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[on:]

Hello,
I have an arduini pro mini 3.3V 8Mhz and I need to burn its bootloader.
For that I have at my disposal  an Arduino Uno and/or a USB Serial Light Adapter http://arduino.cc/en/Main/USBSerial
I tried this guide: http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoISP but it gives me avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0xfe
So I'm stuck here and I don't know how to use the usb serial light adapter to burn the bootloader.

Can you please help me?

[Reply #1 on:]

Try to use this tutorial as a guide:
http://pdp11.byethost12.com/AVR/ArduinoAsProgrammer.htm
You can burn a bootloader or any other hex code. It simply does not matter.

You have to connect the two boards, programmer and target, like this:
Arduino Uno programmer ---->---- target Arduino pro mini 3.3V
SS -->-- RESET
MOSI -->-- MOSI
MISO -->-- MISO
SCK -->-- SCK

You also need a 5V <---> 3.3V convertor on the four ISP lines between your 5V Arduino Uno programmer and your 3.3 V target Arduino Pro Mini.

[Reply #2 on:]

Then perhaps it is a wiring problem.
Please look at my picture and tell me if I made the connections correctly.

Can I use the usb serial light adapter to program the bootloader?... and if yes How to do the wiring ?

[Reply #3 on:]

I also tried it this way:

d:\Programe\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe  -P COM3 -b 4800 -c avrisp -p m328p -n
avrdude.exe: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0xfe

avrdude.exe done.  Thank you.


d:\Programe\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin>avrdude.exe  -P COM3 -b 4800 -c avrisp -p m328p -n -v

avrdude.exe: Version 5.11, compiled on Sep  2 2011 at 19:38:36
             Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
             Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

             System wide configuration file is "d:\Programe\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin\avrdude.conf"

             Using Port                    : COM3
             Using Programmer              : avrisp
             Overriding Baud Rate          : 4800
avrdude.exe: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0xfe

avrdude.exe done.  Thank you.

[Reply #4 on:]

I am lost on the "resp=0xfe" error message. and I can't find any help anywhere for it.
what is the difference between  "resp=0xfe" and   "resp=0x00" ?

[Reply #5 on:]

"Can I use the usb serial light adapter to program the bootloader?"   No, it does not support the SPI pins.

As you have it wired, you have 5V level signals going into a board with 3.3V power - this is bad for the input pins, having signals that are a lot higher than the supply voltage.

The promini regulator Used to be shown as http://www.micrel.com/_PDF/mic5205.pdf
on Promini V11 schematics, attached. This part works fine with no Vraw attached and the board powered from Vcc - I have a dozen of them powered this way at my fencing club.
The latest sparkfun design also shows the mic5205
http://dlnmh9ip6v2uc.cloudfront.net/datasheets/Dev/Arduino/Boards/ProtoSnap-v14a.pdf

The arduino website is now showing an older V10 schematic, with no regulator part number.
http://arduino.cc/en/uploads/Main/Arduino-Pro-Mini-schematic.pdf

If some info were known about the regulator on your board to confirm that driving the output while not driving the input would not damage the regulator, I would instead connect the promini Vcc to 5V, so both boards are running from 5V. This would also put MISO signal from the promini to the Uno at the correct level.
I don't recognize the markings on your part tho, so I can't readily recommend that.

Best bet is to use 5V to 3.3V level shifters on the SCK, MOSI, Reset, and MISO signal going back.   

[Reply #6 on:]

I tried to power the mini pro from both 3 V and 5V , same result.
Also my ftdi is 5V and I could program the mini pro a lot of times, without any problem.
To test if the connection was good, I uploaded the blink scheme on mini pro and the leds on both mini pro and arduino Uno were flashing... so no problem with the 5Volts in those pins.

[Reply #7 on:]

picture attached

[Reply #8 on:]

"CGBS" where a Micrel part would  be marked  LB33 or KB33 per its datasheet.
I have a couple floating around (dead uCs that I zapped) that I can't seem to find, I can confirm with once I locate them.

The FTDI Basic connects right to the VCC pin also, bypassing the regulator. I can guess that supply path is okay then.

Another bootload option you might try then is NickGammon's:
http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11635

[Reply #9 on:]

I'm not sure what I should look for in that site.
It's not about pro mini and references to arduino uno are not helpful in my situation.

[Reply #10 on:]

The site is about using an Arduino Uno as an ISP to load a bootloader.

[Reply #11 on:]

I've read it yesterday and once more today after a good nights sleep but still can't figure out something usefull from that site.

Not being able to understand what "resp=0xfe" is I don't know what is my problem and how I can solve it.
As a test I took mini-pro out of the arduino uno and the response was still the same "resp=0xfe" .
Meaning what? that the arduino Uno isn't responding to the IDE/avrdude?

[Reply #12 on:]

Can someone direct me to a person that has experience with bootloaders on mini-pro ?
Or should I ask my questions elsewhere ?

[Reply #13 on:]

Can someone direct me to a person that has experience with bootloaders on mini-pro ?

Oby_One, I use ProMinis a lot and have burnt bootloaders to them many times.  For programming I power the ProMini at 5V, irrespective of whether it's a 3.3V or 5V model.  It doesn't seem to do any damage to the voltage regulator.  If ArduinoISP isn't working for you, I'd suggest trying Nick Gammon's excellent alternative sketch on the page already referenced.  I'm sure you can adapt his instructions to the ProMini pin-out.

[Reply #14 on:]

Please take a look at this small movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuZlVGyCEk
Sorry about my english

As for nick gammons alternative, I don't get what's different from what I do.