Unable to upload to an Atmega328 Pro Mini

Development Tools IDE 1.x
1

I'm trying to connect to a 5V Atmega328 Pro Mini Arduino that doesn't have a USB port by using a USB to serial adapter like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Pro-Mini-Module-Atmega328-5v-16M-FT232RL-USB-To-Serial-Adapter-for-Arduino-/141057436230?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item20d7adaa46#ht_3592wt_1400

I found an article on using this combination:
Arduino USB-to-Serial Tutorial - Programming the Pro Mini - YouTube - mine is the first of the 3 that Julian covers (excellent video btw!)

I followed this, and on uploading received the "avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00" error. I checked the board selected and the COM port, both were correct. The Arduino seems to work - the pre-installed blink sketch is running.

I repeated the upload while holding the shift key down - this time, the error message was "avrdude: usbdev_open(): did not find any USB device "usb"". During this, neither the RX or TX lights blink.

I checked the connection, via Start/Computer/System Properties/Ports. I can see the USB Serial Port on COM6, and right clicking it, Properties, it tells me the manufacturer is FTDI, and the device is working properly (or so Windows tells me...).

I'm using Windows 7 64 bit, and the boards are connected to a good USB 2.0 port (I saw somewhere that USB 3.0 gives problems).
I found this in the forum: avrdude: usbdev_open(): did not find any USB device "usb" bug - Suggestions for the Arduino Project - Arduino Forum but changing to different programmers and back also didn't help.

I found http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/ArduinoMini and http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/ArduinoProMini on this board, tried pressing the 'reset' button just before uploading, same problem. As the DTS pins are connected, I think the on-board capacitor should be doing that for me anyway. I checked "set RTS on close", same problem.

I tried short-circuiting the TX and RX pins on the USB to serial board, opened the serial monitor. I don't see text returning.
This isn't the first time I've connected to Arduinos - I have megas and nanos, never had this problem.

Any suggestions?

2

Here's the link that didn't seem to work: _Arduino USB-to-Serial Tutorial - Programming the Pro Mini - YouTube

Ian

3

I had this same problem on three Nano clones. After reading so many websites and forum posts my eyes hurt, I found that setting the FTDI driver back to an earlier version fixed it.

From what others are saying, this is probably because my Nanos have counterfeit FTDI (USB to serial) chips. Perhaps that is true of your USB to serial adapter.

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=194534.0

4

press arduino's reset button before upload the sketch, then upload immediately.

tell me if it works.

5

having same "avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00" error.

  • Running windows 7/64 and the BLINK program
  • Have tried looking at the excellent youtube example - so my connections all OK
  • Have rolled back FTDI driver to 2.8.24.0 as suggested on link
  • Have tried loopback test to prove FTDI working OK
  • Have pressed the reset immediately before trying to upload
    Pro Mini just continues to flask a led with some previously resident program.
    Still no luck, any other ideas?
6

the last one is to re-load the bootloader

check nick gammon's tutorial Gammon Forum : Electronics : Microprocessors : Atmega bootloader programmer

mod*
also check this before http://arduino.cc/de/Guide/Troubleshooting