AVR-Chat

Yep, I often recommend bascom...great way to go.  Most beginners 
won't go over it's 4k output limitation.

Development center: Great idea, or...

Rip the DB25/DB9 connector off an old (internal) serial port cable 
and add it to your programmer (yes, that's the programmer from the 
ponyprog site)
http://poitsplace.com/images05/programmerwithheader.jpg

Then just make a header thingy
http://www.poitsplace.com/images05/header.jpg

By the way, you'll notice the ponyprog AVR programmer schematic has 
several outputs tied to the reset line...I assume this is to overcome 
a resistor on the reset line.  Reset is active LOW so you'll usually 
be using it on target boards with a fairly high resistance (22k I 
think on that breadboard in the picture).  The programmer has no 
problem overcoming this connection to VCC and pulling it low.  SO, 
it'll work the way it's supposed to with or without the programmer 
connected.

=========================
RESOURCES!  Very important if you're trying assembler.

First off you'll want a detailed list of the avr instruction set
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/doc0856.pdf


And you'll want the novice guide to using their development software
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/novice.pdf


For interrupts, their basic interrupts and I/O guide will help a 
lot :)
http://www.atmel.com/journal/documents/issue1/io.pdf


If you're going to want to store a LOT of data in the FLASH memory 
(like text messages respond over a serial line) you'll want to learn 
how to use the LPM instruction...and they also have a nice example of 
how to do that.
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/DOC1233.PDF
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/AVR108.zip


OBVIOUSLY you'll want the datasheet for the mega16 (I believe that's 
what you said you were using)
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/doc2466.pdf

if not, the rest of the datasheets (and that one) are here
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/datasheets.asp?family_id=607


Other things I haven't mentioned are often found in Atmel's 
application notes
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/app_notes.asp?family_id=607

A lot of other useful things (often too many for the beginner...makes 
it seem too complex ;) can be found at http://www.avrfreaks.com


FINALLY
If your glory days of assembler programming predate the use of all 
these fancy-schmancy NAMED registers (my assembler didn't have that 
either...although "only" I'm 36, got started at 13 (and no, I never 
went into programming seriously) you'll find these definitions in 
(and you have to include this file as per the examples given) in the 
m16def.inc file which is...er uh...well, it installs SOMEWHERE in the 
directory tree of AVRStudio :)  Just search for it.

Every one of those names used in the datasheet...is already defined 
in that file (ain't that handy :)  I think that even includes bit 
definitions (for when you want to turn on specific bits for doing 
handy things like enabling interrupts)

I hope you find this information useful











--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Ted Smith" <tedsmithau@y...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for all your conflicting advices! I hadn't seen the link to 
the
> Bascom Manual. Maybe I'll follow thwe C path once I get it going in 
basic.
> I am doing it probably the hard but interesting way, building my own
> development system hardware using the PC parallel port for 
programming
> the chip (hopefully with PonyProg).
> 
> Re my age. Those of similar age to myself who looked up my profile
> would have recognised the play on the title of the old jazz tune "I
> can't get star-ted" by trumpeter Bunny Berrigan. I had a career in 
TV,
> starting at TCN9 in 1957.
> I was born in 1936 and named after the new King Edward VIII who much
> to my Mother's horror maried a 'divorced person' and abdicated soon
> after I was born.
> In those days Australia was firmly a part of the British Empire.
> 
> I would be interested to hear from any older programmers still 
living!
> 
> Coincidently my wife was named Margaret Rosemary after the recently
> born princess! Her mother didnt know she was decended from an Irish
> convict on the first fleet!
> 
> Regards Ted Smith
>