Hello guys, I'm from Juhu, Mumbai trying to build my own Quadcopter.
I got an HW30A electronic speed controller(esc) from Lamington Road. It had a yellow covering with nothing written on it except HW30A. I bought 4 of these and they came with no manual or datasheet. I am trying to flash my escs but am unable to do so because I do not know what pins(MOSI, MISO, VCC etc.) are connected where on the esc. I have a usb avr atmel programmer. Here is a photo. Please let me know which esc is this and how I can flash it, if anyone has seen this before. 

You basically need to tap into 5 pins out of which 2 (power) are very easy to connect with the programmer. The remaining 3 data lines will need some good soldering skills since I don't see any solder pads on the pcb where you could connect the programmer . Look up the data sheet of the mcu (I think this one is a Atmel mega8 ) and identify the signal pins. Trace each signal pin to its nearest component and connect the appropriate pin from the programmer. A continuity tester will be helpful in finding out the connection points but this can be done without it as well. If you still have problems figuring this out, I can help you. I am not too far from you either.

Hope this helps.
Thanks

Hello Angad. where exactly do I have to connect the 2 power pins on the PCB. And about the remaining three remaining pins(MISO, MOSI, NC and one more SCK i think) or also the two power pins, do you mean i can connect them directly near the atmel chip as long as the 4-6 wires correspond on the atmel chip? Thanks

I think a flashing tool will be appropriate if you don't like to waste time tracing the pins from the microcontroller.






If you need the pinout alone , here is the picture

@Santhosh sir, that tool (or connector) looks trouble free !! , It would be helpful if you share, from where we can get something like that.
@shikhargoenka , Please read what is written on the micro controller on your ESC and post it here. I can help you identify the ICSP pins

@sooraj.palakkad the microcontroller on my IC says ATMEL ATMEGA8A AU 1422. I can't figure out the ICSP pins.

Look at the attached pic for reference.

@akhilzid I also found this picture on the internet. I have a usb avr atmel programmer. I dont know how to connect that to the respective pins because I don't have a atmel flashing socket firmware tool and I dont know the corresponding connections on the esc board, as is given in a photo by @santosh-r in this thread. Is there any other way I could connect them?

Every thing related this replied already.

third attachment in Reply #3 already shown pins that need to connect

if you dont have tool show by santhosh-r then you should solder 15,16,17 pins on atmega

4 and 29 pin can be soldered from other components(look at the trace on PCB)

3 is normally common ground so that can be connected from the GND connection on BEC Cable.

why are you trying to flash your escs ?? - give it a try with the original firmware - chances are you will
not notice a difference.

there was a world before simonk/blheli

@sooraj.palakkad
you can get that flashing tool at http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=27195&aff=576071