
MkII.  So, we probably won't get our wish.  I would not criticise Atmel for 
this.  It would definitely be looking a gift horse in the mouth.

> Am about to put ATmega48/88/168 in 3 different
> designs all because the customer wants to be able to edit the product
> after its delivered and was impressed with the $50 Dragon. Avr-gcc, AVR
> Studio, and AVR Dragon make quite a combination on $2.50 MCU's.

While we're on the subject and since I've already alienated any 
no-advertising-on-the-list people, I'm working on a new product that works 
in combination with the AVR Dragon to provide STK500-like functionality.  I 
thought the AVR ICE-Cube would be dead after word of the Dragon got out. 
(Enthusiast sales are indeed off, but corporate sales are still up.)  I 
stopped work on this new product when Atmel were selling the Dragon and 
STK500 together, but now it seems that was just a temporary thing so maybe 
there's a place for a permanent solution.  Anyone who is interested can find 
more information here:
http://www.ecrostech.com/AtmelAvr/DragonRider/index.htm
I'm looking for a couple of volunteers to beta-test the prototype.

Graham.