Reset and Remove Arduino ATmega328P?

Question

So I have 2 Arduinos, and im wanting to remove the chip from one and reset it to like it came from the factory and then breadboard it and attempt to program it using an AVR programmer (Or maybe an Arduino AS a programmer).

Why? Mainly because I want to make sure I can and understand how to program the chips when I order them standalone and on a breadboard.

Is this possible? I imagine the Arduino bootloader will be on the chip and the fuses will be different, but can I over-write them if I decide to just program it as a standalone AVR chip?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Im just trying to learn AVR programming without the I guess "handholding" of arduino functions/etc.

You don't actually need to do anything. You don't need any breadboard, any programmer, nothing.

You can use the Arduino environment, upload facility, and board to learn low-level AVR programming.

Just because the Arduino helper functions exist it doesn't mean you actually have to use them.

The first step on your progression to professional embedded developer is to get to grips with low-level registers. You can do all that from within the Arduino environment. You have access to everything in the Arduino IDE that you have in any other IDE in the way of low-level chip functions. They are functions of the chip, not the IDE.

If you want to progress to a professional IDE and use hardware debugging you can still use an Arduino board. After all, it's just an MCU on a PCB. Just plug your hardware programmer into the hardware programming connector on the board. Why mess around with breadboards and all the trouble that they give with dodgy connections? Just because an Arduino has an Arduino logo on it you aren't forced to use it with the Arduino IDE.

Answer 2

I have a sketch that uploads data to various Atmega chips (including the 328P).

Even without an SD card attached you can do things like erase the chip and set fuses. So what I would do is erase the chip (thus the bootloader and any other code are gone), and then set the fuses to the factory defaults.

For the Atmega328P I believe these are:

• Low: 0x62
• High: 0xD9
• Extended: 0xFF
• Lock: 0xFF

Source: http://www.engbedded.com/fusecalc

Answer 3

"and im wanting to remove the chip from one and reset it to like it came from the factory " "Is this possible? "

Yes you can rewrite the atmega328 (used or blank) to reset arduino to factory condition. Yes you can use arduino as a programmer as other answer before implies. If you are using blank new atmega328 you burn new bootloader from arduino IDE to make factory reset arduino uno.

"I imagine the Arduino bootloader will be on the chip and the fuses will be different, but can I over-write them if I decide to just program it as a standalone AVR chip? Is this possible?"

The arduino is a microcontroller development board which of course means you can make the arduinos atmega 328 as standalone on breadboard; in addition to that you can change the fuses to work with different speed crystals-which is what you seem to be asking.

Answer 4

You can initialize any Arduino compatible MCU easily, the procedures are well documented on the Arduino website.

There is even documentation to allow you to build based on the ATMega8L for a minimal system with no external crystal oscillator. This is a little harder to do, but not much.