Help! reprogramming the Atmega

[+Larry]

My SIO2SD stopped working after updating the firmware to V2.5 via my programmer. My MiniPro programmer supposedly will program the Atmega32, but I get a non-functional device, even though I get a SUCCESSFUL prompt after programming. All I get is a blank LCD screen.

 

I'm using the 2.5 "ALL" .bin file which is 30,720 bytes. All the 2.x firmware .bin files are this same length. The programmer identifies the IC as Atmega32 with $8000 + $400 bytes. I don't understand the $400 bytes. Is that some type of ram that is not involved in the reprogramming? I'm using fuse byte settings of (low) $3F and (high) $C3. I've loaded the .bin file into the buffer and programmed it. Does anyone have a table available of the fuse byte settings for the various firware releases?

 

Lock bit is 0, BTW. I must be doing something wrong such as missing a setting somewhere. Anyone have experience programming these that can offer any suggestions? Can't believe that the Atmega died immediately after the internal programming.

 

Thanks!

-Larry

 

Edit: Some success: I double-checked everything and re-programmed it again with 2.5. Now I'm back to "Card Init Error." So I'm going to go back and reprogram with the last one that worked which is 2.2 or 2.3. Can someone tell me the fuse settings for 2.2? I believe that 2.3 uses the same fuse settings as 2.5.

[guus.assmann]

Hello Larry,

 

Check the settings of the configuration register.

There must be someting wrong there.

Some programmers need a special command or menu to set the configs.

I think the $400 is an Eeprom part, not sure if it's in use.

 

BR/

Guus

Edited December 10, 2017 by guus.assmann

[+tf_hh]

Hi,

 

I'm using the 2.5 "ALL" .bin file which is 30,720 bytes. All the 2.x firmware .bin files are this same length. The programmer identifies the IC as Atmega32 with $8000 + $400 bytes. I don't understand the $400 bytes. Is that some type of ram that is not involved in the reprogramming? I'm using fuse byte settings of (low) $3F and (high) $C3. I've loaded the .bin file into the buffer and programmed it. Does anyone have a table available of the fuse byte settings for the various firware releases?

 

Look again in the ZIP archive I´ve sent to you. You must use the 32768 byte long files. This is exactly $4000 in hexadecimal. This file contains the bootloader, without the bootloader the whole device won´t work and your display only shows one black line of squares.

 

The 30720 byte long file are used for updating from the SD-card using an already fine working SIO2SD.

 

Important: Use whole erase function of the complete MCU!

 

The additional $400 (1024 decimal) bytes are the EEPROM area of the ATmega32. The EEPROM area is mostly used for configuration setup, because it´s content is also kept after powering off. You don´t need to load something here, the SIO2SD firmware resets itself to default settings if the EEPROM area is not initialized.

 

Jurgen

[+Larry]

Thanks Jurgen! I'll check that for sure. I d/l those particular files this AM. Maybe I looked at them wrong, but thought that Windows said: Size 30720; size on disk 32768.

-Larry

[+Larry]

Jurgen, you were right. They were all 32768. I was thinking of the internal flash files. The device starts up again, but right back to "card init error." Sigh...

[+Larry]

Solved!

 

The culprit was a cracked solder joint on a voltage regulator connection. I retouched all three connections, and then the SIO2SD took right off!

 

And I learned quite a bit about programming the Atmega32. "No pain; no gain" I guess!

 

-Larry

[Caterpiggle]

I remember I did update to the latest firmware on my SIO2SD device and it become non-working and I had sent to 1 AtariAge guy in NJ and downgrade once more and it is works fine. It seems only work older version , not for faster speed on the latest firmware.

[+Larry]

I am told that you have to make a couple of changes on the pcb to go from V1/V2 ---> V3. So I've avoided trying that one.