Uploading precompiled binary hex files

Getting all the libraries and the source code to build the Polargraph firmware is easy, but even so sometimes you don't want to do it. I don't judge.

For that reason I package up pre-compiled hex files of the various firmwares, and you can upload these to the Arduino without having to have all the ducks lined up in a row to actually compile it.

In the latest code bundle, there's a folder in arduino-source named after each firmware. For instance, to upload the firmware to an UNO, when you're using an PolargraphSD, look for

arduino-source/polargraph_server_polarshield/polargraph_server_polarshield.ino.hex

XLoader on Windows

Xloader is a pretty shell around avrdude (below) that I recommend you use on Windows. It's neat and just works.

Use AVRDUDE

AVRDUDE is a tool used to upload firmware to AVR microprocessors, and it is included in the Arduino IDE so you already have it.

Use a command line like:

<path to arduino>/hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude
-C<path to arduino>/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf
-v -patmega2560 -carduino -b 115200 -cstk500v2
-P<name of serial port>
-D -Uflash:w:<path to hex file>:i

For example, for me to upload the polargraph_server_a1 precompiled firmware on Windows, my commandline looks like:

C:\dev\Arduino\hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude 
-CC:\dev\Arduino\hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf 
-v -patmega2560 -carduino -b115200 -cstk500v2
-P\\.\COM1 
-D -Uflash:w:C:\Users\sandy_000\Documents\Arduino\polargraph_firmware\polargraph_server_a1\polargraph_server_a1.ino.hex:i

And I got that from turning on verbose uploading mode in the Arduino IDE (File -> Preferences), and attempting to upload the sketch to a disconnected Arduino board. So you can do that to figure out what your command will look like: where your avrdude files are, things like that.

It might look slightly different on Linux or MacOS.