Getting the ATmega8 to run our Program
We saw in our earlier posts, how to wire up the programmer and how to write a C Program. Now, let us see how to compile and download the program onto the device. gcc, as most of you may know, is a cross compiler. A cross compiler is usually used for off target compiling. Thus, a program can be compiled by gcc targeting any platform, not just the host platform. In short, eventhough gcc runs and compiles on a PC, it can be asked to compile for ATmega8. Thus, effectively, we can generate a hex file readable by the device; but not by the PC.
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A 101 on avr-gcc
The GNU/Linux offers a plethora of tools to program the ATmega8 efficiently and quickly. avr-gcc provides a port of the popular gcc compiler. This enables a newbie with basic knowledge in C to program the controller easily without the hassle of learning assembly instructions. Moreover, programming the controller in a middle-level language as opposed to assembly gives higher command over the code, but at a higher program size.
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Programming ATmega8
Its been almost a month since I last visited the ATmega8 I bought the other day. Yet, there it was sitting nicely beneath my PC stand, a bit dusty though. With renewed interest and vigor, I rebooted my attempts. This time, I was ready with all the required components. I left you in the previous article stating that I wired up the programming circuit; but I failed to mention the circuit used. Without further ado, here’s my programmer circuit.
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Eclipse
As even the most ignorant, illiterate creature may have known by now, we have a solar eclipse coming up tomorrow morning. The eclipse will begin in India from approximately, 05:31:13.6 AM and will last upto 07:14:12.6 AM. As we all know, the eclipse is making a buzz around the country; but we, keralites are not so lucky.
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Where was I ?
I think I owe my readers an apology. I was completely, totally absent for about a month in blogosphere and partially in twitterverse. There were abrupt and sometimes odd tweets flying apart from me. And, obviously, something big was happening. It has passed and I am back.
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Beginning the ATmega8
The other day, I decided it was time enough that I loitered around, doing nothing to improve my knowledge or skills at what I am supposed to be good at, Electronics. Oh, well, thats what the world supposes you to be, right ? You know, after getting a B.Tech degree in Electronics, you should at the very least be able to implement a comparator properly. I can, and I have. But thats not the point. I’ve done nothing related to electronics after I completed my degree. So, on the day of WordPress disaster, I bought all the components required to make my perfect dream.
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A Day without Wordpress
Sometimes the most unfortunate of the events fall upon at the most ill deserved of the times. Frustrated with the waiting, I set out on a maiden voyage to brush up my skills as an Electronics Engineer and pick up quite a few new things along the way. Except for the fact that I had to wait at Kerala Electronics, Trichur for almost a full hour to buy the components during which time, I heard enough of the old Trichur slang, the purchase was fruitful. I even got to spend some quality time over a juice of fresh pineapple with an old, close friend of mine.
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Packing and Unpacking in Perl
This post is more to serve as a reminder to myself. Perl has a handy keyword called pack which helps to store a variable in the template specified. pack thus takes two arguments. The first argument is the template and the second argument is the string to be packed according to the template.
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How Rowling killed Harry
I was a great fan of Harry Potter once it came out, way back in 1997. I was mesmerized by the style of writing, the depth of characters and subtle hints of back stories that J. K. Rowling provided in each of her books. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. I devoured each books on the day they came out.
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The Palm Gamble
What does it take to go up against something that has a solid market, a fanatic following and a brilliant strategist? An excellent foresight and the ability to make the possible out of the impossible. Who else would dare to take on something like the iPhone, that literally marked the era of touch-phones? None other than Jon Rubinstein, CEO, Palm Inc.Known better as the “guy who invented iPod”, Rubinstein worked as the Senior Vice President of Apple’s iPod Division till 2006.
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