Problems with unbricking a Arduino Uno 328P board.

Development Tools Uploading
1

Dear users,

Due to the errors given i am to believe that one of my 328P's is bricked,

this mightve happened due to an accidental short i made during my experiments.

I tried setting up an tinyisp and another 328p Uno as an ISP to try and burn a new bootloader to the broken Uno ( error messages will be added on the bottom ).

since this didnt work, i tried googling for a solution, and found this might be a problem with the clock or the internal fuses.

i have no clue how to find or fix this and i would appreciate it alot if someone could guide me through this step by step.

ftr the 328P i am using as an ISP is working 100%. ( tested with multiple sketches ).

EDIT: the 328P's are SMD's so its really hard to reach the right connections... this will be a problem for the latter if this is required.

Thank you in forward :slight_smile:

C:\Users\Rick\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/bin/avrdude -CC:\Users\Rick\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega328p -cstk500v1 -PCOM6 -b19200 -e -Ulock:w:0x3F:m -Uefuse:w:0xFD:m -Uhfuse:w:0xDE:m -Ulfuse:w:0xFF:m 

avrdude: Version 6.3-20190619
         Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
         Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

         System wide configuration file is "C:\Users\Rick\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\arduino\tools\avrdude\6.3.0-arduino17/etc/avrdude.conf"

         Using Port                    : COM6
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
         AVR Part                      : ATmega328P
         Chip Erase delay              : 9000 us
         PAGEL                         : PD7
         BS2                           : PC2
         RESET disposition             : dedicated
         RETRY pulse                   : SCK
         serial program mode           : yes
         parallel program mode         : yes
         Timeout                       : 200
         StabDelay                     : 100
         CmdexeDelay                   : 25
         SyncLoops                     : 32
         ByteDelay                     : 0
         PollIndex                     : 3
         PollValue                     : 0x53
         Memory Detail                 :

                                  Block Poll               Page                       Polled
           Memory Type Mode Delay Size  Indx Paged  Size   Size #Pages MinW  MaxW   ReadBack
           ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
           eeprom        65    20     4    0 no       1024    4      0  3600  3600 0xff 0xff
           flash         65     6   128    0 yes     32768  128    256  4500  4500 0xff 0xff
           lfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           hfuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           efuse          0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           lock           0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0  4500  4500 0x00 0x00
           calibration    0     0     0    0 no          1    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00
           signature      0     0     0    0 no          3    0      0     0     0 0x00 0x00

         Programmer Type : STK500
         Description     : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
         Hardware Version: 2
         Firmware Version: 1.18
         Topcard         : Unknown
         Vtarget         : 0.0 V
         Varef           : 0.0 V
         Oscillator      : Off
         SCK period      : 0.1 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)

Error while burning bootloader.
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000
avrdude: Yikes!  Invalid device signature.
         Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
         this check.


avrdude done.  Thank you.
2

this mightve happened due to an accidental short i made during my experiments.

This does not look as "bricked" MCU but kind of damaged.

Bricked MCU is like the fuses are set for an external clock source which is not present, so the MCU is not able start. The solution is very easy, just to connect crystal or square signal to XTAL pin/pins.

All zero response during uploading means that there is no connection to the target. There are several possible reasons and one of them can be bricked MCU, but as I wrote above, it does not seem to me this case.

3

Any idea on how to continue ? or should i assume the chip is fried ?

4

How about buying a new one (I mean a new chip), upload the bootloader and go.
Some specialized stores have bootloaded MCUs available, but bit pricey.

5

I will try and do this, might be hard because it is an SMD package instead of a big 328p package :stuck_out_tongue:

6

:frowning:

...or if you are capable to desolder and solder. You can ask here for the best method.

7

i already mistakenly bought the 328P Ic package instead of the SMD thinking the broken one had a replaceble IC :roll_eyes:

8

;D
Sorry for that but it is bit amusing me.

9

due to chip availability in my country,

this only seems to be the only replacement option :

MICROCONTROLLER MCU, 8 BIT, ATMEGA, 20MH

https://www.reichelt.nl/8-bit-atmega-avr-microcontroller-32-kb-20-mhz-tqfp-32-tqfp-3-atmega-328pb-au-p269093.html?PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKCAjw95D0BRBFEiwAcO1KDNHH_WHkPqKcNMpaW6Hhh_mv1C8J7ZRhlj0TMz923kAw5D-jwTLycRoC5zQQAvD_BwE&&r=1

Does this function the same as the AU version ?

As for the soldering , i'm okay with an iron, but ive always found smd to be a bit tricky, though i am familiar with the desolderingfilm method of soldering SMD IC's

10

Read this:

https://onlinedocs.microchip.com/pr/GUID-CBDC1838-0100-4F26-A45A-134958193C3B-en-US-4/index.html

ATmega328PB is not a drop-in replacement for ATmega328 variants, but a new device. However, the functions are backward compatible with the existing ATmega328 functions.

11

As for the soldering , i'm okay with an iron, but ive always found smd to be a bit tricky, though i am familiar with the desolderingfilm method of soldering SMD IC's

I am recommending first to cut off all legs with tiny pliers or with very sharp knife. I am using usually blade for model hobby planer.
Then you can desolder it pin by pin. It is better than with hot air because there are plastic headers and near small parts which could be damaged.