Anybody ever have a problem with clone Nano not being recognized? Like plug into USB and get power, but PC doesn’t indicated device detection… Methinks the USB-Serial chip/process has failed. Might run out to Tanner’s at lunch to replace while I await another order from Asia.
There may be an issue w/ usb drvr for clone Nano brds.
Was discussing this w/ @bpamplin last nite.
Do you have more than 1 clone Nano and does this happen on all your clones?
Many of the cheap chinese nano clones require you to load a driver. I had to load the CH343Ser drivers to get mine working.
Sorry that was CH341
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@artg_dms I currently only have one with three in transit from afar…
@papagrump I loaded the drivers initially upon receipt of the Nano a couple weeks ago. It was working fine until suddenly last night… it wasn’t.
Drivers for these serial ports suck… For awhile you had FTDI drivers that would disable counterfeit chips and after the public outcry they changed it to just not work with that chip.
Double and triple check your drivers.
Also check if there are jumpers on the serial port for where power comes from (device or PC)
The biggest problem with my 18 Nano classes has been the USB chip. It finally got so bad that I just bought six $22 official Nanos for use in classes. Official boards use one of the FTDI family of chips. The clone Arduinos use one of the CH340 family of chips. It generally works with Windows but Macs are often a problem. My clones take a beating and I have only had a single failure and I think that was one of my solder jobs.
Microcenter’s Inland line has a good reputation but apparently is no longer available.
Here is the link that I generally use:
https://sparks.gogo.co.nz/ch340.html
This is the manufacturer site but is mostly Chinese;
http://www.wch.cn/download/CH341SER_EXE.html
Another recent issue is that recent versions of Arduino IDE has a Tools/Processor option for the ATmega328P of Old Bootloader. Try both options.
Except for classes where its important to get everyone running quickly, I still recommend clones except maybe for use with a Mac.
Bernard - You posted a project using an Arduino with a motor. Did you use the proper motor driver. A motor connected to a digital pin could damage the microcontroller.
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Defective USB cable is often the culprit.
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Tried three different cables
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@bpamplin The motor is still hooked up using L298N driver and my Mega. Never used the nano with it (yet).
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Does your Nano have an ISP connector?
@Brian I have no idea how to detect this. And I am currently at the office in West Plano and the Nano is at home in Fort Worth. If you provide guidance, I can try to answer this evening.
Does your board have a connector like this…
2 by 3, 0.1 in spacing, male.
Or, does your board have pins so it can be placed in a breadboard?
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@artg_dms Picked up a Nano at Tanner this afternoon. It is immediately recognized (USB-SERIAL CH340) when plugged in.
Check the USB port on the Nano to see if the solder joints have broken on the surface mount pins.
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Armed with a functional board (like another Nano), a female version of that connector1, and a 10 uF capacitor it is fairly easy to program the defective boards (assuming the ATmega328P processor is not damaged). As an added bonus it eliminates the bootloader (instant boot, 512 bytes more space for code) and allows you to fiddle with the fuses (configure the processor to run from the internal oscillator to reduce power consumption).
The keyword if you want to do some research is arduinoisp.
1 The connector is not required. It just makes the process more convenient. Which is why I asked if the board could be plugged into a breadboard.
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