Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz programming problem

Hi,

I recently purchased a number of “Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz” (‘:D’) boards and a “FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V”. (‘:D’)

I am using “Arduino-0017” on Win XP. (‘:)’)

I selected the “Arduino Duemilanove or Nano w/ ATmega328” board from “Arduino-0017” Tools menu(‘:(’)

After compiling the sketch I tried to upload it to board. But Arduino-0017 says “Uploading to I/O Board” and green LEDs on the “Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz” and “FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V” boards continiously blinks but it does ot program the board. (‘:cry:’)

Can someone help me please??

How can I program “Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz” ?

Thx

AlbertGoodwill@gmail.com

Before you get a bunch of answers suggesting this…

I was going to say "why didn’t you use the “pro mini” board setting in Arduino 0017. However, I did just look at the directions for the board, and you’re right, it says to use the “Arduino Duemilanove or Nano w/ ATmega328” setting.

I’m using the 3.3V version just fine with the pro mini 3.3V 328 board setting. I can’t help with the 5V version other than to ask if you’re sure you have the cable connected to the breakout board the right way. I had it the wrong way at first, and it does blink the lights, but never programs (not surprisingly). The top (chip side) of the FTDI breakout should face in towards the chip side of the Arduino. I’d swear I saw something that said that it goes the other way, facing out, but it doesn’t.

Dear sylvie369,

THANK YOU!!!

I’ve followed the following links to find out how to program the “Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz” board.

1 - http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc … ts_id=9218

2 - http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/ArduinoProMini

3 - http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardProMini

Unfortunatelly the photo in link 2 is WRONG, it shows the FTDI board on wrong direction. As sylvie369 indicated the “The top (chip side) of the FTDI breakout should face in towards the chip side of the Arduino.” (sylvie369 thank you again).

My working combination (I hope this information helps others);

  • Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz (‘Very Happy’)

  • FTDI Basic Breakout - 5V (‘Very Happy’)

  • FTDI breakout faceing towards the chip side of the Arduino Pro Mini 328 - 5V/16MHz

  • Arduino-0017

  • Board selection on Arduino-0017 is “Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (3.3V, 8 MHz) w/ ATmega328”

  • Win XP

  • Successfully tested the Blink example.

Thx.

Albert Goodwill @ gmail . com

Aha! Thank you! I KNEW that I’d seen some photo that made me think it attached that way, but I couldn’t find it.

I messed with it over and over again, and tried everything I could think of, and finally posted a LONG “does anyone know why it doesn’t work?” post to the Arduino forum before I figured out (by looking at the pins) that I had it attached backwards. The fact that the lights all blinked when I tried to program it made me think that I couldn’t possibly have had it attached wrong.

It’s good to see that I wasn’t just imagining the bad directions. I’m probably still delusional, but at least not in this instance. 8)

Pretty great little device, isn’t it? I’ve got a second one coming any day now, and I imagine I’ll own at least a half-dozen of them by the end of the year.

Postscript: I suggested to the Arduino folks that they change that photo, and they have done so. They also put up an explanation of the source of the problem: apparently the earlier Arduino Pro Mini boards had that row of pins the other way around.

Anyway, if you go to that page now, you’ll see a photo in which the FTDI board is oriented the correct way, so don’t go turning yours around backwards.