MEGA2560 and STK500V2 bootloader - avrdude programming failure when erase command issued.

[scotty264]

Hello:
In the last two years, I have been updating Dick Cappels' AttoBASIC for certain flavors of the AVR. I just received an ARDUINO Mega 2560 R3 and was adding support for it to AttoBASIC. I had to use ISP to enable JTAG debugging and blew away the bootloader so I could debug on the hardware.

I realize that technically this is not an issue because the HEX files are available. However, I would like to have the source code for the "stk500v2" bootloader so I can compile it for various clock frequencies (AttoBASIC doesn't just work on ARDUINO) and include it in the versions of AttoBASIC that contain a bootloader for someone to ISP program into their part and still have a bootloader available.

I have found the newest version of the source code in the ARDUINO IDE (version 1.0.5) and managed to successfully compile it at several different clock frequencies. The problem is that even the newest version of the stk500v2 bootloader source, "stk500boot.c" dated "2013-05-17", does not seem to work.

Here's what's happening. Using the avrdude (version 5.11.1) command line:
[code]
avrdude -p atmega2560 -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -U flash:w:ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex
[/code]

... yields an avrdude error of:
[code]
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.03s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9801
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: stk500v2_command(): command failed

avrdude done. Thank you.

[/code]

This happens when using the ARDUINO IDE as well. Yes, I know its using avrdude and I would expect to see the same error.

Using "avrdude -p atmega2560 -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -e" does the same so it appears there is a problem erasing the FLASH on the mega2560.

If I use the HEX file named "Mega2560-prod-firmware-2011-06-29.hex" contained with the "stk500v2" folder then then I can consistently upload via avrdude without error. The ARDUINO IDE uploads fine as well.

I can tell you that the HEX file I compiled shows no difference when compared to the "stk500boot_v2_mega2560.hex" HEX file in the "stk500v2" folder, which exhibits the same failure. Yet there are considerable differences between the "Mega2560-prod-firmware-2011-06-29.hex" and "stk500boot_v2_mega2560.hex" files.

I have not reprogrammed the on-board Mega16U2.

I am am somewhat familiar with C/C++ programming but not fluent. AttoBASIC is completely assembly language.

What other information does anyone need to know to assist in resolving this issue?

Peace,
Scott

[cmaglie]

May you provide the hex file and the avrdude command line that fails to upload?

C

[scotty264]

Hello Cristian:
I need to point out:
->the ARDUINO IDE version 1.0.5, which is no longer posted on the ARDUINO.CC web site, is supplying the "stk500boot.c" source code with last mod date of 2012-0101 (don't use the file's date, look at the source code). This is the source code I was using when I found the issue.

->the ARDUINO IDE version 1.5.1 is supplying the "stk500boot.c" source code with last mod date of 2010-0826. It looks like the folks at ARDUINO.CC know its a problem?

->the ARDUINO IDE version 1.0.4 is supplying the "stk500boot.c" source code with last mod date of 2010-0826.

I didn't think it was the monitor but I've tried disabling the MONITOR code on both builds with the same results.

I guess I can't attached a ZIP file of the source code of each date, so I'm not sure how to get you the source code. I'll try to reply to the email I received from you on this issue with the file attached.

Here are my findings:

With stk500v2 last updated by MLK on 2010-0826
Invokation: "avrdude -p atmega2560 -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -U AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex"

avrdude responds:
[CODE]
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.03s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9801
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex"
avrdude: input file AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: writing flash (253824 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 2.29s

avrdude: 253824 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex:
avrdude: input file AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: input file AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex contains 253824 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 30.38s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 253824 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done. Thank you.

[/CODE]

With stk500v2 last updated by MLK on 2012-0010
Invokation: "avrdude -p atmega2560 -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -U AVR_Specific_Builds/m2560/ATTOBASICV230_m2560-16MHZ-uart_nobtldr.hex"

avrdude responds:
[CODE]
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.04s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9801
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: stk500v2_command(): command failed

avrdude done. Thank you.

[/CODE]

[lestofante]

You are on github, a code repository with history traking. If you navigate
through the code you can find the file, and then clicking 'history' you can
see when, who and what as changed something. I can't help you furter than
providing the direct link to the file:
https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/blob/master/hardware/arduino/bootloaders/stk500v2/stk500boot.c
Il giorno 16/lug/2013 23:03, "scotty264" notifications@github.com ha
scritto:

I had the monitor disabled in the 2010-0826 code. It doesn't make a
difference but I re-enabled it, re-compiled and attached the resulting
code.
Peace,Scott

From: Cristian Maglie
Date: 07/16/13 09:03
Subject: Re: [Arduino] MEGA2560 and STK500V2 bootloader - avrdude
programming failure when erase command issued. (#1507)

May you provide the hex file and the avrdude command line that fails to
upload?
C
—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/arduino/Arduino/issues/1507#issuecomment-21073450
.

[lestofante]

Hi:I guess I can't get directly in touch with Cristian Maglie by email?
why don't you try the developer mailing-list?

Can you tell me how to attach a ZIP file to a comment?
I don't think is possible. but you can clne the repositry, do the
modification to the code, and then do a pull-request.
That's how github work

2013/7/17 scotty264 notifications@github.com

Hi:I guess I can't get directly in touch with Cristian Maglie by email?
Can you tell me how to attach a ZIP file to a comment?
Thank you.
Peace,Scott

From: lestofante
Date: 07/16/13 22:54
Subject: Re: [Arduino] MEGA2560 and STK500V2 bootloader - avrdude
programming failure when erase command issued. (#1507)

You are on github, a code repository with history traking. If you navigate
through the code you can find the file, and then clicking 'history' you
can
see when, who and what as changed something. I can't help you furter than
providing the direct link to the file:

https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/blob/master/hardware/arduino/bootloaders/stk500v2/stk500boot.c
Il giorno 16/lug/2013 23:03, "scotty264" notifications@github.com ha
scritto:

I had the monitor disabled in the 2010-0826 code. It doesn't make a
difference but I re-enabled it, re-compiled and attached the resulting
code.
Peace,Scott

From: Cristian Maglie
Date: 07/16/13 09:03
Subject: Re: [Arduino] MEGA2560 and STK500V2 bootloader - avrdude
programming failure when erase command issued. (#1507)

May you provide the hex file and the avrdude command line that fails to
upload?
C
—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub<
https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/issues/1507#issuecomment-21073450>
.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/arduino/Arduino/issues/1507#issuecomment-21082162
.

[mcuee]

The bootloader does not support Chip Erase. You have to use avrdude -D command.

ArduinoCore-avr/bootloaders/stk500v2/stk500boot.c

Lines 967 to 973 in eabd762

	case CMD_CHIP_ERASE_ISP:
	eraseAddress = 0;
	msgLength = 2;
	// msgBuffer[1] = STATUS_CMD_OK;
	msgBuffer[1] = STATUS_CMD_FAILED; //* isue 543, return FAILED instead of OK
	break;

[mcuee]

The commit is here.

• Mega2560 bootloader - various bugfixes Arduino#1183
• https://code.google.com/archive/p/arduino/issues/543