Error while trying to upload

Using Arduino Avrdude, stk500, Bootloader issues
1

Hi all,

I'm getting an error when trying to upload a code (even an empty one). Any suggestions?

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xa1
2

Which board ?
Which OS ?

Did you read the posts at the top of the forum ?

3

Hi,

It's Arduino Uno (A000066), I'm using Win7.

I read through the troubleshooting topic + few others, but nothing seems to help with my problem. I tend to think that I burnt the ATmega16U2 chip on it, since when I changed the ATmega328 with another one, then it was working and when the blink code was loaded to the chip and put back to the faulty board, then the built in LED was still constantly on (plus Rx and Tx didn't flash at all). Tried different laptops + different cables too.

So yeah, built in LED is always on, Rx and Tx doesn't flash, Arduino IDE is giving errors - that's my issues.

Is it broken or is something that I do wrong?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

4

Certainly sounds broken.

Nobody here can see what you might have done but if it is a true Arduino UNO then the chip used for the USB can be blown quite easily at the slightest misuse of the power rails.
In those cases an ICSP programmer can still often be used to program the board and I would recommend one in everybody's Arduino toolkit.

5

Thanks for that,

I think I might have wiggled some wires when it was powered (I know, stupid).

I also thought about ICSP programmer, but would it fix the fact that the LED is always on? I guess we will never know before I try.

I was also thinking about getting a new UNO, try to program the ATmega328 and then use it on the old board. Would that work or if it's a bit bigger code than just a blink code it's going to mess around and not perform as I would like?

6

Nobody can tell from this side of the screen what else if anything might have been damaged.
Not really possible to give you a definite answer as to the LED issue.

However if you program the chip in another board with the basic blink (alter the timing) and it does not work in the suspect board then time to dispose of it.

7

There's no visible marks of any burns or anything, can't smell anything either.

But since the blink code didn't change anything for LED, I'm just going to bin it. Maybe will just keep the ATmega328 and few other bits as spares...

I guess that topic can now be closed. And if anyone else gets 0xa1 error code, then your board is done. Am I right?