3

To burn a bootloader to the Arduino Micro (ATMega32u4), I'm using an Arduino Uno with the ArduinoISP program uploaded to it.

1st case: Arduino IDE

Very straightforward, using the ArduinoISP sketch included in the IDE.

enter image description here

From clicking on "Burn Bootloader" to the output window displaying "Done burning bootloader", it takes 61 seconds.

2nd case: avrdude

I'm running avrdude directly from the Arduino IDE's folder like so (line breaks added for your reading pleasure):

D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe -v -v -c arduino 
-p atmega32u4 -P com4 -b 19200 
-U flash:w:"..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"

From pressing Enter to avrdude.exe done. Thank you. displaying on stdout, it only takes 11 seconds. Full output is posted below.

 D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe -v -v -c arduino -p atmega32u4 -P com4 -b 19200 -U flash:w:"..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"

avrdude.exe: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\MHV AVR Tools\bin\avrdude.conf"

         Using Port                    : com4
         Using Programmer              : arduino
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
         AVR Part                      : ATmega32U4
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PA0
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom        65    20     4    0 no       1024    4      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           flash         65     6   128    0 yes     32768  128    256  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : Arduino
         Description     : Arduino
         Hardware Version: 2
         Firmware Version: 1.18
         Topcard         : Unknown
         Vtarget         : 0.0 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude.exe: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as CB
avrdude.exe: NOTE: "flash" memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
         To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude.exe: erasing chip
avrdude.exe: reading input file "..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: writing flash (32730 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.25s

avrdude.exe: 32730 bytes of flash written
avrdude.exe: verifying flash memory against ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex:
avrdude.exe: load data flash data from input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex:
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex contains 32730 bytes
avrdude.exe: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.35s

avrdude.exe: verifying ...
avrdude.exe: 32730 bytes of flash verified

avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as CB
avrdude.exe: safemode: Fuses OK (E:CB, H:D8, L:FF)

avrdude.exe done.  Thank you.

Question:

Where does this discrepancy come from? The baud rate is hard coded to be 19200 in the ArduinoISP sketch, so that can't be it.

Improve this question
4
  • Have you checked the obvious things like baudrate?
    – PlasmaHH
    Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 21:04
  • @PlasmaHH The baud rate is hardcoded to 19200 in the ArduinoISP sketch. I'll remove that part from my question.
    – iFreilicht
    Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 23:18
  • Given that the IDE uses avrdude to do this, it's a bit odd, but you should probably turn on verbose mode and look at the actual command line issued. Note that the baud rate of sending data from the ISP sketch to the target is distinct from the baud rate of communicating with the ISP adapter. avrdude supports varying this, but my memory was of the ISP sketch ignoring that specification.
    – Chris Stratton
    Commented Mar 20, 2017 at 0:31
  • @ChrisStratton It looks like the problem isn't with avrdude, but the hex file. Arduino IDE ships with both a Caterina-Micro.hex and a Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex. The former is what the IDE uses, the latter is what I used with avrdude. There are differences between the files and burning the latter is very quick but doesn't actually work.
    – iFreilicht
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 9:03

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

In the Arduino IDE do this:

  • File > Preferences > Show verbose output during: > upload (check) > OK
  • Tools > Burn Bootloader

After it finishes examine the output in the black console window at the bottom of the Arduino IDE window. If you look carefully you'll see that the Arduino IDE actually runs two separate AVRDUDE commands when you Burn Bootloader. The first sets the fuses according to the settings in boards.txt for the selected board, the second actually burns the bootloader. So your comparison is not really fair unless you run both commands in your test of using AVRDUDE directly.

Edit by OP:

Full output in the Arduino IDE:

D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avrdude -CD:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega32u4 -cstk500v1 -PCOM4 -b19200 -e -Ulock:w:0x3F:m -Uefuse:w:0xcb:m -Uhfuse:w:0xd8:m -Ulfuse:w:0xff:m 

avrdude: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
     Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
     Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

     System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"

     Using Port                    : COM4
     Using Programmer              : stk500v1
     Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
     AVR Part                      : ATmega32U4
     Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
     PAGEL                         : PD7
     BS2                           : PA0
     RESET disposition             : dedicated
     RETRY pulse                   : SCK
     serial program mode           : yes
     parallel program mode         : yes
     Timeout                       : 200
     StabDelay                     : 100
     CmdexeDelay                   : 25
     SyncLoops                     : 32
     ByteDelay                     : 0
     PollIndex                     : 3
     PollValue                     : 0x53
     Memory Detail                 :

                              Block Poll               Page                       Polled
       Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
       ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
       eeprom        65    20     4    0 no       1024    4      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
       flash         65     6   128    0 yes     32768  128    256  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
       lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
       hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
       efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
       lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
       calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
       signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

     Programmer Type : STK500
     Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
     Hardware Version: 2
     Firmware Version: 1.18
     Topcard         : Unknown
     Vtarget         : 0.0 V
     Varef           : 0.0 V
     Oscillator      : Off
     SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "0x3F"
avrdude: writing lock (1 bytes):

D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avrdude -CD:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega32u4 -cstk500v1 -PCOM4 -b19200 -Uflash:w:D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:i -Ulock:w:0x2F:m 
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: 1 bytes of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0x3F:
avrdude: load data lock data from input file 0x3F:
avrdude: input file 0x3F contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lock data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xcb"
avrdude: writing efuse (1 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: 1 bytes of efuse written
avrdude: verifying efuse memory against 0xcb:
avrdude: load data efuse data from input file 0xcb:
avrdude: input file 0xcb contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip efuse data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of efuse verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xd8"
avrdude: writing hfuse (1 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: 1 bytes of hfuse written
avrdude: verifying hfuse memory against 0xd8:
avrdude: load data hfuse data from input file 0xd8:
avrdude: input file 0xd8 contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip hfuse data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of hfuse verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xff"
avrdude: writing lfuse (1 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse written
avrdude: verifying lfuse memory against 0xff:
avrdude: load data lfuse data from input file 0xff:
avrdude: input file 0xff contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lfuse data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse verified

avrdude done.  Thank you.


avrdude: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"

         Using Port                    : COM4
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
         AVR Part                      : ATmega32U4
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PA0
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom        65    20     4    0 no       1024    4      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           flash         65     6   128    0 yes     32768  128    256  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  9000  9000 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : STK500
         Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
         Hardware Version: 2
         Firmware Version: 1.18
         Topcard         : Unknown
         Vtarget         : 0.0 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
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 "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (32730 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 35.65s

avrdude: 32730 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:
avrdude: input file D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex contains 32730 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 19.92s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 32730 bytes of flash verified
avrdude: reading input file "0x2F"
avrdude: writing lock (1 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: 1 bytes of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0x2F:
avrdude: load data lock data from input file 0x2F:
avrdude: input file 0x2F contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lock data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock verified

avrdude done.  Thank you.
Improve this answer
3
  • Thanks, that seems to be correct! There's quite a lot of stuff the IDE is doing, including reading a lock byte apparently.
    – iFreilicht
    Commented Mar 20, 2017 at 19:24
  • So as it turns out, there seems to be more to this. Burning the fuses takes less than a second. I'll investigate further.
    – iFreilicht
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 8:25
  • 1
    If you look at the output above, you'll notices that not only does the Arduino IDE write the firmware, it also verifies it. The verification process has to read the entire flash memory after the firmware is written, and the result must be compared to the source file. As shown in the output, the firmware verification takes almost a full 20 seconds.
    – b_laoshi
    Commented Jan 4, 2019 at 8:08

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.