If you cannot upload sketches to the NyBoard (the "not in sync error") and verify that the serial connection is all good, the NyBoard's bootloader might be crashed during the last upload.
Verify that the serial connection is all good means:
The USB cable has data wires rather than just the power wires. The USB cable included in the Petoi package should be good.
You have the proper driver for the uploader, or your computer can automatically install the driver. You can see and select the serial port in the Arduino IDE -> Tools -> Port.
All the contacts along the loop are connected firmly.
You have successfully uploaded sketches previously.
There could be several reasons why the NyBoard's bootloader crashes. Some of the common causes include:
Uploading the sketch at a high baud rate
Using a malfunctioning USB cable
Using a power source that is not sufficient
Using a low-quality or damaged Uno board
Disrupting the upload process by pressing the reset button or unplugging the board
Memory overflow
In the specific case of Petoi robots, the sketch size and errors in the code are major causes of the crashed bootloader. Uploading a sketch to the Uno replaces the existing bootloader code with the new sketch. If the sketch is too large to fit in the memory or if there are errors in the code causing memory overflow, the bootloader may corrupt.
From August 2023, we will ship a simple bootloader resetter with the NyBoard. If you got an earlier batch and need to reset the bootloader, please write to support@petoi.com to request a free shipment.
The old version:
If the light ends up red, it means the resetting operation fails. It's probably a malfunction of either the NyBoard or the bootloader resetter.
Open the sketch ArduinoISP.ino.
Select the items in the menu bar Tools > Board (Arduino UNO) and Port that connect to the UNO board.
Upload the sketch ArduinoISP.ino to the UNO board.
Wire the UNO board with NyBoard.
Select the Arduino as ISP in the menu bar Tools>Programmer.
Click the menu Burn Bootloader.
At Step 6, you'd better push the jumpers with your fingers to ensure good contact.
Since the NyBoard uses the same chip as a regular Arduino Uno, if you have two Nyboards, you can use one as a programmer(upload the sketch ArduinoISP.ino) to burn the bootloader to another one as the target. The steps are similar to the above, but you need to assign the RESET pin to 6 in the ArduinoISP.ino as follows:
Connect the USBtinyISP programmer and NyBoard. The pins connection map is as follows:
MI --> MISO V --> VCC
SC --> SCK MO --> MOSI
R --> Reset G --> GND
Connect the USBtinyISP programmer to the computer with a USB port. After installing the driver as follows:
The driver is as follows:
With NyBoard V1_*, you can simply choose Arduino Uno under the Tool menu of Arduino IDE, then burn the bootloader as follows:
While Burning the bootloader, you'd better push the UsbtinyISP with your fingers to ensure good contact.
Connect the USBasp programmer and NyBoard. The pins connection map is as follows:
MISO --> MISO VCC --> VCC
SCK --> SCK MOSI --> MOSI
Reset --> Reset GND --> GND
Connect the USBasp programmer to the computer with a USB port. Afer installing the driver as follows:
The driver installer is as follows:
With NyBoard V1_*, you can simply choose Arduino Uno under the Tool menu of Arduino IDE, then burn the bootloader as follows:
While Burning the bootloader, make sure they have good contact. You can press the jumpers slightly to ensure the connections.
For details about how to use the USBasp programmer, you can refer to:
You may also use the Programmer to upload sketches to the board.
It allows larger sketches because the bootloader takes about 2 KB on the flash. However, it will overwrite the default bootloader, and you WON'T be able to upload sketches using the regular USB uploader. And uploading sketches using the programmer is also slower. So it's not recommended unless your serial uploading routine is broken.
The jumper connection is as follows:
USBtinyISP
USBasp
The socket from the USBasp programmer to ICSP on NyBoard is not compatible. In this case, You need to use female-to-male jumper wires to connect the pins on each side as follows (It's a one-time operation, so there is no need for soldering)
