I've been shown two new Arduino Nanos, bought by two new users and neither will accept a program load. They could both be faulty, but that seems unlikely.
The first PC to attempt load is W7+Ard IDE 1.8.18. This PC can successfully load a Nano bought several years ago using "Old Bootloader". The other PC is W10 and Ard IDE 2.3.4.
The new Nanos have micro-usb connectors. In the PC they have the same port number whatever usb they are plugged into, so I think they don't have the CH340 chip.
Every attempt to load gets
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x1c
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
When the Nano is connected it create a com port. If I connect Putty to that port and press keys on the PC the RX light on the Nano is flashing.
In the Ard IDE I tried all 3 types of Nano processor setting (Atmega328P, Old Bootloader, Atmega168P). Tried pressing the reset button while the PC is attempting load.
I've made a bat file that successfully loads the old Nano, and then tries the new Nano with each of the standard baud rates. No success. (Takes a long time because avrdude insists on 10 tries.)
To test the usb cable I have successfully loaded an ESP8266.
@alto777 I have a few Arduinos with the CH340 chip. I've just checked now with a "Mega" in each of the 4 usb sockets on this W7 PC. In device manager it says "USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM8)" or COM10,12,109. Anything with a FTDI chip keeps the same number whichever socket it's plugged in to. The two Nanos above used the same number, I never connected them both at the same time, so think they are not FTDI either. I only have one with me now.
@van_der_decken, sorry that's the best I can do. Using a bright light an a magnifying glass... The cpu is very faintly printed "Atmel MEGA328P8 -U 24110 TH 241124A". The usb-chip has nothing. The other chip underneath, power regulator?, has "AMS117 6.0 BWQ45"
The B variant is not a drop in replacement for the original 328P. If the PCB doesn't account for that, I don't know if it will work. But even if it does... I've worked with the PB a bit, and they're fine, but they're not the P. The PB has its own quirks. For a beginner, they might just be better off buying some Nanos that have the 328P on them rather than the 328PB.
And I really hope that's a 5.0 rather than a 6.0, or there's another problem.
@van_der_decken, Thanks. 8 ->B, yes agree. 5 or 6 there's a blob of glue or damage. I found MEGA328PB differences. It's interesting but I can't interpret it to "this board can't work" or "it needs different load parameters". Could they use PB because we can't get P this week and send them out without testing? (rhetorical).
It could be as simple as "manufacturer loaded a bootloader for the P into some PBs". I don't know if that works or not; I've always used a "this is for a PB bootloader" in my PBs. I do know (from experience and reading others tribulations) that the PB is much pickier about its crystal than the P.
That's why I suggested just getting new Nanos with 328Ps on them.
I also burned a MiniCore 328PB bootloader in mine. But I'm comfortable with ICSP and have the proper ISPs to do it easily.
I can't see putting beginners through figuring out the ArduinoISP sketch, wiring, soldering a 6 pin header to the Nano (you can do it without doing that, but it's another "you have to know what you doing" step a beginner's not going to know how to do). I think it's just easier to get a couple of Nanos with 328Ps on them.
Just look on AliExpress and do a search on Atmega328PB. I've deliberately bought them there, because I wanted a Nano with 2 serial ports. The ones I bought came with a regular Atmega328P bootloader, which prevented any use of the extra features of the PB version. I had to flash them with the right bootloader, but then they worked fine.
I have used an Arduino UNO as ISP and loaded a simple program into the Nano. Iniitially it failed:
avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9516 (probably m328pb)
avrdude: Expected signature for ATmega328P is 1E 95 0F
Double check chip, or use -F to override this check.
so I took the avrdude command from the console, put it in a bat file with -F, and it loaded. Now we know he board is good (sort of). Never done that before, probably useful sometime.
Presumably I could put in a bootloader, if I had the right one. Would that be different from the one it has already? (If it has one.)
There's a video making a PB version of an UNO. From 07:26 he adjusts IDE settings, loads the bootloader, reconnects directly to the PB UNO, and loads a blink program. Seems the same as I want but can't see those settings in the IDE, and the video is not clear.
There are several other topics on these MEGA328PB boards, and mostly they conclude it's easier to buy other boards, or live with ISP.
