AVR-Chat

I'm just starting out with the AVR. I bought an STK500, STK501 and 
two ATmega64s from DigiKey. AVR Studio is described by Atmel as an 
Integrated Development Environment and I expected that in conjuction 
with the STKs I would be all set. However, unless I'm missing 
something, there is no C compiler and no means of debugging actual 
hardware. It seems I need to go out and spend more money on a C 
compiler (or struggle with GCC) and also on another piece of hardware 
such as JTAGICE. Is this right? Is there really no compiler in AVR 
Studio? Is there really no means of debugging a program on the 
hardware without another adapter?

Graham.

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Graham Davies" <YahooGroups@e...> 
wrote:
> I'm just starting out with the AVR. I bought an STK500, STK501 and 
> two ATmega64s from DigiKey. AVR Studio is described by Atmel as an 
> Integrated Development Environment and I expected that in 
conjuction 
> with the STKs I would be all set. However, unless I'm missing 
> something, there is no C compiler and no means of debugging actual 
> hardware. It seems I need to go out and spend more money on a C 
> compiler (or struggle with GCC) and also on another piece of 
hardware 
> such as JTAGICE. Is this right? Is there really no compiler in AVR 
> Studio? Is there really no means of debugging a program on the 
> hardware without another adapter?

I bought a STK500 from DigiKey as well.  The description that I read 
didn't say anything about a C compiler or any other high level 
language.  My assumption was that the IDE supported AVR assembly 
language development.  It turns out that that's true.

I'm using WinAVR to do C development.  Well, actually, I'm using 
parts of it.  I use a programmer's editor that I've been using for 
years and hooked up the various parts of WinAVR to make my own IDE 
within the editor.  Click to compiler and link.  Click to download.  
WinAVR comes with its own programmer's editor that can be similarly 
configured.

While debugging is probably easier in some cases using some sort of 
in-circuit emulator, I've not found it particularly difficult to 
debug without one.  I normally use debug print statements, a logic 
probe, a multi-meter and, occasionally, an oscilloscope.  A logic 
analyzer might be helpful for particularly difficult problems, even 
if you have an ICE.

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, "Graham Davies" <YahooGroups@e...> 
wrote:

> I'm just starting out with the AVR. I bought an STK500, STK501 and 
> two ATmega64s from DigiKey. ... Is there really no compiler in AVR 
> Studio? Is there really no means of debugging a program on the 
> hardware without another adapter?

Well, this thread went off on a tangent, didn't it.

From the one on-topic response, I've learned that it was my error to 
think that AVR Studio incuded a compiler and that with about $200 
worth of Atmel hardware I would be ready to debug programs.

I don't plan to knowingly use stolen software or anything else other 
than for evaluation purposes. I agree with the comments about the 
need to try the real thing before you buy. I find the exaggerated 
claims for many products as morally wrong as temporarily stealing the 
software to verify them and usually find out they are unjustified. I 
recently got suckered by Microsoft Money Small Business, which 
doesn't even support accrual accounting. By the way, I use the Lite 
version of Eagle and keep my design sizes down. I have PERL scripts 
to combine design fragments on a board at the gerber level.

My plan is to try out GCC as a compiler. For a debug interface, I 
have ordered an Olimex AVR-JTAG from SparkFun. This appears to be a 
clone of the Atmel JTAGICE with some features like level shifters 
missing. It seems that you program it with the exact same firmware 
that goes into the JTAGICE, so it should work the same at a fraction 
of the cost. If anyone has experience with this it would be good to 
know otherwise I will report back.

Graham.