Hello,
I bought this kit so I could start learning arduino:
After that I learnt from a friend that I have to buy an USB-TTL converter to copy the code on the device. So I bought this:
How can I connect it to the computer? I'm a total noob.
Thanks!
Unfortunately that style of converter can not be plugged directly into the Pro Mini (as other options for a similar price can be). So you will need to use jumper wires to make the appropriate connections. That shop page does not show the pinout of the adapter (which is labeled on the back).
Here we have the pinout of the Pro Mini:
The connections you need to make are:
| Converter | Pro Mini |
|---|---|
| Gnd | Gnd |
| RXD | TXD |
| TXD | RXD |
You also need to supply power to the Pro Mini. Typically you could do this via the USB cable but this converter is weird in that the voltage outputs need to be jumpered to the Vcc pin in order to select the power supply level for the CH340 chip on the converter. You would likely not want to run the CH340 at 3.3 V and the Pro Mini at 5 V. I suppose you just need to use some jumper wires to connect the 5 V pin on the converter to the VCC pin on the converter and also to the VCC pin on the Pro Mini.
Another unfortunate limitation of that converter is they didn't bother to break out the CTS or RTS pins. One of those pins are required for auto-reset of the Pro Mini during the upload process. Since you don't have the auto-reset feature you will need to press the reset button just when the upload starts (after the compilation finishes). You might find it easier to determine the correct time to reset your board by turning on verbose output during compilation in the Arduino IDE:
Really I think you would be wise to order another converter which has the standard "FTDI header" pinout, which will allow you to plug it directly into the Pro Mini and have the auto-reset feature. They are very reasonably priced if you don't mind waiting for shipping from China. Here's one with the same CH340 chip from eBay:
Since your Pro Mini shipped with only male headers in the kit maybe you prefer a converter with female header:
Since most of the cheap converters have male headers I prefer to put a female header on my Pro Mini and you can purchase those for a reasonable price from any of the usual places.
I find it unfortunate those converters don't have an easy way to switch between 3.3V and 5V. They are set to 5 V, which is correct for your Pro Mini, but it makes them a bit less versatile of a tool for other uses. There is a solder jumper on the back to change to 3.3 V but I like the ones with a header jumper. I didn't see a CH340 like that in my quick search. Maybe there is one to be found with a bit more searching?
My personal preference is these FTDI FT232 converter boards, which have the FTDI header pinout and also the header jumper to select voltage:
The cheap ones you get from the Chinese sellers on eBay, Aliexpress, etc. have a counterfeit FTDI chip, which might cause problems when used with the official driver on Windows. There are some workarounds for that issue and I'm using it on Windows without any problems with an alternative driver.
I should say that, even though I recommend you to buy a better converter, of course you should use the one you have to get playing with your Pro Mini ASAP instead of waiting for the better one to arrive first.
You should also be aware that you may need to install the CH340 driver, which you can download from the manufacturer's website:
Sorry for asking dumb questions but as I said I'm a total beginner lol.
I did it like in the photo (that's the converter). Now how do I plug them in the Pro Mini?
I'd like to buy another one but it would take a while to be shipped, I want to play with it rn if possible.
In the end I connected it like in the photos below, but the LEDs are red (I read that they have to be green).
Don't worry about the color of the LEDs. Some companies use red, some use green. The color doesn't mean anything, just whether the light is on or off.
Enjoy!
Thanks a lot.
+karma
