Uploading Sketch Issues - Pro Mini 328 - Several quick questions.

Using Arduino IDE 1.x
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Hi all, I am a newbie to the wonderful world of Arduino (please be gentle :)).

Purchased a Pro Mini 328 and a Arduino Mini USB adapter for a future Quadcopter controller project. Purchased herehttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270702992896&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3737wt_905

Trying to upload the usual "Blink" sketch.

I am getting the all too common error

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

XP Machine running Arduino 0022
FTDI driver 2.8.12.0 (most current).
Using USB power
Tried many different timings for the reset button press.
Have also tried taking "RST" low for the reset. Same results.

I only get several quick red (tx) blinks from the Mini USB adapter. No Green (rx) blinks whatsoever. But at least I know I am on the correct com port.

After pressing the reset button I do not get any "ack" blinks from the LED on pin 13. I have actually never seen the led on 13 light up. Is there a possibility that there is no bootloader on this chip?

Thanks in advance for any help.

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Where are you located?
I buy prominis from gravitech.us
Yours looks different than the 16 or so I bought.
Like the programming pins are all swapped or something.

Mine do the slowly increasing in speed blink when powered up fresh. Maybe no bootloader as you suggest.

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CrossRoads:
Where are you located?
I buy prominis from gravitech.us
Yours looks different than the 16 or so I bought.
Like the programming pins are all swapped or something.

Mine do the slowly increasing in speed blink when powered up fresh. Maybe no bootloader as you suggest.

Thanks for the quick response.

I am in St. Petersburg, FL. I might check gravitech if I cannot get this thing working.

You are correct - the pins at the opposite end of the board from the reset switch are reversed. but they do line up with the USB TX RX Vcc and GND.

When you mention "increasing in speed blink" upon powering do you mean the pin 13 led or main (green) power led on Pro Mini.

I should also mention mine has no Sparkfun logo. www.geeetech.com on the backside of the board. This might be the problem too.

THX.

4

Is the FTDI TX pin connected to TX or RX pin on Pro Mini? After reading all instructions, I got it wrong. When I connected TX to TX and RX to RX, it started to work. What's to logic, I'm not sure, and I don't need to care anymore 'couse it works.

Cheers,
Kari

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I currently have ground to ground, vcc to vcc, tx to tx and rx to rx.

6

What about the GRN pin on Pro mini?

Kari

7

GaryP:
What about the GRN pin on Pro mini?

Kari

grn pin is not connected.

8

On Sparkfun-branded parts, which I have:

FTDI Basic, which I use for programming ProMini, has:

GND
CTS
Power
TXO
RXI
DTR

ProMini has:
GND
GND
VCC
RXI
TXO
DTR << Labeled GRN, goes to a cap, other side goes to Reset
Confirmed via multimeter

9

I am not using the FTDI basic for programming.

I am using an Arduino Mini USB (no longer available).

This one -

The only connections I am using are vcc, ground, TX and RX. and manually pressing the reset button.

Must the "Green" terminal on the Pro Mini be connected??

I am going to try and burn the bootloader on monday see if that is the issue.

10

"Must the "Green" terminal on the Pro Mini be connected??"
I would say no if pressing reset is working for you.
I would connect the CTS line to ground, lets the programmer know the promini is ready to accept data.

"When you mention "increasing in speed blink" upon powering do you mean the pin 13 led or main (green) power led on Pro Mini. "
The pin13 LED flashes faster & I think goes to full on, then repeats.
I don't have any left with original programming anymore, otherwise would verify for you.

11

Thanks,

I will try connecting the CTS line of the Mini USB to ground to see if that changes anything.

Just as an FYI- here are a couple of pics of the actual parts I am using.

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FYI

same result with CTS grounded.

Still nothing.

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Here's a picture of my well functioning combination. USB serial uses probably the same IC than yours, and looks like you have the same pins available.

FTDI         PRoMini
GND (black)    GND
Vcc (red)      Vcc
RX   (orange1) RX1
TX   (orange2) TX0
DTR  (green)  GRN

No need to press RESET manually. CTS-pin open.

I find the documentation of this quite confusing, but I got mine working after try and error.

Cheers,
Kari

FTDI_ProMini328.jpg
FTDI_ProMini328.jpg800×286 65.7 KB

14

Thanks Kari,

Still nothing on my end. Dead as a doornail. I have contacted the seller to see what he has to say.

Did a loopback test on the mini usb and confirmed it is working.
My money is no bootloader.

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