Re: [avr-gcc-list] boot loader for atmega163

[Mike Jones]

You could submit this to the AVRFreaks site, they are always looking for
stuff like this.

Mike


>Ok, the avr-gcc boot loader patches are completed.  One more bug turned
up
>in AVR109, that caused chip erase to only erase 0-0x3ff on the atmega163.

>Find them at:
>
>  http://tlw.com/bryce/robot/avr
>
>I mentioned the "multi-word write" feature before, and I've done some
more
>extensive testing on it.  I wasn't expecting this exactly, but it turns

>out that with a boot loader and the multi-word write patch, you can
>download code significantly (5-10x) faster than with the usual AVR910

>protocol at the same baudrate.  Multiword write reduces the total number

>of bytes sent, and the number of times that one side must wait for the

>other side to respond.  It works on the atmegas because you can take
>advantage of the hardware uart to receive data even while self
>programming, and because writing the temporary page buffer is so fast
that
>it can handle a stream of writes without any delays.
>
>To test its performance, I measured the time required to program 8K of

>flash, using different baud rates, and using different serial port
>download methods.  The uisp programming software was used for all cases.
 
>Without multiword writes, it seems to plateau at around 86 sec, while
with
>multiword it continues to speed up with the baud rate.  Note that a 2400

>baud download with multiword write is nearly twice as fast as a 19200
baud
>download without it.
>
>                   AVR109         AVR109 w/
>Baud    AVR910     boot loader    multiword
>rate    download   download       patch       Speedup
>------  --------   ----------     ---------   -------
>2400               258.7 sec      46.8 sec     5.5x   
>4800               171.6 sec      24.4 sec     7.0x   
>9600                86.3 sec      12.6 sec     6.8x   
>19200   88.3 sec    86.3 sec       8.0 sec    10.8x
>
>I don't know how this compares to parallel port programmers, but I expect

>it's faster.
>
>I tried to add multiword write to the AVR910 code, but eventually realized

>that it just can't keep up with a stream of serial data because it does

>the UART and SPI code in software with no interrupts.  So I gave up on

>that.
>
>In conclusion, I hope that my work makes boot loaders more accessible
to
>AVR users, and avr-gcc users in particular.  I would like to get the
>avr-gcc port of avr109 moved to some AVR site where people will be able
to
>find it, instead of in a dark corner of the web (on my server), but I
just
>don't know where to ask.  I've submitted the app note patches to Atmel,

>and the uisp patches to Marek Michalkiewicz.  But the port to avr-gcc....?

>
>Let me know if you have any problems.
>Regards,
>Bryce Denney
>
>
>
>
>On Thu, 28 Feb 2002, Bryce Denney wrote:
>> I finally got an AVR boot loader working in an ATmega163.  The code
is
>> basically a port of the AVR109 example code to avr-gcc with a few
>> problems resolved.  Then I made some optimizations. :)
>> 
>> I'd like to share the work I've done, but am not quite sure who to send
it
>> to.  Does anyone maintain an updated AVR109?  I have the impression
that
>> Atmel doesn't update their application note code very regularly.  In
the
>> meantime, I've broken up the changes by concept into a few patches.
 
>> Patches #1 and #2 are ready right now on my web site.  #3 and #4 are

>> working here, but I want to clean them up some more before posting them.

>> 
>> 1. patch.port-to-gcc      (apply to avr109)
>>    Apply to the original avr109 code from atmel site, and it will compile

>>    in the avr-gcc environment.  See the readme inside the patch for
gory
>>    details.
>> 
>> 2. patch.version-num      (apply to avr109)
>>    Return software version 2.3 instead of 1.0 so that programmer software

>>    knows it can use autoincrement feature.  Also return 1.0 for hardware

>>    version instead of undefined.
>> 
>> 3. patch.mword-write      (apply to avr109)
>>    Add programming command for multiword writes, up to 32 sequential

>>    16-bit words in a burst.  Of course your programmer software has
to
>>    support it, so I added code to uisp to buffer up consecutive writes
so
>>    that 32 words can be written in one command (see #4).  My application

>>    uses a 2400 baud IR link, and this gave me a 10x improvement in code

>>    upload speed.
>> 
>> 4. patch.uisp-mword-write    (apply to uisp sources)
>>    Adds support for multiword writes to uisp. Requires #3.
>> 
>> My latest patches can be found at http://tlw.com/bryce/robot/avr
>> 
>> Comments or suggestions welcome.  If you know of similar projects, please

>> let me know.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Bryce
>> 
>> avr-gcc-list at http://avr1.org
>> 
>
>avr-gcc-list at http://avr1.org
>
>
avr-gcc-list at http://avr1.org