I'm getting fed up with this. I've tried to do this on four separate occasions, bought and tried multiple different variations of this chip (168, not PU version) but every time I get past building my arduino on a breadboard, I get stuck flashing the chip. I'm just realizing that i've butchered writing that beginning, so I'll elaborate the best I can at midnight while I'm half asleep.
I've been trying to make a standalone arduino for months now, as I plan on making a product using a home-brew arduino board in it to shave $30 off the price. I can build the circuit easily, but whenever I try to bootload my chips, I get this error:
avrdude: Error: Could not find USBtiny device (0x1781/0xc9f)
Error while burning boot loader.
I'm using a Sparkfun AVR pocket programmer and following this tutorial: Pocket AVR Programmer Hookup Guide - SparkFun Learn
Here's what I've tried:
Every single arduino programming setting
Every single arduino board option
Different mini USB cables
Unplugging and re plugging
Boot loading from the command line with AVRDude
All the pocket programmer Drivers I could find on windows
Attempted from mac os
and probably a lot more things i've repressed.
I've narrowed it down to not recognizing that the AVR pocket programmer is plugged in. I don't know what to do, and I need help.
I've been avoiding buying another programmer board, but if I have to I guess I can't avoid it.
Sounds like driver problems for the ISP.
Try using a different ISP programmer...
USB Asp clones: (drivers are a bit annoying to install the first time, iirc)
usbasp in Business & Industrial for sale | eBay ($3 or so each)
Arduino-as-ISP using a nano clone:
arduino nano for sale | eBay ($3 or so each)
Or if your only reason for building your own is cost, you can always buy an Uno clone:
arduino uno for sale | eBay ($5-9 each; most of these use the CH340G for usb serial, this uses a different driver than the normal uno, but they work fine)
following this tutorial
That's a very comprehensive tutorial; which part are you following (Arduino, or Avrdude?)
Did you successfully install drivers enough for windows to recognize the programmer?
Do you have a verbose log showing where things go wrong ? There's at least one situation where the Arduino IDE issues multiple AVRDude commands "too fast" for the some programmers to recover, when using some operating systems. Do you have a working Arduino as well? Have you tried Nick Gammon's bootloader programmer? (Gammon Forum : Electronics : Microprocessors : How to make an Arduino-compatible minimal board)? Have you tried asking over on the Sparkfun forums? What version of windows are you running?
Do you have the right programmer selected under Tools>Programmer?
Thanks to everyone who helped out, but it turns out that my mini usb cable was power only. Bought a new one and it's working! <3
Of course. That ends up happening to a lot of people.
Those damn just for power cables...
Useful only for phone charging....