USBTinyISP In-Circuit AVR Programmer User’s Guide

 

 

1. Overview & Capabilities

Feature	Description
Interface	USB 2.0 to AVR ISP
Protocol	In-System Programming (ISP)
Supported MCUs	ATmega, ATtiny series (AVR architecture)
Voltage	Typically 5V logic (Populate the yellow jumper for USBTiny to supply power to the IC you’ll program, otherwise, supply your own power to your IC)
Speed	~1.5 MHz default SCK (can be lowered for slow targets)

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2. Driver Setup

Windows:

• Use Zadig to install the libusb-win32 driver:
  1. Plug in USBTinyISP.
  2. Open Zadig.
  3. Select “USBTiny” from the dropdown.
  4. Choose libusb-win32 and click “Install Driver”.

Linux/macOS:

• No driver needed. Kernel support via libusb.

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3. Software Tools

Tool	Purpose	Notes
AVRDUDE	Flash, fuse, EEPROM programming	CLI-based, highly flexible
Arduino IDE	Burn bootloaders	Select USBTinyISP as programmer
AVRDUDESS	GUI for AVRDUDE	Easier for beginners
PlatformIO	Embedded development	Supports USBTinyISP via config flags

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4. Wiring & Pinout

ISP Header (6-pin or 10-pin)

USBTinyISP	Target AVR
MISO	MISO
MOSI	MOSI
SCK	SCK
RESET	RESET
VCC	VCC
GND	GND

• Use 6-pin header for most ATmega/ATtiny boards.
• Populate the Yellow Jumper so that the USBTinyISP versions supplies power via VCC to the IC you’re gonna program. Otherwise, take it out if you want to supply your own power source to your IC.

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5. Common Commands (AVRDUDE)

# Flash firmware
avrdude -c usbtiny -p m328p -U flash:w:firmware.hex

# Read fuses
avrdude -c usbtiny -p m328p -U lfuse:r:-:h -U hfuse:r:-:h

# Burn bootloader
avrdude -c usbtiny -p m328p -U flash:w:bootloader.hex -U lfuse:w:0xFF:m -U hfuse:w:0xDA:m

Replace m328p with your target MCU (e.g., t85 for ATtiny85).

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6. Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
“Device not found”	Check wiring, USB connection, driver
“Initialization failed”	Confirm RESET line, reduce SCK speed
Fuse write fails	Ensure target is powered and not locked
Arduino IDE error	Select correct board and programmer

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Tips for Embedded Workflows

• Use a breadboard adapter or pogo pins for clean ISP access.
• For ATtiny85, reduce SCK speed with -B 10 flag in AVRDUDE.
• Always back up fuse settings before modifying.
• Combine with logic analyzer to verify SPI signaling if needed.

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