[SOLVED] Sketch fails to upload if larger than 0x7000 bytes

Projects Programming
1

I have a very strange problem. Using Arduino 1.6.5
In a fairly big sketch i included the 'tone' function. On one computer it works just fine. On another computer the upload fails with this error:

avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x7000
0xff != 0x2f
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

After compilation, the status is:

Sketch uses 29,414 bytes (91%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32,256 bytes.
Global variables use 1,047 bytes (51%) of dynamic memory, leaving 1,001 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2,048 bytes.

Just by removing the statement:
tone(A4, 200);
from simple-co2-monitor-fw.ino / line 98 - then the sketch uploads successfully.
I've attached the sketch for reference.

Next thing i am going to do is to analyze in detail the two installations of the Arduino ide. But if someone faced this issue already I would be very thankful for some hints

simple-co2-monitor-fw.zip (11.4 KB)

2

Next thing i am going to do is to analyze in detail the two installations of the Arduino ide.

First thing, you mean. No, wait, you jumped the gun and expected someone here to do that.

3

One possible cause that I've heard of: Someone said that avrdude (the uploader) assumes that memory has been cleared to 0xFF before the sketch is uploaded. If there is a memory page in the sketch that contains nothing but 0xFF then avrdude will not bother to write it. If the memory has NOT been reset (and I don't think the Arduino IDE requests a reset) the unwritten page will cause a verification error if it contains anything other than 0xFF.

4

After i investigated a bit more, it turned out that the reason for failing upload is that the sketch becomes larger than 0x7000 bytes.
And it fails only on some devices. I have bought the ATMega328p chips from Aliexpress and embedded them in my device - is it possible that some of them are faulty ?

I just modify the sketch by increasing or decreasing the length of a string. If it is less than 0x7000 bytes totally - then it is fine - once it reaches 0x7001 it fails to upload

5

Seems like uploading sketches larger 0x7000 bytes can result in failure in some bootloaders.
Apparently i have flashed my chips at different times, and some of them have a different bootloader
in fact avrdude, shows the Firmware Version of the failing one as 3.3, and the other as 4.4