Tag Archives: Arduino

Minor updates to the AVR HV Rescue Shield

AVR HV Rescue Shield with ATmega168 target

This week there have been a couple minor updates to the AVR HV Rescue Shield:

  • I just uploaded version 1.1 of the Arduino sketch, which fixes an issue with garbage being printed in the serial monitor between burn cycles.  I also made some minor changes to try to reduce the likelihood of getting serial gibberish upon opening the monitor window, although I’m not 100% sure what is causing this.  The sketch was compiled and tested with Arduino 0017.
  • I have verified that the shield works with the Atmel ATmega328P AVR microcontroller.

AVR HV Rescue Shield kits back in stock, new lower pricing!

AVR HV Rescue Shield Kit Components

Good news!  The AVR HV Rescue Shield kits are back in stock, with new, lower pricing!

The full kit, which has been reduced to $19, includes a professionally made PCB with preassembled DC-DC converter and all the parts you need to build the AVR HV Rescue Shield.

The PCB-only option is still available, which includes one unassembled PCB (DC-DC converter is not included).  Pricing on the PCBs has been reduced to $6.

Head over to the AVR HV Rescue Shield page to place an order!

(Note that prices do not include shipping or taxes, if applicable.)

Introducing the AVR HV Rescue Shield

AVR HV Rescue Shield with ATmega168 target

This all started last year, when I was playing with an ATmega168 microcontroller and did something silly.  I programmed the RSTDISBL fuse bit, which effectively makes it impossible to reflash the chip using an ordinary (serial) programmer.

Instead of giving up and throwing out the “dead” chip,  I decided to try to revive it using an obscure high voltage parallel programming mode that isn’t supported by most AVR programmers.  Armed with my Arduino and the ATmega168 datasheet, I quickly designed and constructed a programmer using parts I already had on my workbench.

A few hours later, I tested my new programmer and it worked!  I revived my “dead” AVR by using spare parts and a few lines of Arduino code.  That week I published the schematics and Arduino sketch to the site and called it my Arduino-based AVR High Voltage Programmer.

The response was overwhelming.  Since I first posted the design, many people have built their own and used it to fix their “dead” AVR microcontrollers by restoring the fuse bits to sane values.  I even received several requests for a PCB and/or kit based on the design, which got me thinking…

Today I’m proud to introduce:

The AVR HV Rescue Shield

The AVR HV Rescue Shield is a high voltage parallel mode fuse programmer for Atmel AVR microcontrollers.

It currently supports the ATmega48/88/168/328 series and the ATtiny2313.  The Rescue Shield does everything my original AVR High Voltage Programmer does, and a lot more.  I think the new features make this a really useful tool for anyone working with AVR microcontrollers.

New features include:

  • Custom 2-layer PCB with silkscreen and soldermask.  No more hacking and modifying perfboards to fit Arduino’s nonstandard pin spacing!
  • Onboard 12V DC-DC boost converter eliminates the need for an external 12V power supply
  • Support for two of the most common families of AVR microcontrollers, the ATmega48/88/168 and ATtiny2313
  • Support for programming the extended fuse (EFUSE) byte.
  • A new interactive mode, where desired fuses can be entered using the Arduino’s serial port.
  • Separate Ready and Burn indicators
  • Protection resistors on every single data, control, and supply line to the target AVR, meaning that your Arduino and AVR should survive any mishaps during programming, including inserting the AVR backwards or off by 1 pin.

I spent considerable time testing each new feature and documenting the Arduino sketch.  I hope that you’ll find that the finished product was worth the wait!

Ordering instructions:

To purchase bare PCBs and kits, head over to the AVR HV Rescue Shield product page.

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