New Debugger Complements Atmel AVR Studio 5

In a recent blog post I described the new ARV Studio 5 software development tools from Atmel and the Sensors Xplained drivers that simplify writing code for several types of sensors. (See: AVR Studio 5 Includes Sensor Driver Code.)

Now Atmel has a new in-circuit debugger and programmer module, the JTAGICE3, that operates with the AVR Studio 5 software and all Atmel 8-bit and 32-bit AVR-family microcontrollers (MCUs). The new debugger comes in a small plastic package (2.1 x 3.4 inches, or 5.4 x 8.6cm), which makes it aptly suited for engineers and programmers who work on equipment outside a lab situation.

The new JTAGICE3 "pod" lets you control all MCU features and configurations, and it will program 256kbytes of on-chip Flash memory in an AVR MCU in less than 14 seconds. The pod also supports JTAG, SPI, aWire (an Atmel proprietary 1-wire interface), and PDI (Program and Debug Interface) connections used in AVR microcontrollers. You can use the debugger-and-programming pod with MCUs powered from a 1.8V to 5.5V supply.

According to Atmel's information, programmers also can use the debugger as an embedded link controlled by an application that runs under Windows or Linux. So with just a USB connection to an embedded system, you can control the MCU, update firmware, and so on, but without the need for additional onboard hardware or firmware.

The Atmel JTAGICE3 is available now for $199 US from Atmel's online store. The package includes a USB cable, four cable/plug adapters, a pod-to-adapter cable, and a CD-ROM that provides the Atmel AVR Technical Library.

I have a JTAGICE3 pod and look forward to using it with some Atmel MCUs. I'll let you know how it works.

Click here to find more product details and boundary-scan description-language files for AVR and megaAVR processors.