Better error message

[GoogleCodeExporter]

We need a more informative error message for:

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30

I get at least one request a week for what this means, from beginners.  It's 
usually one of several things, but basically the fact that the Arduino isn't 
responding.  We need a better error message for it.

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Not connecting the Arduino
2. Or a short circuit on the board
3. Or a damaged bootloader
4. Or many other things

What is the expected output? 

"Your Arduino isn't responding. Check to see if it's connected, or if there is 
a short circuit on the board."

What do you see instead?

A line of terse, unfriendly programmer-speak:
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30

Original issue reported on code.google.com by tom.i...@gmail.com on 29 Mar 2012 at 1:10

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Note that the message is from avrdude, rather than from the Arduino IDE.  In 
theory, the IDE could theoretically intercept the message and rephrase, or even 
run some diagnostic code.  Unfortunately, the stk500v1 protocol is pretty 
stupid, and the optiboot implementation thereof is even worse, so it may be 
difficult to come up with a more detailed explanation (which is not the same as 
coming up with a more human-readable message, of course.)

Original comment by wes...@gmail.com on 28 Apr 2012 at 7:05