microUPDI programmer

Name: microUPDI programmer
SKU: 17951
Price: 15.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.71 (12 reviews)

(12 Reviews)

A cheap, easy to use UPDI programmer compatible with Arduino IDE and Atmel Studio!

Designed by MCUdude in Norway

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A cheap, easy to use UPDI programmer compatible with Arduino IDE and Atmel Studio!

What is it? The microUPDI is a small UPDI programmer and USB to serial adapter based on the Arduino Pro Micro. It runs Atmel proprietary mEDBG firmware and can be used for both programmings and debug…

What is it?

The microUPDI is a small UPDI programmer and USB to serial adapter based on the Arduino Pro Micro. It runs Atmel proprietary mEDBG firmware and can be used for both programmings and debugging UPDI compatible AVR chips.

Why did you make it?

At the time of writing, there doesn't exist dedicated UPDI programming hardware except for the Atmel ICE. There also doesn't exist (until now!) a UPDI header pinout standard that houses a UPDI and UART interface. Note that this programmer won't work with the AVR-DA and AVR-DB series. These chips use a slightly different UPDI protocol that the mEDBG firmware doesn't support.

What makes it special?

Based on the Arduino Pro Micro
Just like the famous 6-pin ISP connector it's tolerant to reverse insertion
The programming connector can power the target (microUPDI can deliver 3.3V, 5V and no target power)
The microUPDI also acts as a virtual serial port. This means you can program over UPDI and communicate over UART over the same 6-pin connector
RX, TX, and status LED present
Buffered RX and TX lines (using a pair of 74LVC1G125's)
mEDBG firmware can be flashed using Arduino IDE
Supported by MPLAB X, Microchip Studio and Arduino IDE
The microUPDI hardware is completely open-source. Everything is available on Github

How to turn your Arduino Pro Micro into a microUPDI

You can flash the microUPDI firmware using Arduino IDE. Simply follow the guide on Github!

What's included?

1x microUPDI PCB with SMD components soldered
1x 6-pin male header
1x 6-pin female header
1x 3-pin male header
1x jumper

Arduino Pro Micro not included!

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Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.83)

Documentation: (4.42)

Shipping: (4.75)

Communication: (4.83)

Travis | Jan. 29, 2024

Documentation for this project is seriously lacking.

I can't actually speak for the programmer. I received my programmer, proceeded to follow the GitHub directions for uploading the firmware to my Arduino Pro Micro.

I first ran into issues because I was using the newest Arduino IDE (2.2.1). Apparently the creator hasn't tested with that so I had to downgrade to Arduino 1.8.19.

I tried flashing the firmware and bricked the Pro Micro without much for an error. I grabbed another Pro Micro, bricked it as well. Now the creator tells me that I'm using the wrong version of his microUPDIcore. I was using v1.0.1 and he suggested v1.0.2. I got this version from the Arduino Board Manager from his documentation.

I have run into issue after issue and while the creator has attempted to help, I'm now stuck with purchasing another piece just to reflash the 2 bricked Arduino Pro Micros (creator's suggestion) just to hope this works. I'm cutting my loses.

Maybe it's me or maybe things have been updated since 2021.

Response from MCUdude | Feb. 25, 2024

I'm sorry you had issues flashing the Pro Micro with the correct firmware. When uploading for some reason fails, you can either manually enter "extended bootloader mode" by shorting the reset line to ground two times. This will make the Pro Micro stay in bootloader mode longer than usual, but it will still time out within 8 seconds. A few attempts may be necessary to get it going. Another alternative is to use an ISP programmer to flash the firmware.
Please contact me if you still having issues getting it to work, and I'm sure we'll figure out something.

Chris | Feb. 2, 2023

Perfect solution

I had no experience with programming embedded chips before this. I purchased and built another project a while back that I wanted to reprogram with new features, and UPDI was the only supported method for doing so. I purchased this kit and a knockoff of the board it works with; the price was right, and even with my incredibly limited skills I was able to get it working without difficulty. This worked so well and I was able to figure it out in an evening. Thank you!

Oliver | May 25, 2022

Works like a charm

I've been using this for a while now to work with ATtiny3216s and it just works perfectly well. Works fine with ArduinoIDE as well as PlatformIO and avrdude.

Michael | March 12, 2022

excellent

Works great. MCUDude's cores, hardware, and instructions are all great. I have used one of these programmers for a little while now and it has become essential to my work. I bought this one as a backup (though there is no indication of any need for concern with my first one!).

Arthur | Feb. 10, 2022

worked great

Used it to program ATtiny chips with the arduino IDE. Only snag I hit was I had to use version 1.8.13 of the IDE but that has more to do with the megatiny core library. I plan to replace the pin header with a box header and use a ribbon cable to connect to the programming header on the boards. Serial communication was seamless.

Luka | Dec. 5, 2021

A great product from a great engineer!

Fast delivery, excellent design, precise and extremely well-written instructions - perfect.

I use it with ATmega4809 and MegaCoreX, which is (among many other things) also a work from MCUdude.

The engineering world needs more people like MCUdude, because everything he does is very well documented and always works as published.

A real tribute!

Erwin | Aug. 31, 2021

One programmer to rule them all.

I have been using a simple UPDI programmer (made from a serial converter and a 4k7 resistor) for a while, but since I fell in love with the new AVR series microprocessors, it was time for a more robust one. MCUdude is well-known for his work on Arduino support for the new AVR series, so I tried his programmer first. And have had no need whatsoever to look at other programmers.
He created a nice pin-layout with the programmer for vcc (5v or 3v3), gnd, tx, rx and updi which can withstand inverted polarity. I use this layout for my UPDI connector on my boards as default.

Highly recommended!

PS. I made a printable case for it that can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4943607

Christopher | June 20, 2021

Best cheap tool for UPDI program and debug

A great little cheap tool, I am using this to debug an ATtiny814 and it works excellently, with full Atmel Studio integration.

The inbuilt level shifted serial interface works great as well, and is very handy for debugging the capacitive touch interface using Atmel's "datastreamer" built into the IDE. Theres some helpful status LEDs as well, and the whole thing is nicely compact.

I previously used pyupdi based usb-serial options, and while these program fine they lack any form of debugging or a seperate UART interface. This tool instead is recognised immediately by Atmel Studio, and includes a neat hack so it works with any UPDI AVR rather than being device locked like the Atmel Xplain boards.

The added "32U4 ISP" header on the underside is handy to reprogram the Arduino if you (like me) fiddle around enough to accidently brick it.

An option for a few more dollars with level shifting of the UPDI line and some input protection would be nice, as well as maybe changing the UDPI VCC pin from an output to a VCC "sense" input instead which is more commmon on dedicated programmers (e.g. J-Link or STLink). Given how expensive the official ATMEL-ICE tool is at $100 without a case, there is definately more room for something in between.

Bartosz | Sept. 2, 2020

Perfect little programmer

I am very happy that I've found your programmer. I've successfully programmed my board with it and now I am using it as USB to UART bridge.

I've got one issue, that is, the programmer "times out" frequently from Atmel Studio 7 and when that happens, I have to reboot my PC for it to work again. Other than that, great tool!

Steffen | July 28, 2020

Works good with other Firmware

Thats a very good shield to generate a UPDI programmer from a chiep Arduino Pro Micro Bord. But it works only 1 time with documented firmware. I progammed the Pro Micro Bord with original firmware from Atmel Studio7 (medbgupdi.hex) and MCUdude's modified EEPROM file. Now it works well

Kurt | May 23, 2020

Do what it's supposed to do.

Do what it's supposed to do. Is also displayed in ATMEL Studio 7.*********************************************************

Randal | Sept. 10, 2019

Awesome adapter board for UPDI programming and Serial USB

Works great! Great board design. I am able to program a ATtiny1617 (and other Series 0/1 chips) and do serial communications from the Arduino IDE, all from the same USB connection.

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