[SOLVED] Not in SYnc Message every-time I run a basic example sketch

I am running the UNO R3 chip on a breadboard with this device for the bridge to communication to the PC Arduino IDE sofware.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280748167812?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I took off the caps couplers because the Breadboard LED stopped blinking. SO I am just havd a 16Mhz Crystal from pins 9 and 10. The LED starting blinking again.

There is a reset pin on the device I am using so I am not using this Kits's Reset Button which came with it.

I tried both the on board Arduino Stock R3 chip and the one from this kit and I keep getting this message:

avrdude: stk500_getsync (): not in sync: resp=0x00

This is the kits I am using and setup like it is on this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190591243361?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648

Again either this 328 from the kit or the one from my Arduino Uno R3 give me the same message everytime I run a sketch. RIght now I am just testing the blink sketch.

If you aren't putting a 100nF capacitor between the FTDI's DTR and the ATmega328's RESET pin, you don't have auto reset. You'll need to reset manually (and leave DTR disconnected).

On the FTDI device its called RTS so disconnect that and use the reset switch that came with the kit?

DO I need the Caps like they show on the diagram for the crystal? That would not be the reason for the sync error would it?

When do you reset manually before and after the successful upload of the sketch?

Actually when I was using the manual switch with the Cap and Resistor I still got the sync error

pcfr33k:
On the FTDI device its called RTS so disconnect that and use the reset switch that came with the kit?

RTS or DTR doesn't matter. However if there isn't a 100nF cap between the signal and the RESET pin of the ATmega328 and a pull-up resistor between the ATmega328's RESET pin and VCC, then the chip won't come out of RESET and won't respond to programming.

pcfr33k:
DO I need the Caps like they show on the diagram for the crystal? That would not be the reason for the sync error would it?

Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. With a breadboard there might be enough stray capacitance that you don't. If there is a bootloader already programmed on the chip and it runs without the caps then you don't need them. (e.g. Put the chip in your Arduino, program blink, then put in the breadboard. If pin 13 toggles, then it is working.)

pcfr33k:
When do you reset manually before and after the successful upload of the sketch?

You have to time the RESET just before avrdude tries to start programming the chip. You must reset the ATmega328 so that the bootloader runs and can talk to avrdude.

I can see why I did not have this working correctly. Is there a schematic or drawing on how to set up a manual switch? Resistor between one side of the manual reset switch button pin and Vcc correct? But inline with the reset pin of the Arduino Chip?

Cap in line with the reset pin #1 of Atmel328 and the other between the manual reset switch button pin and where would the other pin go on the cap?

I know I should know this but this is a non polarized cap so it should not cause an issue inline but will probably not work that way since one side needs a negative or connected to the other side of the momentary switch?

pcfr33k:
I can see why I did not have this working correctly. Is there a schematic or drawing on how to set up a manual switch? Resistor between one side of the manual reset switch button pin and Vcc correct? But inline with the reset pin of the Arduino Chip?

Cap in line with the reset pin #1 of Atmel328 and the other between the manual reset switch button pin and where would the other pin go on the cap?

I know I should know this but this is a non polarized cap so it should not cause an issue inline but will probably not work that way since one side needs a negative or connected to the other side of the momentary switch?

Reset switch wires between reset pin and ground.
10k pull-up resistor wires between reset pin and +5vdc (pull-up optional but used in most all designs)
series .1ufd cap wires between reset pin and DTR

Lefty

Thanks for all the help!!

Well I believe I have it connected correctly because when I click on the reset button I see the LED flicker for a second so it must be correctly wired.

I still get the sync message.

Just before I click on the upload button in Arduino IDE or right after I click on upload?

Tried both ways still get a sync message

EDITED:

Ah but wait the LED continues to flicker while the sketch is uploading. Shouldn't the LED not be lit while it is programming the chip?

The manual switch procedure that works best for me is to push and hold down the reset switch, then press upload on the IDE, and when the IDE prints the final compiled sketch size only then release the reset button.

Lefty

retrolefty:
The manual switch procedure that works best for me is to push and hold down the reset switch, then press upload on the IDE, and when the IDE prints the final compiled sketch size only then release the reset button.

Lefty

Tried that to no luck. Do I need to load a Serial to USB sketch with the Blink Sketch? The Baud Rate settings etc?

pcfr33k:

retrolefty:
The manual switch procedure that works best for me is to push and hold down the reset switch, then press upload on the IDE, and when the IDE prints the final compiled sketch size only then release the reset button.

Lefty

Tried that to no luck. Do I need to load a Serial to USB sketch with the Blink Sketch? The Baud Rate settings etc?

What? One can only compile, upload, and run one sketch at a time. What are you asking?

It was a stupid question. The hardware Serial to USB does not need a sketch to run separately sorry for the confusion. It assigns a com port and works off the internally set serial protocol.

I just tried a Sparkfun USB to Serial TTL 5 volts and it worked no problem.

I think the Tx/Rx is mislabeled on this device link below because I revered them and finally got this to work with all of the great help. I am very thankful for all your time and a lesson to be learned!!

pcfr33k:
It was a stupid question. The hardware Serial to USB does not need a sketch to run separately sorry for the confusion. It assigns a com port and works off the internally set serial protocol.

I just tried a Sparkfun USB to Serial TTL 5 volts and it worked no problem.

I think the Tx/Rx is mislabeled on this device link below because I revered them and finally got this to work with all of the great help. I am very thankful for all your time and a lesson to be learned!!

Yea, that is a trap most all of us have been bitten by at one time or another. There is no 'standard' on if you label a pin Tx that it is a output pin, it could be an input pin that wires to a signal that is 'transmitting' a signal. When you think about it every single wire signal has a transmitting side and a receiving side, but yet we use two wire comm links and expect labeling one Tx and the Rx to tell us all we need to know, wrong! The arduino standard for comm terminal labling is that the tx pin (arduino pin1) is outputting a voltage and the rx pin (arduino pin 0) is receiving a comm signal, but trust me not all vendors follow that same standard, as the many different USB TTL serial cables manufactures I've come across I've found both methods of labeling. Some times you have to wire Tx to TX and Rx to Rx, other times it's Tx to Rx and Rx to Tx. Even on the old 'official' RS-232 connector you don't know if a given connector is outputting on the Tx pin unless you know if that connector is wired up as the DTE end or the DCE end of a link. It was and is mess and I always ended up measuring for voltage to find out which signal was a 'outputter' or which was an 'inputter'. Spent decades wiring up serial links between different manufacures 'RS-232 compatable' ports, and it almost never went smoothly, both on the hardware side and the software side. But I was payed very well to be able to figure it out and get them working. :wink:

Lefty

i just bought a freeduino (arduino clone)...i uploaded the blink sketch it worked fine...but after that my pc is not recognizing my board...
the moment i plug in the usb, a message appears usb device not recognized each time this error appears
avrdude:stk500_getsync(): not in sync:resp=0x00
specifications-
windows xp 32-bit sp2
freeduino (atmega8)

i guess theres some problem with the ftdi driver..
please i need help

I ran into the same problem and fixed it myself.

Turns out that the uploader was trying to communicate to the wrong serial port. The uploader was trying to communicate to com1 when my arduino uno was on com5 even though it was actually plugged to the USB port.

Everything works as documented now.

DCH II