PortableISP

Firmware engineers waste time looking for a PC with a USB programmer, a spare cable, and a free port. On a factory floor or at a client site, that delay adds up.

PortableISP eliminates it. The device programs AVR and ARM microcontrollers in-system — powered by its own 3.7V lithium battery, controlled from a small TFT touchscreen, no host computer required. Plug the ISP header, select the target chip on the display, flash.

The hardware design is built around an ESP32 with a custom KiCad PCB: UART interface for the ISP protocol, MicroSD card slot for firmware images, MicroUSB for charging and optional USB-to-serial bridging. The firmware runs on FreeRTOS with a task-based architecture that keeps the UI responsive during long flashing operations.

We built it for our own embedded projects, open-sourced the KiCad files and firmware, and sell small production runs. It is in daily use on the workbenches of engineers at our client sites in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.