3

To burn a bootloader to the Arduino Micro (ATMega32u4), I'm using an Arduino Uno with the ArduinoISP program uploaded to it.

1st case: Arduino IDE

Very straightforward, using the ArduinoISP sketch included in the IDE.

enter image description here

From clicking on "Burn Bootloader" to the output window displaying "Done burning bootloader", it takes 61 seconds.

2nd case: avrdude

I'm running avrdude directly from the Arduino IDE's folder like so (line breaks added for your reading pleasure):

D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe -v -v -c arduino 
-p atmega32u4 -P com4 -b 19200 
-U flash:w:"..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"

From pressing Enter to avrdude.exe done. Thank you. displaying on stdout, it only takes 11 seconds. Full output is posted below.

 D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe -v -v -c arduino -p atmega32u4 -P com4 -b 19200 -U flash:w:"..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"
avrdude.exe: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\MHV AVR Tools\bin\avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : com4
 Using Programmer : arduino
 Overriding Baud Rate : 19200
 AVR Part : ATmega32U4
 Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
 PAGEL : PD7
 BS2 : PA0
 RESET disposition : dedicated
 RETRY pulse : SCK
 serial program mode : yes
 parallel program mode : yes
 Timeout : 200
 StabDelay : 100
 CmdexeDelay : 25
 SyncLoops : 32
 ByteDelay : 0
 PollIndex : 3
 PollValue : 0x53
 Memory Detail :
 Block Poll Page Polled
 Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
 ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
 eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 Programmer Type : Arduino
 Description : Arduino
 Hardware Version: 2
 Firmware Version: 1.18
 Topcard : Unknown
 Vtarget : 0.0 V
 Varef : 0.0 V
 Oscillator : Off
 SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude.exe: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as CB
avrdude.exe: NOTE: "flash" memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
 To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude.exe: erasing chip
avrdude.exe: reading input file "..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex"
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: writing flash (32730 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.25s
avrdude.exe: 32730 bytes of flash written
avrdude.exe: verifying flash memory against ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex:
avrdude.exe: load data flash data from input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex:
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude.exe: input file ..\..\..\arduino\avr\bootloaders\caterina\Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex contains 32730 bytes
avrdude.exe: reading on-chip flash data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.35s
avrdude.exe: verifying ...
avrdude.exe: 32730 bytes of flash verified
avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude.exe: safemode: efuse reads as CB
avrdude.exe: safemode: Fuses OK (E:CB, H:D8, L:FF)
avrdude.exe done. Thank you.

Question:

Where does this discrepancy come from? The baud rate is hard coded to be 19200 in the ArduinoISP sketch, so that can't be it.

asked Mar 19, 2017 at 20:04
4
  • Have you checked the obvious things like baudrate? Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 21:04
  • @PlasmaHH The baud rate is hardcoded to 19200 in the ArduinoISP sketch. I'll remove that part from my question. Commented Mar 19, 2017 at 23:18
  • Given that the IDE uses avrdude to do this, it's a bit odd, but you should probably turn on verbose mode and look at the actual command line issued. Note that the baud rate of sending data from the ISP sketch to the target is distinct from the baud rate of communicating with the ISP adapter. avrdude supports varying this, but my memory was of the ISP sketch ignoring that specification. Commented Mar 20, 2017 at 0:31
  • @ChrisStratton It looks like the problem isn't with avrdude, but the hex file. Arduino IDE ships with both a Caterina-Micro.hex and a Caterina-Genuino-Micro.hex. The former is what the IDE uses, the latter is what I used with avrdude. There are differences between the files and burning the latter is very quick but doesn't actually work. Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 9:03

1 Answer 1

4

In the Arduino IDE do this:

  • File > Preferences > Show verbose output during: > upload (check) > OK
  • Tools > Burn Bootloader

After it finishes examine the output in the black console window at the bottom of the Arduino IDE window. If you look carefully you'll see that the Arduino IDE actually runs two separate AVRDUDE commands when you Burn Bootloader. The first sets the fuses according to the settings in boards.txt for the selected board, the second actually burns the bootloader. So your comparison is not really fair unless you run both commands in your test of using AVRDUDE directly.

Edit by OP:

Full output in the Arduino IDE:

D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avrdude -CD:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega32u4 -cstk500v1 -PCOM4 -b19200 -e -Ulock:w:0x3F:m -Uefuse:w:0xcb:m -Uhfuse:w:0xd8:m -Ulfuse:w:0xff:m 
avrdude: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : COM4
 Using Programmer : stk500v1
 Overriding Baud Rate : 19200
 AVR Part : ATmega32U4
 Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
 PAGEL : PD7
 BS2 : PA0
 RESET disposition : dedicated
 RETRY pulse : SCK
 serial program mode : yes
 parallel program mode : yes
 Timeout : 200
 StabDelay : 100
 CmdexeDelay : 25
 SyncLoops : 32
 ByteDelay : 0
 PollIndex : 3
 PollValue : 0x53
 Memory Detail :
 Block Poll Page Polled
 Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
 ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
 eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 Programmer Type : STK500
 Description : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
 Hardware Version: 2
 Firmware Version: 1.18
 Topcard : Unknown
 Vtarget : 0.0 V
 Varef : 0.0 V
 Oscillator : Off
 SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "0x3F"
avrdude: writing lock (1 bytes):
D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/bin/avrdude -CD:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega32u4 -cstk500v1 -PCOM4 -b19200 -Uflash:w:D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:i -Ulock:w:0x2F:m 
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0x3F:
avrdude: load data lock data from input file 0x3F:
avrdude: input file 0x3F contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lock data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xcb"
avrdude: writing efuse (1 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: 1 bytes of efuse written
avrdude: verifying efuse memory against 0xcb:
avrdude: load data efuse data from input file 0xcb:
avrdude: input file 0xcb contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip efuse data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of efuse verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xd8"
avrdude: writing hfuse (1 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: 1 bytes of hfuse written
avrdude: verifying hfuse memory against 0xd8:
avrdude: load data hfuse data from input file 0xd8:
avrdude: input file 0xd8 contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip hfuse data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of hfuse verified
avrdude: reading input file "0xff"
avrdude: writing lfuse (1 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse written
avrdude: verifying lfuse memory against 0xff:
avrdude: load data lfuse data from input file 0xff:
avrdude: input file 0xff contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lfuse data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lfuse verified
avrdude done. Thank you.
avrdude: Version 6.3, compiled on Sep 12 2016 at 17:24:16
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : COM4
 Using Programmer : stk500v1
 Overriding Baud Rate : 19200
 AVR Part : ATmega32U4
 Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
 PAGEL : PD7
 BS2 : PA0
 RESET disposition : dedicated
 RETRY pulse : SCK
 serial program mode : yes
 parallel program mode : yes
 Timeout : 200
 StabDelay : 100
 CmdexeDelay : 25
 SyncLoops : 32
 ByteDelay : 0
 PollIndex : 3
 PollValue : 0x53
 Memory Detail :
 Block Poll Page Polled
 Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
 ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
 eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 Programmer Type : STK500
 Description : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
 Hardware Version: 2
 Firmware Version: 1.18
 Topcard : Unknown
 Vtarget : 0.0 V
 Varef : 0.0 V
 Oscillator : Off
 SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9587 (probably m32u4)
avrdude: NOTE: "flash" memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
 To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (32730 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 35.65s
avrdude: 32730 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex:
avrdude: input file D:\Programme\Arduino\hardware\arduino\avr/bootloaders/caterina/Caterina-Micro.hex contains 32730 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 19.92s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 32730 bytes of flash verified
avrdude: reading input file "0x2F"
avrdude: writing lock (1 bytes):
Writing | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock written
avrdude: verifying lock memory against 0x2F:
avrdude: load data lock data from input file 0x2F:
avrdude: input file 0x2F contains 1 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip lock data:
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s
avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 1 bytes of lock verified
avrdude done. Thank you.
answered Mar 20, 2017 at 4:58
3
  • Thanks, that seems to be correct! There's quite a lot of stuff the IDE is doing, including reading a lock byte apparently. Commented Mar 20, 2017 at 19:24
  • So as it turns out, there seems to be more to this. Burning the fuses takes less than a second. I'll investigate further. Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 8:25
  • 1
    If you look at the output above, you'll notices that not only does the Arduino IDE write the firmware, it also verifies it. The verification process has to read the entire flash memory after the firmware is written, and the result must be compared to the source file. As shown in the output, the firmware verification takes almost a full 20 seconds. Commented Jan 4, 2019 at 8:08

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