Unable to upload the program to the ATmega328PB at PlatformIO.

[kekyo]

I use MegaCore and MiniCore. Thanks for the great project.

Please comment if you have any tips as I am unable to upload the program to the ATmega328PB at PlatformIO.

I have designed a board using ATmega328PB and following the Minimal setup schematic in README.md. It runs at 8MHz using the internal clock (with 3.3V VCC). Serial connections are made using CH340N (connected RTS to DTR). However, LEDs connected to SCK are omitted (D1, R2).

I used Arduino IDE 1.8.19 and added MiniCore 3.0.0 in Board Manager. Then I connected the AVR ICE and wrote the firmware with the following settings with success.

In this state, I disconnected the AVR ICE and uploaded a test code like LED Blinker from the COM port to which the CH340N is connected and it worked.

I wanted to try the same configuration with PlatformIO, so I placed the exact same ino code in main.cpp with the following platformio.ini:

[env:ATmega328PB]
platform = atmelavr
board = ATmega328PB
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
board_build.f_cpu = 8000000L

However, when I try to build and upload the file, nothing to response:

Linking .pio\build\ATmega328PB\firmware.elf
Checking size .pio\build\ATmega328PB\firmware.elf
Advanced Memory Usage is available via "PlatformIO Home > Project Inspect"
RAM:   [=         ]  10.1% (used 206 bytes from 2048 bytes)
Flash: [=         ]   8.0% (used 2596 bytes from 32256 bytes)
Building .pio\build\ATmega328PB\firmware.hex
Configuring upload protocol...
AVAILABLE: arduino
CURRENT: upload_protocol = arduino
Looking for upload port...
Using manually specified: COM5
Uploading .pio\build\ATmega328PB\firmware.hex

(Log stopped)

I thought there was a problem with the PlatformIO configuration since it was fine in the Arduino IDE, but am I missing something?

[MCUdude]

Sorry, but PlatformIO hasn't been updated to use Urboot yet. I've done all the work, I'll just have to do a bit more testing before this PR can merged. Meanwhile, you can burn the bootloader using Arduino IDE, and in platformio.ini, use upload_protocol = urclock instead of arduino.

[kekyo]

No problem! I understood about Urboot after reading the PR and related issues you showed me. Very nice improvements! Until these are released in the near future, I will continue to work with the Arduino IDE.

Thanks for the clear explanation.

[MCUdude]

The PlatformIO MiniCore template has now been updated with Utboot support: https://github.com/MCUdude/MiniCore/blob/master/PlatformIO.md

[kekyo]

(Sorry I don't think I understand your one sentence correctly...)

So does that mean that even with the latest version, I can't upload code with PlatformIO?

Maybe if I wrote the bootloader using 3.0.0 in the Arduino IDE (the first way in this issue), I would have written a bootloader for optiboot version...? Do I need to write the bootloader for urboot again with PlatformIO with the config value and the following command?

board_bootloader.type = urboot

pio run -t bootloader -e fuses_bootloader

[MCUdude]

Sorry, that was a late night typo. It was supposed to be now instead of not 😅

You can not set the correct fuses, flash the Urboot bootloader and upload using PlatformIO.

[kekyo]

Working in the middle of the night is what fails :)

Good news, I successfully wrote it in my environment!

1. Connected ATMEL ICE and wrote the bootloader with pio run -t bootloader -e fuses_bootloader.
2. after that, I uploaded the code as usual, and it succeeded.

Only one problem remained. That is that the code upload speed only worked at 38400 bps. However, I assume this was due to the use of the built-in clock generator. Also, the size of the upload code was small and I did not experience any problem with the write speed for me, so I do not see the need to do anything further.

---

I'll leave the record here in case it might be of help to others.

This is the platform.ini at this time:

[platformio]
default_envs = Upload_UART

[env]
platform = atmelavr  #latest stable
board = ATmega328PB
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
board_build.f_cpu = 8000000L

[env:Upload_UART]
upload_protocol = urclock
board_upload.speed = 38400

; https://github.com/MCUdude/MiniCore/blob/master/PlatformIO.md
[env:fuses_bootloader]
board_hardware.oscillator = internal
board_bootloader.type = urboot
board_bootloader.speed = 115200
board_hardware.uart = uart0
board_hardware.bod = 2.7v
board_hardware.eesave = yes
upload_protocol = atmelice_isp

Log of writing boot loader:

C:\Projects\Pixy\Pixy-68000\CoProcessorTests\BlinkerAndSwitch>pio run -t bootloader -e fuses_bootloader
Processing fuses_bootloader (platform: atmelavr; board: ATmega328PB; framework: arduino)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/atmelavr/ATmega328PB.html
PLATFORM: Atmel AVR (5.0.0) > ATmega328PB
HARDWARE: ATMEGA328PB 8MHz, 2KB RAM, 32KB Flash
PACKAGES:
 - framework-arduino-avr-minicore @ 3.0.0
 - tool-avrdude @ 1.70200.0 (7.2.0)
 - toolchain-atmelavr @ 1.70300.191015 (7.3.0)
LDF: Library Dependency Finder -> https://bit.ly/configure-pio-ldf
LDF Modes: Finder ~ chain, Compatibility ~ soft
Found 8 compatible libraries
Scanning dependencies...
Dependency Graph
|-- SPI @ 1.0
Building in release mode
Using bootloader image:
C:\Users\k\.platformio\packages\framework-arduino-avr-minicore\bootloaders\urboot\atmega328pb\watchdog_1_s\autobaud\uart0_rxd0_txd1\led+b5\urboot_atmega328pb_pr_ee_ce.hex

TARGET CONFIGURATION:
---------------------
Target = atmega328pb
Clock speed = 8000000L
Oscillator = internal
BOD level = 2.7v
Save EEPROM = yes
Bootloader type = urboot
UART port = uart0
Clock output = no
CFD enable = no
---------------------

Selected fuses: [lfuse = 0xe2, hfuse = 0xd7, efuse = 0xf5]
Setting fuses
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
avrdude: device signature = 0x1e9516 (probably m328pb)
avrdude: erasing chip

avrdude: processing -U lock:w:0xff:m
avrdude: reading input file 0xff for lock
         with 1 byte in 1 section within [0, 0]
avrdude: writing 1 byte lock ...
avrdude: 1 byte of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0xff
avrdude: 1 byte of lock verified

avrdude: processing -U hfuse:w:0xd7:m
avrdude: reading input file 0xd7 for hfuse
         with 1 byte in 1 section within [0, 0]
avrdude: writing 1 byte hfuse ...
avrdude: 1 byte of hfuse written
avrdude: verifying hfuse memory against 0xd7
avrdude: 1 byte of hfuse verified

avrdude: processing -U lfuse:w:0xe2:m
avrdude: reading input file 0xe2 for lfuse
         with 1 byte in 1 section within [0, 0]
avrdude: writing 1 byte lfuse ...
avrdude: 1 byte of lfuse written
avrdude: verifying lfuse memory against 0xe2
avrdude: 1 byte of lfuse verified

avrdude: processing -U efuse:w:0xf5:m
avrdude: reading input file 0xf5 for efuse
         with 1 byte in 1 section within [0, 0]
avrdude: writing 1 byte efuse ...
avrdude: 1 byte of efuse written
avrdude: verifying efuse memory against 0xf5
avrdude: 1 byte of efuse verified

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Uploading bootloader
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
avrdude: device signature = 0x1e9516 (probably m328pb)
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: processing -U flash:w:C:\Users\k\.platformio\packages\framework-arduino-avr-minicore\bootloaders\urboot\atmega328pb\watchdog_1_s\autobaud\uart0_rxd0_txd1\led+b5\urboot_atmega328pb_pr_ee_ce.hex:i
avrdude: reading input file C:\Users\k\.platformio\packages\framework-arduino-avr-minicore\bootloaders\urboot\atmega328pb\watchdog_1_s\autobaud\uart0_rxd0_txd1\led+b5\urboot_atmega328pb_pr_ee_ce.hex for flash
         with 368 bytes in 2 sections within [0x7e80, 0x7fff]
         using 3 pages and 16 pad bytes
avrdude: writing 368 bytes flash ...
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.04s
avrdude: 368 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against C:\Users\k\.platformio\packages\framework-arduino-avr-minicore\bootloaders\urboot\atmega328pb\watchdog_1_s\autobaud\uart0_rxd0_txd1\led+b5\urboot_atmega328pb_pr_ee_ce.hex
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s
avrdude: 368 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: processing -U lock:w:0xFF:m
avrdude: reading input file 0xFF for lock
         with 1 byte in 1 section within [0, 0]
avrdude: writing 1 byte lock ...
avrdude: 1 byte of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0xFF
avrdude: 1 byte of lock verified

avrdude done.  Thank you.

=============================================== [SUCCESS] Took 1.36 seconds ===============================================

Environment       Status    Duration
----------------  --------  ------------
fuses_bootloader  SUCCESS   00:00:01.356
=============================================== 1 succeeded in 00:00:01.356 ===============================================