It is quite time consuming to do this loop over and over again, clipping on and off with SOIC clip takes a lot of time and slows down testing:
1. Clip on SOIC to the ATtiny
2. Write new code
3. Build
4. Flash
5. Unclip
6. Connect Battery/PSU
7. Test
I feel like I’m programing for ENIAC.
What can be done to be able to flash new code and test it without the burden of physically clipping on / off
I was actually thinking of making just one button, which is triggering electromechanical relays, which would then perform electrical disconnection/connection of USBasp programmer <-> ATtiny.
Well, I never disconnect my battery between flashes. That saves a little time.
I know the driver doesn’t function correctly with the clip on it, but I wonder if unplugging the usbasp will resolve that? If that works, its easier to plug/unplug the USB than reseating the clip everytime.
Here is my flashlight firmware development system.
I bought an attiny13a-pu in DIP package from eBay and used it to direct drive a straw hat LED using just a resistor. The only other parts are a bypass capacitor and a electrolytic connected between RESET and GND. I used a jumper wire as a momentary switch. Power is supplied by the USBASP dongle and I leave it always attached. You can download the firmware and then immediately test it without having to disconnect anything. It’s a real time saver.
Oh, the breadboard does not have resistors for low voltage detection, but the LVD does not trigger in FW anyway. And the voltage jumper on the USBASP is set to 5V to supply enough voltage to drive the LED.
good idea. But my tiny13a would misbehave if left on clipped!
I also supply voltage from a variable voltage & current power supply to be able to test behaviour throuhout the range.
I just leave my clip on the atTiny (it can be a really pain to place it proper).
After flashing I unplug the cable to the clip at the USBASP board and switch on my power supply to the driver for testing.
Works fine and fast.
After testing I turn off the power supply and reconnect the cable to the USBASP and am ready to flash again.
If I mess up this procedure it can be nessesary to unplug the USB plug from the PC and re-plug, then it works again.
When I’m doing code work I have a set of drivers just for that, regular drivers but with some mods- things like easy access to power and LED conn’s., momentary (if needed for the FW) and power switches and a small 3 segment LED display for voltage readings.
Each of the drivers has a set of female jumper wires solderer on to pads that lead to the necessary MCU pin’s. I can then simply plug the needed test unit into the programmer’s ISCP connector, flash, unplug that one connector and be good to run the tests.
I power my unit from a set of magnetic leads to a 17500, power goes threw a a pair of those largest rectangle OMTEN switches on both the + and GND side where it’s read by the firsts 3-segment display meter. There is a 9v battery below the piece of old project box the power unit is mounted on which powers the voltage meter, that unit moves between each of the pigtailed test drivers as needed.
I was going to make a thread about this sometime. This is what I use to test features and develop firmware. It can be powered from a battery or from the programmer. The 7135’s on the nanjg aren’t connected to anything. The only problem with it is that I have to unplug and replug the usb cable to reset the programmer sometimes before I flash the attiny. I think maybe the pwm creates too much noise for the programmer or it tries to read it as a signal and gets confused. The microswitch disconnects ground/negative so pressing it acts like a half-press on a flashlight. I made it after getting frustrated with disassembling my edc light and using a makeshift clip to program it every time I wanted to test something.
What can I say? I’m nitpicky.
