/AtmegaCustomBootloader

Easy custom bootloader for Atmega chips

MIT LicenseMIT

Atmega Custom Bootloader

Easy custom bootloader circuit for Atmega chips.

There were many ways to burn the bootloader, but I found them quite messy if I had to burn the bootloader for several blank chips. Thanks to WestfW for writing the loader that makes the job easy and less messy!. With that, built a custom circuit for the same purpose.

Required Stuff

  • Arduino UNO - (Acts as device programmer)
  • 2 Capacitors - 22pF
  • 1 Oscillator - 16MHz
  • Female Headers - 2 x 14Pin, 1 X 6Pin
  • PCB board

Steps

  1. Design a PCB in the following way show below :

PCB

  1. Solder the components :

This is just a rough design if you are working on a prototype PCB board

Connections

  1. Place the Atmega chip on the PCB board (over the female header pins) and make the connections :

    • VCC - Arduino: PIN 9
    • GND - Arduino: GND
    • 13 - Arduino: PIN 13
    • 12 - Arduino: PIN 12
    • 11 - Arduino: PIN 11
    • RESET - Arduino: PIN 10

  2. Download OptiLoader and open it in your Arduino IDE

  3. Connect Arduino to your PC

  4. Upload the sketch

  5. To see the progress of the process

    • Open Serial Monitor
    • Set the baud rate to 19200
    • You should see if it were successful burning the bootloader or not
OptiLoader Bootstrap programmer.
2011 by Bill Westfield (WestfW)

Target power on! ...
Starting Program Mode [OK]

Reading signature:950F
Searching for image...
  Found "optiboot_atmega328.hex" for atmega328P
  Start address at 7E00
  Total bytes read: 502

Setting fuses for programming
  Lock: 3F FFE000  Low: FF FFA000  High: DE FFA800  Ext: 5 FFA400

Programming bootloader: 512 bytes at 0x3F00
  Commit Page: 3F00:3F00
  Commit Page: 3F40:3F40
  Commit Page: 3F80:3F80
  Commit Page: 3FC0:3FC0

Restoring normal fuses
  Lock: 2F FFE000

Target power OFF!

Type 'G' or hit RESET for next chip

My version 😉

Custom