Unable to upload anything to cloned Nano

Using Arduino Avrdude, stk500, Bootloader issues
#1

Hi,
I have a cloned Nano board which is working (I bought it with code already on it and have been using it for a while. I now want to change the code.)

It has a ATMEL mega328P chip. I am connected via a FTDI232 USB interface.

I have the same problem on my mac (OSX 10.15.3 + Arduino IDE 1.8.12) and also on my Windows laptop (Windows 10 + Adruino IDE 1.8.12), although slighty different error codes.

In Windows, the IDE sees the board on COM3, but shows "unknown board" in get board info.
On Mac, the IDE sees the board on \dev\usb-00000000 (which seems strange)

I have checked the settings in IDE for board, processer, port, and programmer. I've updated the FTDI drivers as well.

When I try to upload anything I get the error:

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x2b

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

#2

grahamjtr:
but shows “unknown board” in get board info.

This is normal and expected. The reason is because the Nano (official, clones, and derivatives) use a general purpose USB to serial adapter chip, which doesn’t allow the Arduino IDE to identify which specific board is attached (because that adapter chip could be used on any board).

grahamjtr:
When I try to upload anything I get the error:

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x2b

It will be helpful if you provide the full output:

Please do this:

  • When you encounter an error, you’ll see a button on the right side of the orange bar “Copy error messages” in the Arduino IDE (or the icon that looks like two pieces of paper at the top right corner of the black console window in the Arduino Web Editor). Click that button…
  • In a forum reply here, click on the reply field.
  • Click the </> button on the forum toolbar. This will add the forum’s code tags markup to your reply.
  • Press “Ctrl + V”. This will paste the error between the code tags.
  • Move the cursor outside of the code tags before you add any additional text to your reply.

If the text exceeds the forum’s 9000 character limit, save it to a .txt file and post it as an attachment. If you click the “Reply” button here, you will see an “Attachments and other settings” link that will allow you to make the attachment.

#3

grahamjtr:
I have a cloned Nano board which is working (I bought it with code already on it and have been using it for a while. I now want to change the code.)

It has a ATMEL mega328P chip. I am connected via a FTDI232 USB interface.

A bit unclear, you do not connect a Nano via an FTDI232 interface, a Nano has an onboard USB interface. The onboard interface can be an FTDI232, but most clones use something cheaper like a CH340.

If the board came with code already installed, it may not have the bootloader installed. Can you post a link to where you purchased the board?

#4