ATMega168PA, problem with bootloader, message "Bootloader in Use: No"

Using Arduino Microcontrollers
1

Hi there,
i'm experiencing a problem with 2 chips ATMega168PA, that I bought with bootloader programmed.
they worked ok, i mean, i have uploaded several sketches, using the Arduino USB2Serial board, until the day
I started to get the message:

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

i had made no changes to the breadboard where these chips were connected,

after searching, i decided to follow the setup described in Nick Gammon's forum ( Gammon Forum : Electronics : Microprocessors : How to make an Arduino-compatible minimal board )
(i'm using a 16MHz cristal)
and noticed that the sketch Atmega_board_detector.ino read OK these chips, but one thing caught my attention:
the line Bootloader in use: No

here is the full output:

Atmega chip detector.
Entered programming mode OK.
Signature = 1E 94 0B 
Processor = ATmega168PA
Flash memory size = 16384
LFuse = C6 
HFuse = DD 
EFuse = FC 
Lock byte = EF 
Clock calibration = A3 
Bootloader in use: No
EEPROM preserved through erase: No
Watchdog timer always on: No
Bootloader is 512 bytes starting at 3E00

Bootloader:

3E00: 11 24 84 B7 14 BE 81 FF F0 D0 85 E0 80 93 81 00 
3E10: 82 E0 80 93 C0 00 88 E1 80 93 C1 00 86 E0 80 93 
3E20: C2 00 80 E1 80 93 C4 00 8E E0 C9 D0 25 9A 86 E0 
3E30: 20 E3 3C EF 91 E0 30 93 85 00 20 93 84 00 96 BB 
3E40: B0 9B FE CF 1D 9A A8 95 81 50 A9 F7 CC 24 DD 24 
3E50: 88 24 83 94 B5 E0 AB 2E A1 E1 9A 2E F3 E0 BF 2E 
3E60: A2 D0 81 34 61 F4 9F D0 08 2F AF D0 02 38 11 F0 
3E70: 01 38 11 F4 84 E0 01 C0 83 E0 8D D0 89 C0 82 34 
3E80: 11 F4 84 E1 03 C0 85 34 19 F4 85 E0 A6 D0 80 C0 
3E90: 85 35 79 F4 88 D0 E8 2E FF 24 85 D0 08 2F 10 E0 
3EA0: 10 2F 00 27 0E 29 1F 29 00 0F 11 1F 8E D0 68 01 
3EB0: 6F C0 86 35 21 F4 84 E0 90 D0 80 E0 DE CF 84 36 
3EC0: 09 F0 40 C0 70 D0 6F D0 08 2F 6D D0 80 E0 C8 16 
3ED0: 88 E3 D8 06 18 F4 F6 01 B7 BE E8 95 C0 E0 D1 E0 
3EE0: 62 D0 89 93 0C 17 E1 F7 F0 E0 CF 16 F8 E3 DF 06 
3EF0: 18 F0 F6 01 B7 BE E8 95 68 D0 07 B6 00 FC FD CF 
3F00: A6 01 A0 E0 B1 E0 2C 91 30 E0 11 96 8C 91 11 97 
3F10: 90 E0 98 2F 88 27 82 2B 93 2B 12 96 FA 01 0C 01 
3F20: 87 BE E8 95 11 24 4E 5F 5F 4F F1 E0 A0 38 BF 07 
3F30: 51 F7 F6 01 A7 BE E8 95 07 B6 00 FC FD CF 97 BE 
3F40: E8 95 26 C0 84 37 B1 F4 2E D0 2D D0 F8 2E 2B D0 
3F50: 3C D0 F6 01 EF 2C 8F 01 0F 5F 1F 4F 84 91 1B D0 
3F60: EA 94 F8 01 C1 F7 08 94 C1 1C D1 1C FA 94 CF 0C 
3F70: D1 1C 0E C0 85 37 39 F4 28 D0 8E E1 0C D0 84 E9 
3F80: 0A D0 86 E0 7A CF 81 35 11 F4 88 E0 18 D0 1D D0 
3F90: 80 E1 01 D0 65 CF 98 2F 80 91 C0 00 85 FF FC CF 
3FA0: 90 93 C6 00 08 95 80 91 C0 00 87 FF FC CF 80 91 
3FB0: C0 00 84 FD 01 C0 A8 95 80 91 C6 00 08 95 E0 E6 
3FC0: F0 E0 98 E1 90 83 80 83 08 95 ED DF 80 32 19 F0 
3FD0: 88 E0 F5 DF FF CF 84 E1 DE CF 1F 93 18 2F E3 DF 
3FE0: 11 50 E9 F7 F2 DF 1F 91 08 95 80 E0 E8 DF EE 27 
3FF0: FF 27 09 94 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 04 04 

MD5 sum of bootloader = 3A 89 30 4B 15 F5 BB 11 AA E6 E6 DC 7C F5 91 35 

First 256 bytes of program memory:

0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
10: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
20: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
30: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
40: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
50: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
60: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
70: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
80: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
90: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
A0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
B0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
C0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
D0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
E0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 
F0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF

Bootloader in use: No

what could be causing this?

this is the output after uploading the bootloader:

Atmega chip programmer.
Written by Nick Gammon.
Version 1.21
Compiled on Mar 27 2014 at 00:11:36
Entered programming mode OK.
Signature = 0x1E 0x94 0x0B 
Processor = ATmega168PA
Flash memory size = 16384 bytes.
LFuse = 0xC6 
HFuse = 0xDD 
EFuse = 0xFC 
Lock byte = 0xEF 
Clock calibration = 0xA3 
Bootloader address = 0x3E00
Bootloader length = 512 bytes.
Type 'V' to verify, or 'G' to program the chip with the bootloader ...
Erasing chip ...
Writing bootloader ...
Committing page starting at 0x3E00
Committing page starting at 0x3E80
Committing page starting at 0x3F00
Committing page starting at 0x3F80
Written.
Verifying ...
No errors found.
Writing fuses ...
LFuse = 0xC6 
HFuse = 0xDD 
EFuse = 0xFC 
Lock byte = 0xEF 
Clock calibration = 0xA3 
Done.
Type 'C' when ready to continue with another chip ...

thanks for reading,
Nuno

2

Bootloader in use: No

You have discovered a bug in Nick's program. He's checking the wrong fuse word for the "reset to bootloader" bit (for the 168. His code is assuming that the bit is in the same fuse for all chips, which isn't true.)

(so this doesn't explain anything about why your chips stopped talking.)

3

(so this doesn't explain anything about why your chips stopped talking.)

yes, i understand that, it's a different issue

4

Hi,

I think i've solved my problem, I've got access to a Galep-III programmer (Device Programmers - Past and Future)
and burned the bootloader with the fuse setting like the image:

so, to solve the "avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00" message in Arduino IDE, i had to burn the booloader again on the chips.

I still question if the fuses I selected represent the best configuration

5

westfw:

Bootloader in use: No

You have discovered a bug in Nick's program. He's checking the wrong fuse word for the "reset to bootloader" bit (for the 168. His code is assuming that the bit is in the same fuse for all chips, which isn't true.)

I have fixed that, I think:

6