Re: [avr-chat] AVR Dragon Still The Best?

[Graham Davies]

Robert L Cochran wrote:
> Is the AVR Dragon the best choice
> of programmer? Or the STK500?

Is a "programmer" all you want?  If so, both the AVR Dragon and the STK500 
have a lot of stuff you'll be paying for but won't need.  You can pick up an 
Atmel programmer more cheaply or a perfectly good third-party programmer 
even cheaper 
(http://www.avrfreaks.net/wiki/index.php/Documentation:Avr8ProgInterfaces).

The STK500 is also a development system.  It has switches, LEDs, a serial 
port, a data Flash, configurable clock sources, an adjustable power supply 
and an expansion connector for which you can get a plug-in prototyping board 
(http://www.ecrostech.com/AtmelAvr/Stk500Exp).

The AVR Dragon is also an on-chip debugging interface.  For that reason, 
plus it's cheaper, I would personally recommend it over the STK500 (I have 
both).  You can turn the AVR Dragon into a sort-of development system with 
the Dragon Rider (http://www.ecrostech.com/AtmelAvr/DragonRider) or just 
cable it up to your own target.

Graham. (disclosure, I am www.ecrostech.com)