Pulled out some old Nanos, but 1.8.9 no longer offers "old bootloader."
Is there a fix for the newer IDEs or do I have to use an older version in order to get the "old bootloader" option when I select the processor?
thanks, the Doctor
Get yourself a Programmer and re-bootload the devices with the current, smaller, faster to start bootloader.
Get yourself a Programmer and re-bootload the devices with the current, smaller, faster to start bootloader.
From other posts I've seen, that means I'd have to remember which Nanos need to be programmed as Unos. Plus I don't care if it's faster, uses less flash, etc. I may care about the watchdog timer issue, but I can always make sure I use newer Nanos in that case.
Anyway, I gather from your response that an older IDE is the only option, short of getting a programmer (yes, I do have a few Unos in the parts box).
the Doctor
Re-bootload All of them as Uno, then you don't have to worry about it. I bootload all my 328P based boards as Uno.
Can even set up one the boards as your Programmer, and leave it that way. It's a tool, one you should have at your beck & call all the time.
On 1.8.9, with the stock version of the Arduino AVR Board Package, the Old Bootloader option is still there.
What version of the AVR board package do you have installed? (check board manager).
I have only one board package installed:
Arduino AVR Boards by Arduino version 1.6.20 INSTALLED
In the "select version" window I see two later versions, 1.6.22 and 1.8.1.
Dr.Q
CrossRoads:
Re-bootload All of them as Uno, then you don't have to worry about it. I bootload all my 328P based boards as Uno.
I use Pro Minis, Nanos, and Mega 2560s, about half [of more than 100] are "old." I don't recall having this problem on the Pro Mini, but since it's 328P based, I'm thinking I will. I looked at the Pro Mini CPU selection in my 1.8.9 IDE and I don't see "old bootloader" there, either.
After reading all the "Arduino as ISP" pages, I'm still a little lost. The bottom line I'm hoping for is that once the Mini or Nano is bootloaded as "Uno", I can then program them serially, without the Uno ISP?
Dr.Q
Dr_Quark:
I don't recall having this problem on the Pro Mini, but since it's 328P based, I'm thinking I will.
You will if you do a watchdog reset. It doesn't matter when you bought the Pro Mini. Every single one on the market has the buggy bootloader.
Dr_Quark:
I looked at the Pro Mini CPU selection in my 1.8.9 IDE and I don't see "old bootloader" there, either.
You're not supposed to. All Pro Minis have the buggy old bootloader so there would be absolutely no point in having a special menu item to specify that.
Dr_Quark:
After reading all the "Arduino as ISP" pages, I'm still a little lost. The bottom line I'm hoping for is that once the Mini or Nano is bootloaded as "Uno", I can then program them serially, without the Uno ISP?
Correct. In this case, you're only using the Arduino as ISP to replace the bootloader via Tools > Burn Bootloader. Note that if you do a Sketch > Upload Using Programmer it will erase the bootloader and you will not be able to do uploads over serial after that until you've burned the bootloader again.
Dr_Quark:
I have only one board package installed:Arduino AVR Boards by Arduino version 1.6.20 INSTALLED
In the "select version" window I see two later versions, 1.6.22 and 1.8.1.
Dr.Q
That's the reason why you don't have a Tools > Processor > ATmega328P (Old Bootloader) option when the Nano is selected. When using Arduino AVR Boards 1.6.20, Tools > Processor ATmega328P is the equivalent of Tools > Processor > ATmega328P (Old Bootloader) when using the modern versions of Arduino AVR Boards and there is no option for the new bootloader. The reason being that the Nano boards with the new bootloader weren't even being produced back when Arduino AVR Boards 1.6.20 was released. This is a matter of the Arduino AVR Boards version. The IDE version is completely irrelevant. I recommend updating to Arduino AVR Boards 1.8.1.
Geeze, I just bought that laptop less than a year ago and downloaded what I thought was the then-current IDE. It never occurred to me that it didn't have the "new" bootloader. Whatever I did on the old laptop, it DID have the new bootloader, so I made an assumption....
I am racing back to the lab to make the easy fix! Thanks.
Dr.Q
Something failed.
I selected 1.8.1 and then "update." The installed version stepped up from 1.6.20 to 1.6.21 and the "selection version window" no longer had 1.8.1 as an option. So I selected "update" again the installed version stepped up to 1.6.22. The 1.8.1 version is not available in the "select version" window and there is no "update" button.
What happened to 1.8.1?
The good (?) news is that "old bootloader" is now an option in the processor window.
Dr.Q
Bigger fail.
Now, with the "new" processor selected, I get the following errors:
lto1.exe: fatal error: bytecode stream generated with LTO version 3.0 instead of the expected 4.1
compilation terminated.
lto-wrapper.exe: fatal error: C:\Users\Roger\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avr-gcc\5.4.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino2/bin/avr-gcc returned 1 exit status
compilation terminated.
c:/users/roger/appdata/local/arduino15/packages/arduino/tools/avr-gcc/5.4.0-atmel3.6.1-arduino2/bin/../lib/gcc/avr/5.4.0/../../../../avr/bin/ld.exe: error: lto-wrapper failed
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
exit status 1
Error compiling for board Arduino Nano.
If I select "old bootloader," compilation completes without any errors, but it won't upload (10 timeouts).
Dr.Q
IMO, uninstall the IDE, blow away C:/Users/Roger/AppData/Local/Arduino15 and reinstall.
You have somehow wound up with your board-manager-installed packages in a strange and bad state.
thanks, I need to clean up my libraries anyway, so it's time to do some house cleaning.
You don't need to touch the sketchbook folder (where libraries you've installed are kept) - you should be able to leave that untouched.
Compilation now works fine with 1.8.10 and either processor selected. Uploading does not work at all.
Picked a Nano from another batch in my parts box, upload works.
I feel like I'm back in the FTDI fisasco. I've checked three of my new Nanos and all three "fail to sync" using either processor. They appear to use the same serial chip (CH340) as the ones that do take the upload.
Is there a batch of bad Nanos from Alliexpress (they could also be from Elegoo*) lately, or do I have a driver problem? Not likely, since the other Nanos seem to upload OK.
I have purchased from Elegoo previously, with good results. I looked at their Nano page just now and there are many comments about failure to upload. Most of the commentors do not see an active com port. I do, and it doesn't seem to make any difference. No workie.
I wonder if using a Uno and doing "Arduino as ISP" would work?
Dr.Q
Sync error generally indicates incorrect board selected, or possibly problem with the bootloader on the chip - maybe they shipped a batch without the bootloader - the clone manufacturers have been known to do that).
No COM port indicates driver issue.
You've checked with both old and new bootloader options?
Bootloading them with a working arduino as ISP will almost certainly fix them.
DrAzzy:
...maybe they shipped a batch without the bootloader - the clone manufacturers have been known to do that).
Why didn't I think of that? Geez.
Yes, I did check both processor selections (new/old bootloader).
I do see a com port (COM4) for all of them.