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

Getting this when trying to upload a sketch.
Board is Duemilanove w/ 328p
Board passes loopback test.

RX led flashes three times just after "Binary sketch size: 466 bytes (of a 30,720 byte maximum)" message appears.
Pin 13 LED blinks constantly at a rate of around 5 times a second all the time (except when reset switch is pressed) (or just after the board was connected to PC, in which case it blinks normally for several seconds and then starts blinking rapidly)

Exactly same behavior on with another PC. Nothing is connected to the pins. Worked fine before.

Is there a probability that I damaged the bootloader by something I uploaded before?

Under the Tools menu do you have the correct board selected?

I could upload sketch before so of course I had the right board selected.
Anyway, I solved the problem by burning the bootloader, thanks to having many Unos lying around in the lab at my campus.

Since the Dissentient solved the problem I hope I am allowed to hijack that topic - I have the same problem!

Board: Arduino Pro Mini - 5V/16M (got 2 of those)
FTDI FT232RL via USB and 6 pin connector
FTDI FT232RL - the 5V option is soldered

COM is set correctly
LED are flashing on the FTDI and Mini when I upload
Still get the same error as Dissentient

Software:
Win Xp
Arduino 1.0.5
Set to: Arduino Pro Mini - 5V/16M 328
Tools > Programmer > AVRISP mkII (I tried others too)

FTDI and Arduino are head to head connected. No other Arduino pin is connected or touches anything.

Any idea what it could be?

// ============= more testing ===================

Today I tried an old Linux PC with Arduino IDE 0022

I get errors while uploading- however, the Blink Sketch works fine and the LED on the Pro Mini blinks.

The error I get in Linux is: avrdude: stk500_recv() programmer is not responding

I solved my problem - or better found the error.

On my FTDI board TX and RX are switched! So RX > RX and TX > TX. With UNO as programmer, or with a switched cable connection it works fine.

Conclusion:

For users that:

Program via a FTDI (Pro Mini and similar boards)

And get:
Flashing LEDs
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00 (on Windows)
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding (on Linux)

Check that RX goes to TX and TX to RX.

My USB FTDI has RX and RX swapped. Hope it can help one or two other users.

To isolate the problem you can also use an USB Ardiuno (UNO or whatever) as a FTDI programmer.

@flameproof, thank you for the follow-up.

So, today I too got the same problem with the same error.. I was almost scratching my head due to this error. But somehow I managed to get it working. I am using Arduino Promini and FTDI board for programming. I think the problem occurred when i was uploading a sketch to the board and somehow(might be) there was a disconnection between the board and the FTDI resulting in infinite non responding loop.

This resulted in Green LED on the board blinking as fast as 5 times in a second. I could no more upload any sketch to the board and I even tried manual resetting as soon as I upload.... I tried restarting IDE ,removing all connections,verifying COM PORTS etc.. But it all went in vain and failed every time I tried to upload the sketch and was presented with the error "avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00"...

There was no visual change whenever I tried to upload any sketch.

SOLUTION
After trying for a while what I actually did was...

  1. Pressed the upload button...(Only the FTDI board was connected to the USB cable, no arduino).
    2.As soon as the sketch was compiled and bar on lower right corner filled more and status changed to uploading I immediately connected the Arduino board.
  2. The sketch uploaded successfully and no more blinking of Green led.
  3. I then uploaded Blink sketch to check if problem was solved.

I don't know the reason the reason why did it happened but may be I think there was something wrong with the sketch that got uploaded at the beginning as I did not upload completely.

@Dissentient can you please let me know what have you done step by step? I also have the same problem with the same board and everything except my windows operating system is windows 7.

Drivers are the latest ones with the FTDI site.

I changed the chip to make sure I have a new chip, done a new bootloader using my arduino mega 1280 but still I am getting the same message. I tried many attempts with different methodes as I surfed on the net but no success.

To tell you everything, when I use the IDE 0023 I can upload the sketch without issues example blink but if I use IDE 1.0.5 I will get the message. Can you maybe explain what to do as now I am frustrated. I need this board duemilanove to flash my Turnigy Plush escs using bootlader.

Dissentient:
Getting this when trying to upload a sketch.
Board is Duemilanove w/ 328p
Board passes loopback test.

RX led flashes three times just after "Binary sketch size: 466 bytes (of a 30,720 byte maximum)" message appears.
Pin 13 LED blinks constantly at a rate of around 5 times a second all the time (except when reset switch is pressed) (or just after the board was connected to PC, in which case it blinks normally for several seconds and then starts blinking rapidly)

Exactly same behavior on with another PC. Nothing is connected to the pins. Worked fine before.

Is there a probability that I damaged the bootloader by something I uploaded before?

Dissentient can you please let me know what have you done step by step? I also have the same problem with the same board and everything except my windows operating system is windows 7.

Drivers are the latest ones with the FTDI site.

I changed the chip to make sure I have a new chip, done a new bootloader using my arduino mega 1280 but still I am getting the same message. I tried many attempts with different methodes as I surfed on the net but no success.

To tell you everything, when I use the IDE 0023 I can upload the sketch without issues example blink but if I use IDE 1.0.5 I will get the message. Can you maybe explain what to do as now I am frustrated. I need this board duemilanove to flash my Turnigy Plush escs using bootlader.

Anyone experienced this problem on duemilanove? Can someone help?

Connect the board to your computer. Prepare a sketch to upload. Hold down the reset button on your board. Click upload in the Arduino IDE. At the moment the IDE displays "uploading" release the reset button.

To tell you the truth I tried it many times without success.

Did you try searching the board? This or similar errors comes up a fair amount of times.

Your Arduino probably has a counterfeit FTDI chip. Windows may have updated the driver, which doesn't seem to work with the counterfeit chips. Download and install an older version of the driver, it worked for me. I bought a couple of Nanos that won't work with the latest driver, but do with the driver downgraded.

Information in this thread:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=198681.msg1477473#msg1477473

polymorph:
Did you try searching the board? This or similar errors comes up a fair amount of times.

Your Arduino probably has a counterfeit FTDI chip. Windows may have updated the driver, which doesn't seem to work with the counterfeit chips. Download and install an older version of the driver, it worked for me. I bought a couple of Nanos that won't work with the latest driver, but do with the driver downgraded.

Information in this thread:
erro avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): can't communicate with device: resp=0x01 - #4 by polymorph - IDE 1.x - Arduino Forum

Ok so the best way is to downgrade the FTDI drivers?

It solved my problem.