Linux avrdude stk500_recv: programmer is not responding

[maxmbed]

Avrdude fails to receive data with timeout on Linux host machine. At least on two machines running both Debian 11, 5.10.0-19-amd64. The board I am using is Adafruit Feather328p and I don't have other board to test but I have tried that board and same command on Windows machine is it works with success.

I have checked DTR line and it is working properly to reset MCU in bootloader mode.

This issue seems to happens later, after serial port is opened and avrdude get sync byte successfully. Below is log when avrdude try to initialize using stk500 programmer (stk500_initialize)

The issued command is following:

avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600 -U flash:w:../avr/board-reference/feather-328p/build/led.hex:i

Then failure:

avrdude: Send: A [41] . [81]   [20] 
avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: Send: A [41] . [82]   [20] 
avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: Send: B [42] . [86] . [00] . [00] . [01] . [01] . [01] . [01] . [03] . [ff] . [ff] . [ff] . [ff] . [00] . [80] . [04] . [00] . [00] . [00] . [80] . [00]   [20] 
avrdude: ser_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1

I attach the full log with max verbose mode enabled (-vvvv) for reference avrdude-programmer-not-respond-log.txt

Can someone make a try and tell wehther avrdude is working on Linux ? (If so, please specify your distrubtion info)

[maxmbed]

I recompile avrdude with build_type set to Debug and place break point at location of failure ser_recv(): programmer is not responding.

It seems the system call select() always return 0, which mean serial port never become ready for read. If rebuild with select() section commented, the system call read() returns Resource temporarily unavailable

What bugged me too is after first trial of read failure, the bootlodaer seem to have exited already.

[mcuee]

Which version of avrdude are you using? Can you try latest git main? Do you encounter the issues with other Linux distros or other machines?

Did you try to reflash the bootloader (same as Pro Mini as per the website) and see if it helps?

[maxmbed]

@mcuee.

Which version of avrdude are you using?

Debian 11 ships avrdude in version 6.3-20171130

Can you try latest git main?

Yes, I did try with latest avrdude changes (~a1018999) Same result.

I don't have other AVR board, nor ISP programemr but I do have Teensy LC. Maybe I can make a try with (?)

[maxmbed]

Do you encounter the issues with other Linux distros or other machines?

I only have Debian machines and the issue were reproduced on both ones.

Regarding bootloader, since it worked fine on Windows, I will not go reflash feather328 for now. I mean, I don't heave "easy to go" hardware and nor the time.

I would prefer to get feedback of other people first. Then going further with bootloader reflash if necessary.

[mcuee]

I can only telll you that arduino is working well under Linux for me.

Just an example using git main with an Arduino Nano ATmega168PA clone, under Ubuntu 20.04. I do not have a Nano or Mini with 8MHz crystal to test though. And I am using MiniCore (https://github.com/MCUdude/MiniCore).

mcuee@UbuntuSwift3:~/build/avr/avrdude_bin$ ./avrdude -c arduino -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 115200 -p m168pa 
-D -U flash:w:blink_m168pa.hex:i

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
avrdude: device signature = 0x1e940b (probably m168pa)
avrdude: reading input file blink_m168pa.hex for flash
         with 16384 bytes in 1 section within [0, 0x3fff]
         using 128 pages and 0 pad bytes
avrdude: writing 16384 bytes flash ...

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 3.25 s 

avrdude: 16384 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against blink_m168pa.hex

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 2.15 s 

avrdude: 16384 bytes of flash verified

avrdude done.  Thank you.

[stefanrueger]

What bugged me too is after first trial of read failure, the bootlodaer seem to have exited already.

If the bootloader has a vvv short WDT timeout then subtle different wait times under windows and Linux whilst draining the input might lead to what you describe. I cannot reliably get -c arduino to work for WDT of 256 ms or less. 512 ms works for me under Linux (Ubuntu 20.04), but even that might be that I'm lucky.

[maxmbed]

Hi, thanks for your feedback, guys.

@mcuee, can it be possible that the issue is board specific ? If I can find an Arduino Nano or any with 16MHz crystal, I will make a try.

@stefanrueger, I am not so sure. If the Watchdog Timer is triggering, I should see the feather red led blink again. Or maybe the WDT interrupt performs a jump to application ? I am not even sure which bootloader feather328 is using to verify. Could it be Optiboot ? If so, WDT is 1 sec by default.

[mcuee]

Hi, thanks for your feedback, guys.

@mcuee, can it be possible that the issue is board specific ? If I can find an Arduino Nano or any with 16MHz crystal, I will make a try.

Yes it could be board specific. But I am more worried about bad bootloader firmware. I've encountered that myself from the cheap Uno/Nano clones -- I always burn the good bootloader first.

If you want to get a programmer, usbasp is a good one and cheap enough.

• https://github.com/avrdudes/avrdude/discussions/1021#discussioncomment-4011988

Basically for average avrdude users, I think usbasp, usbtinyisp, stk500v2 clone or avrispmkii clone will be good one to get started with classic AVRs. avrispmkii also works with xmega. Of course, cheaper ones like FT232RL based programmer can be a good choice as well (a bit slow). Cheap Arduino Uno/Nano clones can be made into good programmers as well (Arduino as ISP, AVR910 or STK500v2).

For UPDI, Microchip SNAP, PICKit 4, jtag2updi (using Uno or Nano clones) and serialupdi are good ones to have.

Down the road, probably Microchip SNAP and PICKit 4 will be the preferred official tool for all AVRs. usbasp, usbtinyisp, jtag2updi and serialupdi will be the good unofficial tools to have.

[mcuee]

I will close this issue for now. Please re-open if you still encounter the issue with avrdude. You can also try to ask in Adafruit as it is very much specific to the board.