AVR Toolchain on Windows

The Atmel AVR Toolchain is a collection of tools/libraries used to create applications for AVR microcontrollers. This collection includes compiler, assembler, linker and Standard C & math libraries.

As-of-yet this toolchain has not been integrated into the main OpenWSN Scons build environment.

Currently, the OpenWSN Zigduino fork (available at https://github.com/SvenAkk/openwsn-fw ) contains adjusted Sconstruct and Sconscript files that allow working with this toolchain for AVRDUDE based programming of a Zigduino (an Arduino board) using a JTAGICE3 on a configured Windows Machine. These files are also included to this page but the most recent versions are always on the fork.

Using this guide allows a Windows 8.1 machine, using a jtagice3 programmer, to flash the Zigduino platform with the OpenWSN Zigduino port firmware. No guarantees are made for other software or hardware although this will likely be similar.

AVR-GCC and AVRDUDE for Windows

There are no official easy-to-use recent avr-gcc versions available. The easiest way to work with AVR for Windows is using Atmel Studio, but which forces using a big software solution, or using the outdated WinAVR tools, which is incompatible with more recent JTAG devices such as jtagice3. In addition, most online resources are (partly) outdated, though still useful (See also: http://m8051.blogspot.be/2015/01/avrdude-on-windows-long-time-after.html ). This guide describes how to easily get a more recent version of AVRDUDE working with Windows. Alternatively, you can always compile the most recent version of AVRDUDE yourself (from http://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/ ) but this is a fairly painful process on an unconfigured Windows computer (see also).

There is a recent avr-gcc version compiled for Windows which can be found here: http://andybrown.me.uk/downloads/ .

Extract the zip file to a location on your hard disk. These command-line tools are not happy to see pathnames with spaces in them so I recommend that you extract to the root directory of your C: drive. That will result in everything being installed into c:\avr-gcc.
It’ll be most convenient to add c:\avr-gcc\bin to your PATH environment variable.
You may need to logout and login again to detect the changes to PATH.

The AVR toolchain itself should now be working on your computer. Test it out by opening the command line terminal and doing and seeing the following:

> avrdude -v
avrdude: Version 6.1-svn-20131205, compiled on Dec 5 2013 at 17:34:22
Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch
System wide configuration file is "C:\avr-gcc\bin\avrdude.conf"

JTAGICE3 with Windows

Unfortunately, AVRDUDE relies on the JTAGICE3 programmer to be connected to a Linux USB port such as LibUSB (source). In addition, depending on the firmware of the JTAGICE3 the USB descriptors might be totally different (source and source).

First, if needed, downgrade the firmware of your JTAGICE3 device to a v2. To do so follow this guide.

Second, connect your JTAGICE3 device to your computer. It should be recognized and automatically install some USB drivers. At this point, avrdude will most likely not work.

To fix this, download Zadig and run it. Select your JTAGICE3 from the list of devices and install the libusbK driver.

Normally, you should now be able to use avrdude to flash your firmware using a JTAGICE3.

Tying it together – integrating it all and flashing the Zigduino firmware

As a reference on how you can use this toolchain for your own port, we describe how to do it for the Zigduino platform.

Download the openwsn-fw code as found on https://github.com/SvenAkk/openwsn-fw.

Connect your JTAG to your Zigduino and your PC and have the Zigduino be powered.

Using a terminal, navigate to the openwsn-fw directory and do and see the following to flash the openwsn project:

Sven@S-WORK-LAPTOP C:\Users\Sven\Desktop\OpenWSN_Sven\openwsn-fw
> scons board=zigduino toolchain=avr jtag=com8 oos_openwsn
scons: Reading SConscript files ..
 ___                 _ _ _  ___  _ _
| . | ___  ___ ._ _ | | | |/ __>| \ |
| | || . \/ ._>| ' || | | |\__ \|   |
`___'|  _/\___.|_|_||__/_/ <___/|_\_|
     |_|                  openwsn.org

scons: done reading SConscript files.
scons: Building targets ...
Dynifying build\zigduino_avr\openapps\openapps_dyn.c
avr-size build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.exe
   text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
  94658    4918    4511  104087   19697 build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.exe
avrdude -c jtag3isp -p m128rfa1 -B 1 -U flash:w:build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.25s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1ea701
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 "build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex"
avrdude: input file build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: writing flash (99576 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 11.00s

avrdude: 99576 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex:
avrdude: input file build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: input file build\zigduino_avr\projects\common\03oos_openwsn_prog.ihex contains 99576 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 9.25s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 99576 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK (E:F5, H:D7, L:F7)

avrdude done.  Thank you.

scons: done building targets.

If you see this, your Zigduino has been correctly flashed with the OpenWSN firmware.

Note that Sconscript needs a 'jtag=' command to work with a jtag programmer. The variable included does not actually matter; the jtag port itself is automatically detected and will simply flash the board it is connected to.

Adjusting fuses

If you need to adjust the fuses, simply go to the following code in Sconscript:

#============================ upload over JTAG ================================
def jtagUploadFunc(location):
if env['toolchain']=='armgcc':
if env['board'] in ['iot-lab_M3','iot-lab_A8-M3']:
return Builder(
action = os.path.join('bsp','boards',env['board'],'tools','flash.sh') + " $SOURCE",
suffix = '.phonyupload',
src_suffix = '.ihex',
)
# LOW: Transceiver osc as CLK (16Mhz when prescaler 0x0), maximum start-up delay
# HIGH: JTAG/OCD off, SPI on, WatchDog override off (can be enabled at runtime), Bootsize 512b,
# start bootsector at 0xfe00 (word address!), save EEPROM on reflash, start at addr 0000
# EXT: BrownOut at 1.9V
# Last fuse fd -> f5 due to immutable bits, otherwise avrdude gives a verification error
elif env['toolchain']=='avr':
return Builder(
action = 'avrdude -c jtag3isp -p m128rfa1 -B 1 -U flash:w:$SOURCE',
#+ ' -U lfuse:w:0xf7:m -U hfuse:w:0xd7:m -U efuse:w:0xf5:m', #if you need to do fuses
suffix = '.phonyupload',
src_suffix = '.ihex',

and uncomment the following line:

#+ ' -U lfuse:w:0xf7:m -U hfuse:w:0xd7:m -U efuse:w:0xf5:m', #if you need to do fuses

Remember that you only need to set the fuses once per change. Once changed, you can recomment the line again.

Alternative ports

If you have another board and want to use the same toolchain and programmer, you only need the Sconstruct and Sconscript files with some small additions.

For the Sconstruct file look for the mention of 'zigduino' and simply add the name of your board similarly.

For the Sconscript file look for all mentions of 'zigduino' and follow that example to add the relevant code for your (type of) board.