Arduino mega .hex file programming

[Wp100]

Hi,

Have been helping a friend produce a program to control a bank of reptile vivariums and he wants to distribute the code ( free or for a small fee) and possibly some matching pcb /hardware.

He would prefer to supply just the .hex code for the project but cannot find any simple way for the user to program the code as the Arduino IDE does not allow him to import and program a .hex file.

From what I have read there is a way avrdude can be used, but not that easy for someone not in to that kind of thing.

Though a usb programmer is a cheap and easy way for folk like us, again it could be a level of complexity too far for others.

Any suggestions of a simple way to program a .hex file into the Mega ?

thanks

 

[Pommie]

He could just supply the boards already programmed.

Mike.
Edit, out of curiosity, why does he need a mega? Extra I/O, speed, memory?

 

[Wp100]

He could just supply the boards already programmed.
Mike.
Edit, out of curiosity, why does he need a mega? Extra I/O, speed, memory?

Thanks but he wants to offer updates / extras etc to the main code so that method would not be practicable.

Yes, he needs the i/o s of the mega, its got a tft screen spi, 8 sensors, 12 +outputs etc etc and probably the larger memory by the time hes added the possible extra code like wifi etc.

Just seems odd you cannot import and upload a hex file with the arduino ide, yet you can burn the bootloader , I believe.
With the latest version of the IDE you can readily save the .hex file and the .hex file with bootloader to the sketches folder, but not burn a .hex via the IDE ?