PonyProg is a free programmer (software part of the programmer) for reading and writing microcontroller and ROM programs with a serial programming interface. Due to its simplicity and low cost of manufacturing the hardware, the programmer has become widespread.
How PonyProg works
The hardware part of the programmer is connected to the parallel (LPT) or serial (COM) port of an IBM PC-compatible computer. Supported hardware interfaces are AVR ISP (STK200/300), JDM/Ludipipo, EasyI2C and DT-006 AVR (from Dontronics). The PonyProg software is launched on the computer, a microcontroller or an EEPROM chip is installed in the programmer. After preliminary configuration, the memory (EEPROM - data memory, Flash - program memory) will be written with a firmware compiled specifically for the device using development environments for microcontrollers, for example, for the AVR family of controllers. In addition, PonyProg can read data from EEPROM and firmware from microcontroller memory.
Features PonyProg
PonyProg supports the following interfaces for communication with a programmable microcontroller:
Supported operating systems: all 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows (95, 98, NT, 2000 and XP), all POSIX compliant (Linux, BSD and UNIX-like).
The list of supported devices includes most common PIC and AVR microcontrollers and various types of memory chips.
PonyProg is a serial (COM) and parallel (LPT) chip programmer supported by Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP and Intel Linux systems. The programmer supports IIC BUS, Microwire, SPI eeprom, Atmel AVR and PICMicro interfaces.
PonyProg can read and write program code or data, edit program text by modifying byte values, clear memory, and program FUSE bits.
The programmer can be used both for programming microcircuits of your own projects, and for decoding car radios, mobile phones, repairing TVs, etc.
The list of supported devices, program features and hardware diagrams for various interfaces is located at the office. website: www.lancos.com
Installing PonyProg
Run the file setup.exe, after installation, we russify the program by uploading the file PonyProg2000.exe to the program folder, replacing the existing file.
Setup and firmware
At the first start, a welcome window appears (check the box Turn off the sound).
PonyProg will ask you to calibrate and indicate the type of programmer you are using with two warning messages.
Then we calibrate and set up the equipment. On the menu Settings choose Calibration.
Let's press Yes wait a few seconds. A success message will appear.
After on the menu Settings choose Hardware setup
In the window that appears, select the port and how to work with this port (in this image, the settings for working with the programmer for Windows2000/XP via the LPT port).
Attention! Do not specify the port to which the modem is connected: this may disable it.
Select the chip type using the menu Device.
Then on the menu File choose Open microchip firmware file.
Install the file setup.exe, then you can Russify by uploading the file ponyprog2000.exe to the installed folder by answering "yes" to the question "do you want to replace the existing file?".
After installation, run on the computer PonyProg program . A welcome window appears (check the "Mute" box so that the wife is not scared when the program is launched next time!):
Two more windows will appear in turn as you click OK:
Clicked " OK ". That's it, the program is now open!
Need to do now calibration And set up equipment . In the menu - Settings, select " Calibration »
We agree. The message " Calibration completed ". Press " OK ".
In the Menu - Settings, select " Hardware setup »
Choose a port Consistent » in the pop-up menu, select the type of programmer JDM API . Of the four possible options for COM ports, select the active one, or if there are several active ports, the one to which you connected the equipment. In my case, this is the only COM1.
1. If you want to flash a 24CXX memory chip, then you need to check the box " Invert Reset and leave the rest unchecked. Here are the settings for the EEPROM 24CXX memory chips, as shown in the figure below:
Important! See how to connect the jumpers on the board:
- 5 jumpers (jumpers)
- 7 jumpers (jumpers)
2. If you want to flash PIC microcontrollers, then the settings should be as in the figure:
Important! See how to connect the jumpers on the board:
- 5 jumpers (jumpers)
- 7 jumpers (jumpers)
Click OK . Now the program is set up!
In order for the programmer to flash with a bang, its software part must have real-time priority, for this:
1. press Ctrl+Alt+Delete
2. The task manager will open, where you need to do the following:
That is, ask the program PonyProg2000.exe real time priority .
After all that has been done, we select the type of microcircuit that we want to flash
Then on the menu File - Open select the firmware file for this chip.
To start the recording process (firmware firmware), press the button, which is shown in red highlight below:
The program will ask you that the firmware will be written over the data that is currently in the chip's memory.
If you agree, click " OK ” and data will be written to the chip.
When flashing PIC microcontrollers on the equipment board, a red LED lights up during writing and reading.
After the recording process is completed, the program will display a message about the successful recording.
(The following is not necessary!) For self-certification of the correctness of data recording, you can read the memory of the microcircuit and check the characters at the beginning of the code and at the end of the read data and the data that you just wrote down, if they match, then you can solder the microcircuit to the board of your invention and check its operation.
PonyProg written by Italian Claudio Lanconelli (Claudio Lanconelli) and exists in Windows (9x/ME/NT/2000/XP) and Linux versions. Has support for the Russian language. Can use parallel port (LPT) or standard serial port (COM).
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By using PonyProg you can download data to microcontrollers Atmel AVR and MicroCHIP PicMicro, as well as programming serial memory chips (I2C Bus, Microwire, SPI eeprom).
A complete list of programmable microcircuits can be found on the website PonyProg, A download this wonderful program from http://www.lancos.com/ppwin95.html or from the Downloads section of the site.
In addition to all of the above, PonyProg provides the ability to edit the text of the program at the level of changing the value of bytes.
To load a ready-made program using PonyProg into an AVR microcontroller, you can use a simplified version of the STK200 programmer, which is described in the article. This device consists of a 25-pin parallel (LPT) port connector, 4 resistors (150 ohms) and a connecting cable, the length of which should not exceed 1.5 meters.
Consider the sequence of actions for loading the program into the microcontroller using an example ATmega8.
When you first start PonyProg, it will ask you to calibrate and indicate the type of programmer you are using with the help of two warning messages.
Let's do as he asks. Go to the "Setup" menu and select the "Calibration" item.
When a warning appears, make sure that, apart from PonyProg, we do not have any applications running that load the processor and hard drive.
Then click "Yes" and wait a few seconds.
After the calibration process is complete, a success message will appear.
If something went wrong, the calibration should be redone.
Now select "Interface Setup..." from the "Setup" menu.
In the window that appears, select the parallel port and how to work with this port (in Windows2000/XP we must select "AVR ISP I/O" and use the standard LPT port).
Attention! Do not specify the port to which the modem is connected: this may disable it.
You can specify the type of microcontroller using the menu "Device" - "AVR micro".
When all the preparations are done, load the file with the compiled program into PonyProg.
How to get a file with a compiled program using the WinAVR environment, you can read in the article
Acts as a full-time programmer for microcontroller devices that have EEPROM. Works with any interface ports of devices. Access is free.
PonyProg2000 is a free software product that allows you to reprogram microprocessor circuits.
Users should be aware that connecting the adapter must be done with the computer system turned off. If this warning is not followed, the device may be damaged. Before you get started, you need to synchronize the operation of the software with the attached adapter. After launching the software, find in the settings menu the model of the adapter used - its name and brand, and only after that start "hacking" the technical device.
