Preview build — page text is a draft awaiting human review. Code badges come from real compiles. The flasher is real but not yet hardware-tested; the Playground is still a preview.
Get Started
Bootloader · Arduino as ISP

Fix “Error while burning bootloader” / “Failed chip erase” (Arduino as ISP)

Burning a bootloader with an Uno or Nano as ISP fails. Upload ArduinoISP first, add 10 µF on the programmer's RESET, select “Arduino as ISP” and check the 6 wires.

Arduino Uno (as ISP)Arduino Nano (target)ATmega328PATtiny85Updated 3 Nov 2026

Community draft — report a mistake

What you see

OutputOutput
avrdude: Version 6.3-20190619
         Using Port                    : COM5
         Using Programmer              : stk500v1
         Overriding Baud Rate          : 19200
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x03
...
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x03

avrdude done.  Thank you.

Failed chip erase: uploading error: exit status 1
Error while burning bootloader.

“Burn Bootloader” runs avrdude through a programmer to erase the target chip and write fresh fuses and a bootloader. With an Uno as the programmer (“Arduino as ISP”), most failures come from three things: the ArduinoISP sketch not loaded, the programmer board resetting itself, or the wrong programmer selected.

The IDE 2 error says “Failed chip erase” because erasing is the first step. Fix the setup and the burn completes in a few seconds.

Quick fix — try in order

  1. 1

    Upload ArduinoISP to the programmer board first

    File → Examples → 11.ArduinoISP → ArduinoISP. Upload it to the Uno/Nano that will act as programmer, with its normal board settings.

  2. 2

    Select the TARGET board and “Arduino as ISP”

    Now switch Tools → Board to the chip you're programming (for example Arduino Nano, ATmega328P), and Tools → Programmer → “Arduino as ISP” — not “ArduinoISP”, which is a different USB programmer.

  3. 3

    Add 10 µF between the programmer's RESET and GND

    Stops the programmer Uno resetting when avrdude opens its port. Add it after uploading ArduinoISP, before Burn Bootloader.

  4. 4

    Wire D10 to the target's RESET

    Programmer D13→SCK, D12→MISO, D11→MOSI, D10→target RESET, 5V→5V, GND→GND. On a Nano target use its ICSP header or the same-numbered pins.

  5. 5

    Check the heartbeat LED

    ArduinoISP pulses an LED on pin 9 when running. LEDs on 7 (programming) and 8 (error) help — an error LED lit means wiring or target clock problems.

Why it happens

resp=0x03 or similar during burning

avrdude is talking to the programmer board's own bootloader instead of the ArduinoISP sketch — the programmer reset when the port opened. The 10 µF capacitor fixes exactly this.

Programmer responds but signature is 0x000000

The programmer works and the target doesn't answer: wiring, target power, or a target with no clock. See Yikes! Invalid device signature.

Board-specific notes

Nano as programmer: Works the same; put the 10 µF capacitor between the Nano's RST and GND pins.

ATtiny85 target: Install the ATTinyCore or attiny board package, select ATtiny85 and the clock you want, then Burn Bootloader to set the fuses.

↑↓ to move · Enter to open