Drag-and-drop programming of .hex files with avrdude-5.10 for windows

<h1>Drag-and-drop programming of .hex files with avrdude-5.10 for windows</h1>
This software contains avrdude for windows and some batch files.
The software is meant to be used in combination with the tuxgraphics avrusb500 programmer 
hardware.
Using this software you can:
<ul>
<li>Program a microcontroller by just dragging and dropping a hex file onto an icon
<li>Read fuse settings with a simple double click
</ul>

<h2>Installation</h2>
<ol>
<li>Unzip this package somewhere e.g in c:\
<li>Insert your avrusb500 programmer into your computer and check at which COM
port it shows up. Note down the COM port (e.g COM4).
<li>Open the files m328p_dragdrop.bat as well as m8_dragdrop.bat with a text editor (notepad will work)
and change the COM port as needed. 
<li>Open the files m328p_rdfuses.bat as well as m8_rdfuses.bat with a text editor (notepad will work)
and change the COM port as needed.
<li> Create a shortcut to the batch scripts <b>m328p_dragdrop.bat</b> and <b>m8_dragdrop.bat</b>. To create the shortcut you right click on the batch file and select copy. Next right-click on your desktop and select "paste as shortcut".<br>
<b>Note: it has to be a shortcut (paste as shortcut). Just copy/paste will not work!!</b>
<li>The batch files m328p_rdfuses.bat and m8_rdfuses.bat do not need to be copied as shortcuts.
</ol>
The provided batch files can quite easily be changed to support other avr microcontroller types.
<h2>Usage: programming</h2>
The m328p_dragdrop.bat can be used to program any atmega328p microcontroller using
the <b>avrusb500 line of programmers from tuxgraphics</b>. The  m8_dragdrop.bat provides the same
functionality for atmega8 or atmega8a microcontrollers.
<br><br>
Using the file manger ("Computer") drag and drop the .hex file that you would like load
into the microcontroller onto the shortcut on your desktop. This will open a black window
where diagnostic information is shown while the chip is being programmed. You can close that
black window once the programming process successfully completed (just hit return and the window will close).
<br>
<h2>Usage: reading fuse settings</h2>
By double clicking on the m328p_rdfuses.bat and m8_rdfuses.bat scripts you can read the fuse settings of 
an atmega328p or an atmega8/atmega8a microcontroller respectively. This is a good thing to do first
after installation just to verify that the microcontroller and your programmer are working properly.
<br>
<br>
Experience shows that users  asking for help because the programmer is not working have
usually forgotten to power-on the microcontroller.
Therefore please
check that your microcontroller has power. The printout generated by clicking on m328p_rdfuses.bat/m8_rdfuses.bat will actually
tell you what the target voltage is. If that is close to zero then you did not plug-in the connector
or you forgot to power-on the microcontroller.
<br>
<br>
It's good to check the fuse settings before you start just to be sure but normally you change them only once to the right values
for your code and after that you never touch them again.
<br>
<br>
Changing fuse settings is probably best done from the command line (dos shell) as you rarely need to change them.
<br>

<h2>Notes</h2>
The two batch files (m328p_dragdrop.bat and m8_dragdrop.bat) load only the software they do not change fuse bytes.
<br>
<br>
This software is available under the terms of the "GNU General Public License, V2".
<br>
<br>
<br>
<hr>
<br>
This documentation and the included .bat files were written by Guido Socher (guidosocher@gmail.com)