Mogaraghu:
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But what is confounding is the fact that the MCU is refuses to oscillate - I suppose if the MCU / 16Mhz crystal and the two 22PF capacitors are OK / Reset pulled up to 5V, Oscillation should set in ?
One would expect so...
But, while the barebones circuit is simple, lots can go wrong...
- breadboards and jumpers add capacitance and
- jumpers add resistance and inductance
Do you even know for sure that the 22pF are really 22pF? Like, were they ordered from a reputable vendor? Do you have a capacitance meter?
Building a barebones, we all seem to do it as a rite of passage, really is not cost effective in today's market.
Ray