Pogo pin adaptor for programming.

[SenSeS]

I wanted to find a way to program my AVR MCU's when prototyping with a smaller footprint than the 3x2 100mil header. A bed of nails seems nice, but only for larger volumes and not for prototyping.  I'd like to avoid a cable like the tag connect (http://www.tag-connect.com/) because it's expensive. My first idea was to just place 3x2 50mil pads on the PCB and then program them with a male header. However, it seems impossible to touch all 6 pads simultaneously. Pogo pins with 50mil spacing also seems pretty impossible since the pogo pins itself are fairly large.
So finally I'll settle for 3x2 with 100mil spacing pogo pins. I want to make something like
.
However I'm having problems finding pogopins with through hole termination. I found a bunch of fairly cheap ones on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Pieces-P75-E3-Dia-1-02mm-100g-Spring-Test-Probe-Pogo-Pin-/331283014314?talgo=origal&tfrom=331242677632&ttype=price&tpos=unknow but I'm not sure how to get a through-hole termination. Any ideas? Thanks!

[rs20]

A) What do you need a "through-hole" termination for? Just stick a standard one through a hole and solder it?

B) Also, if you use a standard 3x2 100 mil header, but make the through holes smaller, you can use something like http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171401665773?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT. The body of those are so small that you can stick them directly into your IDC connector (the bit in white plastic in your picture), no need for an intermediate board at all.

[matseng]

Pogo pins with 50mil spacing also seems pretty impossible since the pogo pins itself are fairly large.

That a bit of a LOL ^_^ - check this out: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pogo+pin+programmer+50+mil  There are many of the of them at 50 mil pitch...

[zapta]

Sparkfun has a 0.1" pogo pin adapter for AVR.  It includes the pins and two small PCBs that hold them.

[sleemanj]

What do you mean by "through hole termination" ?  Pogo pins by their nature they are "through hole", put them through a hole and solder.  Do you mean some sort of flange to locate it?

Anyway, obtain some pogos which will be able to meet your pitch requirements, and make an extra thick PCB with the appropriate arrangement of holes, or stack several together to get the thickness - reason for thickness is to make your alignment job easier - insert the pins, and solder in place.

Remember, if you're making your own programming attachment, you can make your own footprint, nothing to say your holes all have to be in a line, you could make them staggered, or circularly arranged to save space.

PS: if it's for one-offs, don't overlook the fact that you can just plonk pads for the SPI pins individually anywhere and solder flying wires to them temporarily for programming then remove them when you're done, do that quite often, saves having to route traces to a programming header.

PS2: you can also mount the pogos flat on either side of an appropriately thin PCB, say probably 0.8 to 1mm thick.  Use two connected long pads for each pin so the pin is cradled in the middle of the two for alignment, solder them in place.

[sleemanj]

Knew I remembed seeing one...

https://www.tindie.com/products/madworm/tiny-avr-isp-pogo-pin-programmig-adapter/

[Howardlong]

I use homebrew 0.05" SIL pogo pin adapters on my production PIC boards on the odd occasion I need to in-circuit program or debug. In development, I place a 5 pin 0.05" SIL Harwin header that's not placed in production units (at $0.50 each, that's right off your bottom line!).

There are a couple of ways I've made them.

One way is to solder the shafts onto 0.05" (1.27mm) pitch board. This is OK, but it's fiddly to break out.

The more recent way I do it is to cut up a SOIC break out board, solder the pogo pins to the 0.05" pitch pads, and use a conventional 0.1" pitch header.

(I don't use the pogo pin adapters very often, when I do it's usually during occasional rework when trying to figure out a fault, or if I've had to replace the MCU, although usually I program the MCUs out of circuit in an appropriate ZIF adapter. For production, I use pre-programmed devices 100% of the time.)

[SenSeS]

A) What do you need a "through-hole" termination for? Just stick a standard one through a hole and solder it?

B) Also, if you use a standard 3x2 100 mil header, but make the through holes smaller, you can use something like http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171401665773?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT. The body of those are so small that you can stick them directly into your IDC connector (the bit in white plastic in your picture), no need for an intermediate board at all.

What I meant with throughole termination is indeed that I can stick them into a breadboard or IDC connector right away and don't need to make a custom PCB.  I found this terminology online so thought it was more common, sorry! The ones I found with 1.02mm dia are probably too big but the ones you linked look perfect, thanks! What threw me off is that in the image I posted the guy has an adapter on there o go from the "fat" pogo pin into the "thin" IDC programmer.

PS: if it's for one-offs, don't overlook the fact that you can just plonk pads for the SPI pins individually anywhere and solder flying wires to them temporarily for programming then remove them when you're done, do that quite often, saves having to route traces to a programming header.

Thanks! Hadn't thought about this!

I use homebrew 0.05" SIL pogo pin adapters on my production PIC boards on the odd occasion I need to in-circuit program or debug. In development, I place a 5 pin 0.05" SIL Harwin header that's not placed in production units (at $0.50 each, that's right off your bottom line!).

There are a couple of ways I've made them.

One way is to solder the shafts onto 0.05" (1.27mm) pitch board. This is OK, but it's fiddly to break out.

The more recent way I do it is to cut up a SOIC break out board, solder the pogo pins to the 0.05" pitch pads, and use a conventional 0.1" pitch header.

(I don't use the pogo pin adapters very often, when I do it's usually during occasional rework when trying to figure out a fault, or if I've had to replace the MCU, although usually I program the MCUs out of circuit in an appropriate ZIF adapter. For production, I use pre-programmed devices 100% of the time.)

Thanks, very helpful! Do you by chance have a picture of it using the SOIC breakout board? Very clever idea!

[zapta]

This is the Sparkfun adapter. It has 2x3 and 1x6 connectors.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11591

[metri]

I've been using these. See attached image. They have 1.5mm tops you can put through PCB if you want. They also have SMT version. Spacing is standard 0.1". They work great for flat pads and through holes also. They aren't right for every job, but I like them. You can also edge mount a PCB between the pins and have a nice tidy little programmer. I think they were $0.25 each. They really work well with flat programming pads. I think they could work well in your situation. I also prefer a longer USB cable to the programmer and not a flat ribbon cable.

I did a quick USBasp compatible programmer that you can edge mount these on. Connect USB micro on the input, and just hold the little programer on your pins. I haven't got my boards yet. Monday I should be able to post all the design files if anyone is interested, as I want to assemble one and test it first. The programmer measures 14x22mm.

I think the other solutions posted here would work well, and better suited to through hole programming headers. Mine works for those, but not as well as it fits inside the holes.  They all accomplish the same job.

I have also used long male pins in through holes in the ISCP header to program. Just hold them on angle while in the holes and they make good enough contact.

[georges80]

There's many pogo pins out there from 'standard' size to very tiny/slim.

Choose the ones you need for the task at hand (0.1 or 0.050" etc) and also choose the tip so it doesn't go 'through' the hole you are trying to press that pogo pin against (unless you went for just pads).

Attached are just a very small sampling of the various adapters I use from programming and/or testing various avr based designs I have. Whenever I prototype a new design I also put a programming adapter onto the same panel (only use PCB services that allow me to panelise more than one design).

By doing your own adapter you can sprinkle programming and test points where ever makes most sense layout-wise versus sticking to 3x2 grid (in the case of the isp programming header).

cheers,
george.

[Howardlong]

I use homebrew 0.05" SIL pogo pin adapters on my production PIC boards on the odd occasion I need to in-circuit program or debug. In development, I place a 5 pin 0.05" SIL Harwin header that's not placed in production units (at $0.50 each, that's right off your bottom line!).

There are a couple of ways I've made them.

One way is to solder the shafts onto 0.05" (1.27mm) pitch board. This is OK, but it's fiddly to break out.

The more recent way I do it is to cut up a SOIC break out board, solder the pogo pins to the 0.05" pitch pads, and use a conventional 0.1" pitch header.

(I don't use the pogo pin adapters very often, when I do it's usually during occasional rework when trying to figure out a fault, or if I've had to replace the MCU, although usually I program the MCUs out of circuit in an appropriate ZIF adapter. For production, I use pre-programmed devices 100% of the time.)

Thanks, very helpful! Do you by chance have a picture of it using the SOIC breakout board? Very clever idea!

I'm out and about at the moment, give me 2 or 3 hours and I should be able to get you a pic.

[Howardlong]

I've misplaced my original adapter made on 1.27mm pitch perfboard for now, but here's the hacked SOIC breakout board...

[FrankBuss]

For programming my Kerberos cartridge CPLD, I used an old unpopulated prototype PCB and soldered pogo pins to it, and some headers to connect the Xilinx platform cable wires, and Vcc and GND:

Programming is very easy and fast with it: place a populated board upside down on the table (otherwise the wires gets a bit in the way over the board), hold down the programming adapter, start the programming on PC, done.