Arduino as ISP checklist for someone who didn’t burn/program anything in a long time

Back in 2009, I became aware of the existence of Arduino(through TuxRadar Podcast). The idea of open hardware and open software platform aroused my interest in electronics.

I got myself a kit and built a Serial RS232/DB9 board. That was my first soldering experience and really started my relationship with electronics as a hobbyist. Soon after, I got a counterfeit Arduino Mega from China and my Serial one was put aside.

This weekend I was testing a sketch and it was incompatible with Arduino Mega. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the right drivers for my serial adapter. Enough story, I ran into a few issues and here is a checklist to avoid them:

  • Don’t forget a 10μF cap between Reset and Ground.
  • External PSU, don’t rely on the programmer’s 5V.
  • Check USE_OLD_STYLE_WIRING constant on ArduinoAsISP sketch (when not using the ICSP header).
  • Install MiniCore boards on your Arduino board-manager (Check MiniCore GitHub for more information)