For the majority of my projects, I write, compile, and upload through a USB connected Arduino (clone). however, every so often I need to program a raw device that doesn't have USB on it. So instead I use the ICSP pins to do that. Normally I do that by writing code in the Arduino IDE, compile it, then I will open the AS Device Programming window, load up the HEX file generated, and program the device that way.

A few days ago I discovered that if I write my code in AS+VM and hit the Build (selected or solution) button in AS, and then click on Device Programming, in the Memories tab, it already has the elf file filled in for that sketch I just compiled. So I thought I could hit program right then and there ... and that's when the problems started: it doesn't work.

What happens is, the device gets programmed just fine, but WHAT it's programmed with I don't know. Even if I change the selected .elf file for the .hex counter part, it's still not working. I tried a simple turn LED 13 on and off and I get nothing.

To reiterate:
In the Arduino IDE, I can write my code and compile it to create the needed elf or hex file.
In AS, I can open Device Programming, select the generated hex file and program the raw device, no problem.

If I do the same within AS+VM, I can build it to create the necessary elf and hex files, open Device Programming where the elf file is already selected for me and upload - however whatever it's uploading isn't working. Same thing if I change it to use the hex file instead.

Am I doing something wrong here? I've made sure I have the proper device selected, the proper IDE version being used, fuses and lock bits are set right ... I don't know what else to look for.

Ah, that would certainly explain why it was working the first time but subsequent uploads would fail horribly. I'll turn on 'show build folder' and monitor that.

Tim@Visual Micro wrote on Apr 16^th, 2014 at 6:33pm:

So about 75% of the time, I'm simply uploading through devices that have a bootloader with USB capability on them, like many Arduinos do. The other 25% of the time is when I'm working on devices I've designed/build myself OR when I don't care for the bootloader and just put the sketch on the device. For those I have an Atmel mkII.

When I go in Device Programming, I will set the fuses and lockbits the way I need them for that specific device and then upload the code right there. I haven't considered trying VM's Programmers option - will that give me the same functionality?

Ok, I will try that this evening and will report back. However it brings me back to the previous issue: will enabling the programmer this way (and thus NOT use AS' device Programming option), will that upload the correct elf/hex file then?

Awesome. Thanks for the guidance. I will try switching the setup this evening and see how that goes.

I did notice a second build happening elsewhere when I was trying to figure out what was going on (using the Device Programming in AS). The one that Device Programming was listing resides inside of the Debug folder of the project folder. The second one was happening inside of my profile's AppData path, specifically:

%USER%/AppData/Local/VMicro/Arduino/Builds/<project>/micro/

I didn't test those elf/hex files ... I think at that point in the evening I was too tired to keep going, not to mention a bit frustrated. I had already switched back to the stand along Arduino IDE->compile->AS Device Programming to get the code "out the door" so to speak. Now that I have more time, I can see about those files and how they compare with what's in the project folder ...

Yeah I figured those would be correct. It's similar to what the Arduino IDE does, except it dumps it in the %TEMP% folder instead. So it seems when VM passes information to the AS Device Programming window, that information isn't right (assuming it's VM passing information and not AS pulling it out of thin air.) Why is there a Debug version created inside of the project folder anyway? Is that AS doing it?

Hi there,

This error is expected if you used the standard arduino avrispmkII programmer menu item because it uses Arduino usb and not Atmel usb.

Do you see programmers at the end of the menu that start with the word "Atmel"? 

Tools>Visual Micro>Programmers>Atmel AVRISP mkii?

ps: Atmel creates the debug/release folders automatically, vm has no control over that so this is why we have started to use it.

Oh, yes sorry they only show to 1.5 avr boards. If you can get a 1.5 definition/config for your board then the programmers will show.

Yes the board will run fine under 1.5 just needs a couple of different config files and install into slightly different location.

Libraries and code are the same.