how the usb spi flashing device write program to atmega?

Question

the atmega microcontrollers have the internal programmable memory.So the usb flash device write data to internal memory of atmega through spi or it store the program and works as slave?i also want to know can the atmega get program,file in the MicroSD and run without internal memory or it need to run a program in internal disk then including the program in MicroSD?i don't know how the process work in atmega microcontroller.

Answer 1

The best answer for this question you can find at the end or middle of datasheet for AVR device (eg ATMEGA 328P-PU). If you are using some flashing device connected with computer, there is some initialization sequence after start and then there are send some 4 Bytes commands that tels microcontrolers, where to store values to flash and/or eeprom, fuse bits, or cares about erasing etc. There is also posible to read ID of chip. Atmega microcontroler can be also programmed in paralel mode, where are some bits used for sending commands that tels, what to do with data on data bit.

If you ask about downloading program from SD card or any other device, there is possible to write to the flash through SPM, as there was told above. Some devices do not have part of flash for downloader - if I remember ATMEGA 48, and devices, that have configurable part of memory usable also for downloader, that can handle this, eg. ATMEGA 88, 168, 328. So if you want to download program from SPI, USART, TWI, etc, you need to configure fuse bits and create downloader that will do it for you. I am not sure, how ATMEGA 48 do this, but there si probably possible to write whole flash by SPM instruction.

However the best answer you can find in the datasheet. On pages folowing 255 you can find further information. http://www.atmel.com/images/Atmel-8271-8-bit-AVR-Microcontroller-ATmega48A-48PA-88A-88PA-168A-168PA-328-328P_datasheet_Complete.pdf

Answer 2

There are several ways to program the AVR:

• Using an external programmer. The Chip is in reset state during this. Then the programmer uses special a special protocol to directly write to the flash inside the controller. This is how your USB programming device probably writes code to the AVR. There are several protocols for this, but the most common one uses the same pins that are used by SPI. You should not confuse them just because of that ;-).

• The controller writes the program itself. The chip is actively executing a program. That program on the chip fetches the instructions from e.g. a sd card and using the SPM instruction to copy it to local flash.

The AVR can only fetch instructions from it's own flash memory - you cannot execute directly from RAM or from any other external source.