question regarding icsp cable

[jeffbeckib]

I found more than one schematic here for building this cable to program the atmega32. I originally built it using a schematic that showed pins 2 and 3 being jumped to 2 pins around 14,15. When I used that configuration the ponyprog detected the board under the setup, but failed when trying to upload the firmware. I then cut those 2 jumped cables and now ponyprog doesn't detect the board at all in the setup. I also noticed that a couple of the wires are connected to resistors. I don't have them on my cable, and I don't know if they are even needed or are they just for protecting the lpt port?

[jeffbeckib]

I've seen several different schematics for building this cable. The
one on your site doesn't show jumping pins like in this example

http://www.electroniq.net/en/beginners-tutorials/157-avr-isp-programming-cable.html

Instead your site has this configuration:

ICSP Atmega32 Connector :
1 - MISO (PB6)
2 - MOSI (PB5)
3 - SCK (PB7)
4 - RESET
5 - GND
I also notice that the schematic has resistors on certain pins. Will
this cable work without the resistors, or are they there just to
protect the lpt port?

If I use the cable with the jumped pins the ponyprog sees the atmega32
If I use your configuration without the jumped pins, it does not.
Regardless, when I use the one with the jumped pins I still get the
following message: "Device missing or unknown device (-24).

My question is this. I may have a bad crystal, would this effect
whether or not ponyprog can successfully write the bootloader? Or
would it just effect it when it trys to reboot? And if the crystal
shouldn't effect whether or not I can re-load the bootloader to the
atmega32, do you have any thoughts on why ponyprog can see the atmega
when I Probe it under setup, but fails when trying to write to it. I can't even set the security bits/fuses.

[dmitri]

No need for new topic for the same question. Although bad, ISP and ICSP cables and programming is described in the documentation.

[jeffbeckib]

No need for new topic for the same question. Although bad, ISP and ICSP cables and programming is described in the documentation.

Ok, once again the documentation is conflicting. Fist I have to go hunting for the link for "programming mcu's" which is under a section labeled, "what you need to know to build MD., then the schematic under that section is showing a 6 pin cable with pin 1 being the Ground, but under the 2.8 quick manual it's a 5 pin cable with pin 5 being the ground. In any event, the cable I have is layed out as follows:
isp pin db25 pin
pin 1 to pin 10
pin 2 to pin 7
pin 3 to pin 6
pin 4 to pin 9
pin 5 to pin 25

If this is correct, can you give me some ideas why ponyprog sees the atmega32, but fails when reading or writing to it? If I have a bad crystal would it cause this?

[dmitri]

No need for new topic for the same question. Although bad, ISP and ICSP cables and programming is described in the documentation.

Ok, once again the documentation is conflicting. Fist I have to go hunting

hunting? Am I hiding it? Am I saying "under no circumstances read the documentation"? Don't want to read? Then, please, stop putting blame on the documentation. The problem is somewhere else.

for the link for "programming mcu's" which is under a section labeled, "what you need to know to build MD., then the schematic under that section is showing a 6 pin cable with pin 1 being the Ground, but under the 2.8 quick manual it's a 5 pin cable with pin 5 being the ground. In any event, the cable I have is layed out as follows:
isp pin db25 pin
pin 1 to pin 10
pin 2 to pin 7
pin 3 to pin 6
pin 4 to pin 9
pin 5 to pin 25

I fail to understand how it is possible mistake a "5 pins" cable/connector for a "6 pins" cable/connector and vice versa.

If this is correct, can you give me some ideas why ponyprog sees the atmega32, but fails when reading or writing to it? If I have a bad crystal would it cause this?

It can be one of the reasons.

[jeffbeckib]

by the way, I'm no longer getting an email when somebody replies to my post. I don't know if it's at your end or mine, I haven't changed anything in my control panel.

No need for new topic for the same question. Although bad, ISP and ICSP cables and programming is described in the documentation.

Ok, once again the documentation is conflicting. Fist I have to go hunting

hunting? Am I hiding it? Am I saying "under no circumstances read the documentation"? Don't want to read? Then, please, stop putting blame on the documentation. The problem is somewhere else.
Perhaps you are too familiar with your own website that you don't realize how certain things are not that easy to find. You tell me that the information is under documentation. Ok, now since I'm dealing with data transfer, I select "sysex message and formats", ok nothing there, let me look under megadrum configuration, nope, getting a server error from your website, finally I'll look under "what I need to know to successfully build MD" I'm not expecting to find it here because programming MCU's isn't something I would need to know to build MD, but I'll go there anyway. I'm not seeing anything obvious here, but I scroll down, and at the bottom of that page I see other options. "Programming MCU's" ok I click on that, and I'm at the same page you sent me a link to a week ago.

for the link for "programming mcu's" which is under a section labeled, "what you need to know to build MD., then the schematic under that section is showing a 6 pin cable with pin 1 being the Ground, but under the 2.8 quick manual it's a 5 pin cable with pin 5 being the ground. In any event, the cable I have is layed out as follows:
isp pin db25 pin
pin 1 to pin 10
pin 2 to pin 7
pin 3 to pin 6
pin 4 to pin 9
pin 5 to pin 25

I fail to understand how it is possible mistake a "5 pins" cable/connector for a "6 pins" cable/connector and vice versa.
I'm not confused, I realize it's a 5 pin connector, my point is that the link you sent me shows a schematic for a 6 cable connector.. Here's the link you sent me: http://www.megadrum.info/content/progra ... bootloader, now click on the link for making the cable which takes you to this site:
http://www.scienceprog.com/simplest-128 ... rogrammer/. Do you not see how this can be confusing? Or is this just one more thing that everybody with basic soldering skills should know.....

If this is correct, can you give me some ideas why ponyprog sees the atmega32, but fails when reading or writing to it? If I have a bad crystal would it cause this?

It can be one of the reasons.

[dmitri]

As quoted from the ill-famed documentation, do you see the difference between:
"I've made a LPT-ISP cable using info found on this page: http://www.scienceprog.com/simplest-128 ... programmer. I've just modified, accidentally, wiring for MegaDrum boards."

and a few lines down the page:

"The schematics for the ISP cable, needed to program the bootloader, can be found here at the bottom of the page."
?

P.S. Any meaning in using red colour?

[fuzzysnuggleduck]

I think he's just using red to distinguish his words from yours because of his inline quoting and reply style, dmitri.

One thing I'd like to see, and hell, I'd contribute some work to getting it done, is to gather all the tidbits from the forum that are now "common knowledge" among those who read the forum every day but will take a while for people to find if they've just started reading. The way the forum search function ignores so many of the important words you need makes using the search function difficult.

So I'm putting it out there, I'm willing to help improve the documentation. Just give me a little direction and I'll start compiling information from the forum into a document.

[jeffbeckib]

As quoted from the ill-famed documentation, do you see the difference between:
"I've made a LPT-ISP cable using info found on this page: http://www.scienceprog.com/simplest-128 ... programmer. I've just modified, accidentally, wiring for MegaDrum boards."

and a few lines down the page:

"The schematics for the ISP cable, needed to program the bootloader, can be found here at the bottom of the page."
?

P.S. Any meaning in using red colour?

I'm using red to make the comments stand out from the quote.

[dmitri]

I think he's just using red to distinguish his words from yours because of his inline quoting and reply style, dmitri.

One thing I'd like to see, and hell, I'd contribute some work to getting it done, is to gather all the tidbits from the forum that are now "common knowledge" among those who read the forum every day but will take a while for people to find if they've just started reading. The way the forum search function ignores so many of the important words you need makes using the search function difficult.

So I'm putting it out there, I'm willing to help improve the documentation. Just give me a little direction and I'll start compiling information from the forum into a document.

You are probably right about "common knowledge" but as far as I can see the main jeffbeckib's problem is not due to lack of documentation.
Even if required info is there, as in the example I showed in my previous post, jeffbeckib is not seeing even after reading/looking at it. Or am I wrong?