Expected for a long time, finaly avaliable.

The AVR-JTAG ICE with USB Interface and extended voltage supply range. The ICE have the same functionality like it's "little brother", but it comunicates with the development not over the outdated RS232. It uses the more comon USB Interface instead. Because of this more "state of the art" interface you'll become able to use this ICE at modern notebooks as well as on MAC computers.

After the connection with the development PC the ICE identifies itself as a "virtual COM port" ( at Windows systems ) or as "/dev/ttyUSB***" at Linux an MAC OsX Systems. So you only need to configure your development system to work with this new port, an that's it. ( Please remember that Window NT NOT support USB)

The JTAG ICE is a tool for developing and real time debugging for all AVR microcontrollers with JTAG interface.

The ICE allows acces to all features of the microcontrollers. You can set hardware breakpoint, access data and program memory, step through your application for debugging.
The ICE is a very easy to use in circuit programmer a well.

The ICE ist powered by the target supply. The supply voltage may be from 2.7 ...5 V, so you'll become able to debug 3.3V processors as well.
It is connected with the development computer by USB. All USB components are powered by the USB master. This protects teh development computer from frequent USB node idendify cycles.

ATMEL provides a free of charge development system that supports the JTAG ICE ( AVR studio ) Please download at www.atmel.com .
You may work with the ICE under LINUX as well. There are lot's of free development tools, compilers and debuggers available, that work together with the JTAG ICE

The ICE works with all ATMEL controlers with JTAG Interface. ( ATMEGA16, ATMEGA32, ATMEGA64, ATMEGA128, 90CAN128)