Atmel Studio 6 won't communicate with D20

[randomrichard]

I've just taken delivery of a SAM D20 board but although my PC (Win7 64bit) installed a driver and recognized it immediately on COM51, Atmel Studio 6, installed as instructed in the first article, can't see it and won't communicate with it after I prepared the "First Program". I noticed that Atmel Studio 6 also failed to install updates, including ASF 3.21.0.1353 and Atmel Kits despite advising me to do so and repeated attempts on my part. Any suggestions?

[slagromo]

Hello randomrichard,

maybe it's your antivirus (and probably the MS Firewall). Can you try to shut down your antivirus for a short moment?


It can also be a problem with the rights - so please try to start the Atmel Studio with the administrator-rights.


Probably your COM-Port-number is to high - you can change it in the Device Manager of Windows.



Kind Regards,


Viacheslav Gromov

[randomrichard]

Hi
I'm unwilling to stop my virus software - it has never previously prevented software uploads.

I have changed the board access to COM2, where "devices and printers" sees "EDBG CMSIS-DAP" but Atmel Studio still doesn't "see" the board. I am opening the Atmel Studio with administrator rights as you suggest but still am unable to update ASF, etc. Instead, any attempt to download and update is rejected with a message window saying "No application is associated with the specified file for this operation". Eh?

I note that there are user comments in the update window complaining about the need for admin access and the restriction to one download. I would prefer to use the Arduino IDE as offered in the update window rather than Atmel Studio anyway. But can't, because I can't download it. It's a nice Catch 22. Psychologists call it a double bind - drives people mad - and loses customers.

Your next article in Elektor should make it clear how to setup and use Atmel Studio or dump it in favour of the Arduino IDE offered. Atmel Studio looks very much like Microsoft Visual Studio. Copies should be easier, not more hostile!
Regards

Richard

[ag]

Hi Richard,

I'm unwilling to stop my virus software - it has never previously prevented software uploads.

I once heard "there´s a first time for everything". I indeed had the same symptom you described, and turning off Kaspersky virus protection and Microsoft Firewall just long enough to start Atmel Studio and connect to the SAM D20 (about 5 minues) did the trick. You can do this safely simply by first disconnecting your computer from the network, and only reconnect after you have established a connection to the SAM D20 (assuming that solves the connection problem as it did for me) and reactivated your firewall and anti-virus. Once I had established connection for the first time, it continued to re-connect after the firewall and virus protection were again active.

I note that there are user comments in the update window complaining about the need for admin access and the restriction to one download. I would prefer to use the Arduino IDE as offered in the update window rather than Atmel Studio anyway. But can't, because I can't download it. It's a nice Catch 22. Psychologists call it a double bind - drives people mad - and loses customers.

If you are referring to the "Arduino IDE for Atmel Studio 6.1 & 6.2", then I believe that is not what you are expecting. I have installed that extension, and it works fine for Arduino boards, but I cannot see any non-Arduino (i.e. SAM D20) boards in the drop-down list of supported boards (see attachment). So, I think you will have to go forward with AS6.2.

Regards,

[randomrichard]

AG

Thanks for the advice. Atmel Studio seemed to see the SAMD20J18 when I did as you advised but did NOT see any "tool", nor was I able to update as suggested without an internet connection! After reconnecting to the web Atmel Studio no longer sees the D20, and refuses to update ASF etc. as before.

Thanks for the Arduino advice too - I have both the Arduino and UECIDE IDE's and have used them lots.

Next, I plan to uninstall and reinstall Atmel Studio and hope that the download from the maker does not need updating this time - rather illogical, as Spock might say.

Regards

Richard

[randomrichard]

Well, I have reinstalled Atmel Studio 6, to no good effect. Exactly the same problem as before; it will NOT update ASF3.18 to ASF3.21. I have also downloaded the vast ASF3.21 zipfile only to find that there is NO documentation, NO installation ( e.g. *.msi) file, and NO way of installing it through Studio 6 as far as I can tell. The forums are useless in this respect. The only useful thing achieved was to find that ASF3.21 does include SAMD20J18 - version 3.18 presumably does not.

I may, if my patience holds out, download the complete ("no internet connection" (!)) version of Studio 6 if I can establish on the website that it includes ASF3.21 (why ever not?), which I doubt.

I strongly recommend that a warning detailing these issues are published on the website immediately.

Richard

[randomrichard]

One further point: The Atmel download page says that the Studio 6 download includes version 3.19 of the ASF. It does NOT. The package I downloaded this morning has just installed version 3.18, which is the cause of the problem.

Version 3.19 includes support for the SAM D20J18 whereas version 3.18 does not, according to the version 3.21 release notes.

Microsoft gives a Rolls Royce service compared with this...

[randomrichard]

I have now solved both installation problems.

On my WIndows 7 64bit machine plugging in the SAM20Xplained board leads to it being assigned a COM port seen by Atmel Studio. However, it is a driverless "virtual" assignment and requires one to "update" the driver by asking the PC to search the web for the correct driver. This it will do.

I reinstalled Atmel Studio twice but found no improvement in the behavior of the Tools/Extension Manager. I eventually found that it was necessary to uninstall ASF3.18 or 3.19 (Control panel says 3.19, but Atmel Studio says and behaves as if it was 3.18) using ControlPanel/Programs and Features. Then go to https://gallery.atmel.com (NOT http://www.atmel.com/tools/avrsoftwaref ... =documents, which supplies the wrong download) and download the self-installing *.msi file. Then install ASF and restart the PC to let it associate with Atmel Studio.

This cured my system and, after upgrading the board software I was able to run the "first program" mentioned in the article by Gromov.

Richard

[ag]

Hi Richard,

I am glad that you were finally able to solve the matter. Based on your comments, I am convinced that the root cause of your problems is an incompatibility between AS6 and your virus protection, as originally stated by Viacheslav. I found this note on page 5 of the release notes for AS6.2 (http://www.atmel.com/images/astudio6_2_1153-readme.pdf ):

8. Atmel Studio cannot find any debuggers or programmers when Norton AntiVirus is running
Atmel Studio might not show any connected tools if Norton AntiVirus is running. To make it work make
sure Norton AntiVirus allows atprogram.exe to communicate with the Atmel Studio front-end by adding
atbackend.exe as an exception in the Norton AntiVirus allowed programs. This is the same with any
anti-virus program that by default blocks ports.

If you plan to continue using AS6, I would recommend that you try to verify whether or not the above release note comment applies in your case. Also for the sake of other users who might encounter the same problem.

@ Viacheslav: perhaps you should include a reference to that note and to the Atmel Studio release notes in general in the next issue of Elektor. Most users will tend to target at the final goal and take the quick and easy route toward it, and not take the time to read release notes. It´s only natural. At least by pointing to that document and suggesting it be read first, you put the user in a "do at your own risk" status if he decides to ignore it, and Elektor is "off the hook".


Regards,

[randomrichard]

Hi
I will check the McAfee website for advice - I have a BT line and use "BT net protect plus" which has run well for several years now.