AVR MCU Tutorial - Development Environment Configuration

Today I visited the design exhibition at the Jiaotong University School of Journalism. The exhibition focused on two themes: Arduino and Python.

What impressed me most about Python was what a Python programmer said: If you want to be hardcore, you can go over there and look at Java.

Come on, it's 2020, Java is already considered hardcore? Is Python too easy to use, or is the Java version updated too quickly? The real hardcore is definitely BrainFuck, and if you want to be more practical, it's also C++ and Haskell. When Java is considered hardcore in their mouths, I think I can change my booth.

So I went to the floor full of Arduino. Seeing so many Arduinos, I couldn't help wondering, although Arduino is the most common development board, there shouldn't be no trace of STM32, right? I asked and found out that the professor asked them to use Arduino, so I was speechless.

I chatted with a designer of an excellent work for a few words. He said that it is difficult to control the delay when controlling the servo and the speaker at the same time, and the rhythm of the music output by the speaker will be chaotic. My first reaction is of course that he did not use the timer interrupt. When I asked, it turned out to be true, and he did not know about interrupts or timers. I don't want to say more, so I'll leave.

When I designed a modular MCU development system, I always thought that "amateurs cannot learn to use advanced MCU functions because the development platform is too encapsulated" (in fact, it refers specifically to Timer/Counter, because the bus, ADC, etc. have libraries, but the T/C must be written by the user). This argument is untenable, and I even wrote a questionnaire. Although the results are consistent with expectations, I still attribute the reason to the small scope of the questionnaire. Now I feel that even senior students have this level.

After visiting this exhibition, I am more determined to write this tutorial. If you want to learn microcontrollers well, a good development environment is essential.

The above is nonsense, let's configure the development environment.

Quick Navigation: Download Installation Configuration

1 Overview

We need to install the following software:

Atmel Studio 7.0 (AS7 for short) is an IDE launched by Atmel for its own microcontrollers, based on Visual Studio 2015;

AVRDUDESS is a GUI version of AVRDUDE, an AVR microcontroller programming tool that supports multiple downloaders. If you are familiar with the command line, you can use AVRDUDE directly.

Zadig, used to install USB drivers, no installation required, just download and use, only needs to be used once;

Serial Port Utility (SPU for short) is a serial communication tool with a cleaner interface than similar software;

The driver of the serial port tool depends on the model you use. Generally, there are only two types: PL2303 and CH340. Just download and install the corresponding driver online.

2. Download the installation package

Download address of Atmel Studio 7.0: online installation package, offline installation package;

Download address of AVRDUDESS: installation package, compressed package;

Download address of Zadig: Application;

SPU download address: installation package.

If the download is too slow, search with the following keywords: Atmel Studio 7.0.1931.

In addition, SPU is a paid software, but it can be tried for free for 30 days. You can either buy it, or find a way to continue using it (crazy hint), or replace it with similar software.

programmers who use spaces have higher salaries !

4.8 Flashing Tools

In the menu bar → Tools, click External Tools...

This window is used to configure external tools. We use it to create a "one-click burning" tool.

In the following 4 lines, fill in the following contents between the outermost quotation marks:

Title:             "AVRDUDE"

Command:           "C:Program Files (x86)AVRDUDESSavrdude.exe"

Arguments:         "-c usbasp -p m324pa -B 0.5 -U flash:w:"$(TargetName).hex":i"

Initial directory: "$(TargetDir)"

Note that the directory in the second line should be replaced with the installation directory of AVRDUDESS. I installed it in the default location here.

Finally, check Use Output window.

4.9 USB Driver

In addition to the configuration in AS7, you also need to use Zadig to install the USBasp USB driver. Before installation, insert the USBasp downloader first.

Directly open the software and this interface pops up, and no USB device is displayed.

In the menu bar → Options, check List All Devices.

Then all USB devices are displayed, select USBasp.

First make sure that USBasp is selected above, don't make the wrong choice!!! Click the up and down arrows, select libusbK, and then Replace Driver. I have already installed it here, so it will show Reinstall.

The installation was successful and the environment configuration was completed.