Programmer not responding when programming ATmega 1284p

Hi all,

Ran into some more problems with my 1284p setup.

The chip's had the maniacbug bootloader burned onto it. I'm using an FTDI serial cable to program it from the Arduino IDE, wired up according to Nick Gammon's instructions (Gammon Forum : Electronics : Microprocessors : How to make an Arduino-compatible minimal board) with an external 16MHz crystal on a breadboard.

The problem is it works intermittently when I upload sketches, so maybe 1 time out of 10 or 15 attempts.
Other times it'll fail out, usually producing this output:

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-FTHHW6JL
         Using Programmer              : arduino
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 115200
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00

avrdude done.  Thank you.

I've done extensive searching on problems here and on other forums and tried solutions people suggested:

  • Putting an RC filter on the RX0 pin to reduce crosstalk between RX0 and the crystal
  • Putting a resistor in series with RX0
  • Setting the fuses to use the crystal in full swing mode
  • Inserting a pull up resistor on the reset pin.

Some others I can't recall at the moment. There
I've also tried using avrdude via command line to do simple things like check the fuses - it doesn't work at all.

Can someone with some 1284p experience help me out? I've wasted far too much time on this already!

This message simply means that there is no connection to the programmer. You have to investigate in your wiring at the first.

I've done extensive searching on problems here and on other forums and tried solutions people suggested:

  • Putting an RC filter on the RX0 pin to reduce crosstalk between RX0 and the crystal
  • Putting a resistor in series with RX0
  • Setting the fuses to use the crystal in full swing mode
  • Inserting a pull up resistor on the reset pin.

Normally just those things are needed for breadboarded chip:

  1. pull-up resistor on reset pin
  2. crystal with ~22pF to the ground, only if external clock are used but it is good to have it for the first time, especially for beginners
  3. decoupling 100nF capacitors on Vcc (it can work without, but...), all Vcc and GND must be connected
  4. 100nF cap from AREF to the GND.
    Nothing more, no filters on RX etc.

BTW: Provide schematics of your setup. One picture is more than thousand words.

... and are you sure with the selected port '/dev/cu.usbserial-FTHHW6JL' ?
And last advice at now: Keep your wiring setup as simple as it is possible without long wires.

Warming up this thread, just in case anyone else should run into this problem.

I tryed two different FTDI-adapters, one with a mini-USB and another one with USB-A. At the end, the mini-USB is / was too flaky. Most of the time, there was no connection possible to the ATmel. When using the FTDI with USB-A it works flawless...out of the box.

coattails:
Hi all,

Ran into some more problems with my 1284p setup.

The chip's had the maniacbug bootloader burned onto it. I'm using an FTDI serial cable to program it from the Arduino IDE, wired up according to Nick Gammon's instructions (Gammon Forum : Electronics : Microprocessors : How to make an Arduino-compatible minimal board) with an external 16MHz crystal on a breadboard.

The problem is it works intermittently when I upload sketches, so maybe 1 time out of 10 or 15 attempts.
Other times it'll fail out, usually producing this output:

         Using Port                    : /dev/cu.usbserial-FTHHW6JL

Using Programmer              : arduino
        Overriding Baud Rate          : 115200
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x00

avrdude done.  Thank you.





I've done extensive searching on problems here and on other forums and tried solutions people suggested:

- Putting an RC filter on the RX0 pin to reduce crosstalk between RX0 and the crystal
- Putting a resistor in series with RX0
- Setting the fuses to use the crystal in full swing mode
- Inserting a pull up resistor on the reset pin.


Some others I can't recall at the moment. There 
I've also tried using avrdude via command line to do simple things like check the fuses - it doesn't work at all.

Can someone with some 1284p experience help me out? I've wasted far too much time on this already!

I use the 1284P quite a bit. It programs just as easily as any other AVR. If you're having problems, be sure your power supply is clean, that you have good grounds, etc....

There is nothing "particular" about a 1284P that makes it program any differently.

A question: Is your PROGRAMMER any good? I've had no end of grief with cheap clones and "UNO hacked into a programmer", but my Atmel MK-II programmer is solid as a rock (a real Atmel, not a clone in a blue case).

Maybe your programmer isn't reliable?