Programming Mini with Uno

Hello everybody.

I just bought my first Arduinos (is this the right plural) last week and I have run into a problem.

I am trying to import sketches onto my Arduino Mini (not Pro) using the Arduino Uno.

I have read a lot of the tutorials out there about connecting the Mini using another arduino, but i have had some problems with them:

Some say that the TX pin should be connected to the TX and RX to RX, while others say RX->TX and TX->RX; I have tried both.

My main problem is that I have the SMD version of the Uno (This one: http://shop.snootlab.com/83-293-thickbox/arduino-uno-smd.jpg), and the tutorials say that I should remove the main chip.

When I try to upload a sketch to the Mini through the Uno i get the error avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51, which tells me that it is finding the Uno, and not the Mini.

I have chosen the Mini in the "Tools->Board" menu.

Thanks for any help you could offer.

Load a sketch into the Uno that sets pins 0 and 1 as inputs and then does nothing. That should leave the USB interface free to talk to the Mini. You'll have to disable the auto-reset on the Uno to keep it from running its bootloader: a capacitor of about 1 or 2 microfarads from Reset (+) to Ground (-) worked for my Diecimila. Not sure if that tricks works on an Uno.

And its RX<->RX, TX<->TX since they are both from the point of view of the processor (you are substituting the Mini's processor for the Uno's) - all assuming you are using standard bootloader upload rather than Arduino-as-ICSP. You will need to press the Mini's reset button on uploading too. Hope it works...