Noobs guide to updating Ice Tube Clock firmware?

[npkeith]

I'm new to this making thing. I can just about tell which end of a soldering iron to hold (ok, 9 times out of 10), and if you give me simple instructions, I can build stuff (to date: a Larson Scanner, a MintyBoost 2.0 and an Ice Tube Clock). Now I want to step it up a bit.

I looked through this forum, and much of what is said here goes over my head. My clock is slow by about 5 seconds a day. I saw that one person had a firmware update that had a "fudge factor" that allowed you to correct for a consistent loss or gain. I'd like to install it, but have very little programming experience (Applesoft BASIC in high school and Pascal in college, and the Pascal was 20 years ago.) I know I need a programmer, like Ada's USBtinyISP, a computer and USB cable. I assume I need software (I think its called AVRdude?).

Is there a step-by-step guide for noobs like me? Something like the instructions to build the clock - with pictures in case I get lost.

[guillermo3r]

Look at this link or the attached file.
http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.ph ... lit=idiots

[len17]

Ladyada has some pages about AVR programming and how to install the software tools (WinAVR, if you're on Windows):
http://www.ladyada.net/learn/avr/

The link that guillermo posted above explains how to write the compiled firmware onto the clock's chip.

Search this forum for modified firmware that people have posted and find one that does what you want. If it includes a compiled .hex file, you just have to program the clock's chip using avrdude. Otherwise you have to compile the firmware first (probably just a simple "make" command).