MaxSerial quit uploading

My MaxSerial was working fine for a couple of hours and now it just gives me this every time I try to upload code

Binary sketch size: 3034 bytes (of a 14336 byte maximum)

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x1e
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x1e

Any idea what's going on?

EDIT: Some more info
Linux (Ubuntu 8.10)
IDE v0015
ATMega168

I was able to upload many programs before it quit co-operating with me.

Let me add some more clues if that would help me get a reply.

When I reset the board it doesn't wait at all before starting to execute code. I think I read somewhere that is should wait for a few seconds.

If I connet the serial cable first and then DC it doesn't start executing before I reset the board, but I can't upload either. Different error too:

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

After pressing reset I get the same error as in my first post.

When I reset the board it doesn't wait at all before starting to execute code. I think I read somewhere that is should wait for a few seconds.

Diecimila generation bootloaders have an almost imperceptible delay. They rely on automatic reset to shorten the time between reset and the first "hello" byte from the PC.

If I connet the serial cable first and then DC it doesn't start executing before I reset the board, but I can't upload either.

A much more interesting scenario.

  • Can you measure the voltage on the 'reset' pin? (It's also pin 1 on the ATmega168).
  • Is anything connected to the board besides the RS232 and DC cables?
  • When you click 'upload' does the '13' LED (near the MAX232 chip and serial connector) briefly flicker or blink?
  • What kind of surface is the board resting on? Look for stray pieces of metal on the bottom of the board.
  • Do you have another Arduino (like) board around?

As I figured the bootloader was broken I borrowed a programmer from school and tried to reinstall it. Now the bootloader seems to be stuck in a reset loop. It just keeps flashing the P13 LED every second and won't communicate with the IDE at all. Now I get:

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Can you measure the voltage on the 'reset' pin? (It's also pin 1 on the ATmega168).

My multimeter reads 4.9V

Is anything connected to the board besides the RS232 and DC cables?

No. I was writing a parser at the time.

When you click 'upload' does the '13' LED (near the MAX232 chip and serial connector) briefly flicker or blink?

I don't think it was flickering.

What kind of surface is the board resting on? Look for stray pieces of metal on the bottom of the board.

It was resting on the anti-static plastic bag is was shipped in. I don't see any metal shavings on the bottom either.

Do you have another Arduino (like) board around?

Nope, this is my first and only Arduino.

I've also tried burning the bootloader with AVR Studio. That way the P13 LED doesn't flicker, but I get the same error.

Did you change serial ports? I have a problem with my Windoze box that appears to be a result of the driver for the Belkin USB adapter not handling the RTS line (which is used on the MaxSerial to reset the board and get you back into the bootloader) correctly. When I connected to its onboard RS-232, it worked fine.

Also, make sure you didn't accidentally change the board type: it should be the next-to-last option under Tools->Board, "Diecimila or Duemilanove".

Which bootloader did you install? I bought my chips from Modern Device, and they installed one from Lady Ada. Which works fine on both my Windoze box and my Ubuntu box (which also uses a "real" serial port, not a USB adapter).

Ran

I think the problem may well be my USB to serial adapter. What I've been doing now is writing and compiling the code with Arduino IDE and then burning the hex file with AVR studio. That seems to work like a charm, although I don't know how long I can hold on to this borrowed programmer.

Hi guys, I have got a max232 on a breadboard connected to my arduino Deulemonove which has an external power supply which is a usb 5v... If i bridge the rx tx coming from my max232 and go to serial monitor and type something it comes up. Everything seems to be working but I cant seem to upload code. I dont have auto reset but what i do is i click upload to board and wait 1 second then click the reset button. I have the rx tx leds coming from my serial port and what it does it : when i click the upload button the i click the reset the rx led flashes and then the tx led just come on and after 5 mins it gives me the :
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

any help would be appreciated