Adafruit introduced a brand new programming software that targets newer Microchip eight-bit microcontrollers: the UPDI Good friend, a USB-based UPDI programmer.
“UPDI stands for Unified Program and Debug Interface, however this board is so smol and cute that we are going to name it the Unusually Playful System Interfacer and pat its head when it does a great job.” — Adafruit
Microchip’s Unified Program and Debug Interface (UPDI) is a one-wire resolution to program and debug newer tinyAVR and megaAVR microcontrollers. For instance, Adafruit says they use it with the ATtiny816, 817, and 1616 chips.
You too can discover the UPDI interface on chips just like the AVR Dx Sequence and the ATmega4809. The 4809 microcontroller is the processor on the Arduino Nano Each board. (The Nano Each’s design doesn’t get away the UPDI pin, but it surely does use it for programming over serial.)
UPDI has rapidly turn out to be the choice low-pin rely programming interface for Microchip’s AVR microcontrollers. It’s a direct substitute for the XMEGA’s PDI interface and a practical substitute for debugWIRE.
SerialUPDI from Stefan Wagner (📷: wagiminator, github.com)
An open-source mission from Stefan Wagner supplied Adafruit the inspiration. Wagner’s SerialUPDI is a bigger design with a USB-A connector and solely 2.54 mm headers.
Adafruit’s UPDI Good friend measures a teeny 26.4 x 17.8 millimeters. A USB-C connector for information and energy is on one facet, whereas the opposite has two ports. You’ll be able to hook up with a microcontroller utilizing 2.54 millimeter headers or a cable related to a JST SH socket. A CH340E USB Serial converter gives the interface to a PC.
An onboard swap lets you choose between 3V and 5V targets. The 5V rail comes from the USB-C connection and a regulator gives the 3V rail. It could supply as much as 500 milliamps of present.
One essential limitation is that UPDI Good friend doesn’t present a 12 volt pulse. This pulse is required in functions which are utilizing the UPDI pin as one other operate within the design. This isn’t a big limitation, however you will need to know if you’re implementing a customized design with a tinyAVR chip.
Adafruit UPDI Good friend (📷: Adafruit)
Adafruit sells the UPDI Good friend for $6.95 earlier than transport. You too can buy a JST SH to 2.54 mm appropriate header for $1.50.