I have accessed Jotham Gates Githib site – how do I now load his firmware onto my Cosmic Watch v2 muon detector?

Good — if you’ve already reached Jotham Gates’ GitHub, you’re basically at the correct “modified firmware” stage. The next step is just getting it onto the Arduino Nano inside the CosmicWatch v2.

Here’s a clear, practical upload procedure (works for his “NonOfficial-Stuff…” firmware and most v2 forks):

🔌 1. What you need first

Make sure you have:

• CosmicWatch v2 connected via USB (Arduino Nano inside)
• Arduino IDE installed (or PlatformIO, but IDE is simpler)
• Correct USB driver:
  • Usually CH340 driver (very common for Nano clones)
• GitHub repo downloaded as ZIP or cloned

From Jotham Gates’ page:

• You should be using the repo called something like
  “NonOfficial-StuffForCosmicWatchMuonDetectors”

📥 2. Download the firmware properly

From GitHub:

1. Open the repository
2. Click Code → Download ZIP
3. Extract it somewhere easy (Desktop or Documents)

Inside you should find:

• .ino Arduino sketch OR PlatformIO project
• possibly multiple firmware variants

🧠 3. Open the correct file

If it’s Arduino-based:

Look for something like:

• CosmicWatch.ino
• main.ino
• or a folder containing .ino

Open it in:

Arduino IDE → File → Open

⚙️ 4. Set up Arduino IDE correctly

Go to:

Tools menu:

• Board: Arduino Nano
• Processor: ATmega328P (try BOTH options if upload fails)
  • “Old Bootloader” (very common for clones)
  • “ATmega328P”

Port:

• Select COM port that appears when plugged in

📚 5. Install required libraries (important)

Most CosmicWatch firmware needs:

In Arduino IDE:

Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries

Install:

• Adafruit SSD1306
• Adafruit GFX
• TimerOne
• EEPROM (usually built-in)
• SD (built-in)

If Jotham’s fork adds extras, the README will list them.

⬆️ 6. Upload firmware

Click:

✔ Upload (right arrow button)

Watch the bottom console.

If it works, you’ll see:

• “Uploading…”
• “Done uploading”

⚠️ 7. If upload fails (very common)

Try these in order:

Fix 1: Wrong bootloader

Change:

• Tools → Processor → “ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)”

Fix 2: USB cable issue

• Must be data cable, not charge-only

Fix 3: COM port wrong

• Unplug/replug and reselect port

Fix 4: Reset timing

• Press reset on Nano just before upload starts

📊 8. After upload

If Jotham’s firmware is installed correctly:

You should see:

• OLED still works
• SD card logging enabled simultaneously
• Serial monitor may show debug output
• no need to switch “modes” manually

This is the key improvement of his fork:

OLED + SD logging at the same time (non-blocking structure improvements)

🧪 If you want a sanity check

Tell me:

• what exact folder/files you downloaded
• whether you’re using Nano clone or original ATmega328P
• whether OLED or SD currently works on stock firmware

and I can walk you through that exact repo structure line-by-line so you don’t have to guess anything.

You said correct usb drive ch340 what do I need to do here.

Right — this is the bit that trips most people up, but it’s straightforward.

CH340 is not a “USB drive”. It’s the USB-to-serial chip driver your Arduino Nano clone uses so your computer can talk to it.

If the driver isn’t installed (or is wrong), the board won’t show up as a usable COM port in Arduino IDE.

🔧 What you need to do (CH340 setup)

🪟 Windows (most likely case)

1. Plug in your CosmicWatch v2

Use a data-capable USB cable.

2. Check Device Manager

Right-click Start →
Device Manager

Look under:

• Ports (COM & LPT)

You should see something like:

• “USB-SERIAL CH340 (COMx)” ✔ GOOD

OR if it’s broken:

• “Unknown device”
• or nothing appears ❌

📥 3. If CH340 is NOT showing properly

You need the driver installed.

Install CH340 driver:

Search and install:

• “CH340 driver WCH official”

After install:

• unplug Nano
• plug it back in

🔍 4. Confirm it worked

Back in Device Manager:

✔ Good result:

• “USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM3/4/5 etc.)”

That COM number is what Arduino IDE uses.

⚙️ 5. Select it in Arduino IDE

Go to:

• Tools → Port → select the COM port

Example:

• COM3 (CH340)

🚨 If you don’t see any COM port at all

Check these:

A. Bad USB cable (very common)

• Try another cable
• Must support data, not just charging

B. Wrong USB port/hub

• Plug directly into PC (not hub)

C. Clone uses different chip (less common)

Some Nano boards use:

• FTDI (different driver)
• CP2102 (Silicon Labs driver)

🧠 Quick mental model

Think of it like this:

• Arduino Nano = “radio telescope receiver”
• CH340 driver = “translator so your PC understands it”
• COM port = “frequency channel it appears on”

Without CH340, your computer can’t “hear” the board.

👍 Once CH340 is working

You can proceed to:

• selecting board: Arduino Nano
• selecting processor: ATmega328P (Old Bootloader often needed)
• uploading CosmicWatch firmware

If you want, tell me what you see in Device Manager and I’ll diagnose it instantly (even a screenshot description is enough).

Where is upload option.

In the Arduino IDE, the upload option is the arrow button.

⬆️ Where to find “Upload”

🧭 Top-left of Arduino IDE window

You’ll see a row of icons. Look for:

• ✔ Tick mark = Verify (compiles code only)
• ➡️ Right-pointing arrow = Upload

That right arrow button is what sends the firmware to your CosmicWatch board.

⚡ What happens when you click it

When you press Upload (➡️):

1. Code is compiled first (you’ll see “Compiling…”)
2. Then it transfers to the Nano over USB
3. You’ll see:
   • “Uploading…”
   • then “Done uploading”

🧠 Important distinction

• ✔ Verify (tick): checks code only, nothing sent
• ⬆️ Upload (arrow): actually installs firmware on the device

🚨 If you don’t see the upload button

That usually means:

• You don’t have a sketch open (.ino file not loaded yet)
• Or Arduino IDE didn’t fully install

Fix:

File → Open → select the .ino file from the GitHub folder

🔌 Before pressing Upload (quick checklist)

Make sure:

• Board: Arduino Nano
• Port: COM port selected (CH340)
• Processor: try ATmega328P (Old Bootloader) if needed
• USB cable is connected

If you want, tell me what you see on your screen right now (or what Arduino IDE version you’re using), and I can guide you exactly where everything is.

I got this Upload error: Failed uploading: uploading error: exit status 1.

That message is unfortunately very generic in Arduino IDE — it just means the upload process failed, not why. With CosmicWatch v2 + Nano clones, there are a few very common causes.

Let’s fix it systematically.

🔧 Step 1 — Check the real error message

In Arduino IDE, look at the black console at the bottom.

Scroll up and look for lines like:

• avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
• not in sync
• access denied
• port not found

If you can tell me that exact line, I can pinpoint it instantly.

⚡ Step 2 — Most common fixes (try in order)

✅ 1. Wrong processor (MOST COMMON for Nano clones)

Go to:

Tools → Processor

Try switching between:

• ATmega328P
• ATmega328P (Old Bootloader) ← try this first

Then upload again.

✅ 2. Wrong port

Go to:

Tools → Port

Make sure you select something like:

• COM3 (CH340)
• COM4 etc.

If no COM port appears:

• USB cable/driver problem

✅ 3. CH340 driver issue

If Device Manager does NOT show:

• “USB-SERIAL CH340”

Then upload will fail every time.

Fix:

• reinstall CH340 driver
• unplug/replug board

✅ 4. USB cable problem (very common)

Many “charging cables” do NOT transmit data.

Try:

• different USB cable
• different USB port (no hub)

✅ 5. Board selection wrong

Go to:

Tools → Board

Must be:

• Arduino Nano

(Not Uno, not Mini, not ESP32 etc.)

⚠️ 6. Reset timing trick (helps a lot)

Some Nano clones need manual reset:

1. Click Upload
2. When you see “Uploading…”
3. Press RESET button on Nano once

🧪 7. If still failing

Try this sequence:

• unplug USB
• close Arduino IDE
• reopen IDE
• plug board back in
• reselect COM port
• upload again

🧠 What this error usually means (in plain terms)

“exit status 1” =

“The computer tried to talk to the Arduino, but the Arduino didn’t respond correctly.”

Almost always:

• wrong bootloader setting OR
• wrong COM port OR
• driver/cable issue

👍 If you want fast diagnosis

Reply with:

• what COM port you see (if any)
• what “Processor” is set to
• the full black console error text

I’ll tell you exactly which one it is in one step.

Cannot set com-ststr for \.\COM13 unable to open port COM13

That error is very specific:

“unable to open port COM13”
means Windows has the port listed, but Arduino IDE cannot access it

So the problem is not your code — it’s the serial connection layer (driver / port lock / cable / board state).

🔧 Fix it in order (this will usually solve it quickly)

✅ 1. Close anything using COM13

Very common cause.

Close:

• Arduino Serial Monitor
• Any other Arduino IDE windows
• Python / PuTTY / SDR software / terminal apps

Then:

• unplug Nano
• wait 5 seconds
• plug back in

✅ 2. Re-select the port

In Arduino IDE:

Tools → Port → select COM13 again

Sometimes Windows keeps stale COM assignments.

⚡ 3. Change USB port (important)

Try:

• different USB socket on your PC
• avoid USB hubs/dongles

Then check if COM number changes (COM13 → COM4 etc.)

🔌 4. Cable check (VERY common on CosmicWatch builds)

Make sure USB cable is:

• data-capable (not charge-only)

If unsure → try another cable immediately.

🧠 5. CH340 driver reset

Even if COM13 appears, driver can be stuck.

Do this:

1. Device Manager → Ports
2. Right-click USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM13)
3. Uninstall device (tick “delete driver” if shown)
4. Unplug board
5. Reinstall CH340 driver
6. Plug back in

🔁 6. Reset the Nano at upload time

Some boards lock the port unless reset is triggered.

Try:

• click Upload
• when “Uploading…” appears
• press RESET once on Nano

🚨 7. COM port is “ghost locked” (Windows issue)

If COM13 still refuses:

Do this:

• Restart PC
• plug board in FIRST
• open Arduino IDE AFTER

This clears stuck COM handles.

🧪 What this usually means in practice

For CosmicWatch v2 setups, this error is almost always one of:

• another program is holding COM13
• CH340 driver glitch
• bad USB cable
• stale COM port assignment

NOT firmware-related.

👍 Fast diagnostic question

If you want, tell me:

• Does COM13 disappear/reappear when you unplug the Nano?
• What shows in Device Manager under “Ports”

I can narrow it down to a single cause immediately.

Disappears usb-serial ch340 (com13)

Good — that’s actually useful behaviour to observe.

If USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM13) disappears when you unplug the board, it means:

✅ Driver is working
✅ USB cable is (probably) data-capable
❌ The issue is happening at connection/opening stage, not detection

So we focus on why the port can’t be opened when Arduino IDE tries to use it.

🔧 Most likely causes (in order)

⚠️ 1. Something is already locking COM13

Even if you didn’t open Serial Monitor, it can still be stuck.

Fix:

• Close Arduino IDE completely
• Reopen it fresh
• Do NOT open Serial Monitor
• Try upload again

Also check:

• Task Manager → kill any java.exe / Arduino processes if needed

🔌 2. Bad USB reset timing (VERY common on Nano clones)

Try this exact sequence:

1. Click Upload
2. Wait until you see:
   • “Uploading…”
3. Press RESET button on Nano once

This forces bootloader mode and often fixes COM lock issues.

⚙️ 3. Wrong bootloader setting (important for CosmicWatch Nanos)

Go to:

Tools → Processor

Try:

• ATmega328P (Old Bootloader) ← most likely correct
• then retry upload

If wrong, COM opens but upload fails or locks.

🔁 4. Windows COM port glitch (stuck handle)

Do this clean reset:

1. Unplug Nano
2. Restart PC
3. Plug Nano back in
4. Open Arduino IDE
5. Select COM13 again
6. Upload

This clears hidden port locks.

🧠 5. CH340 driver partially OK but unstable

If it still fails intermittently:

• uninstall CH340 driver in Device Manager
• reinstall official WCH CH340 driver
• reboot again

⚡ Quick interpretation of your symptom

You said:

“Disappears USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM13)”

That tells us:

• board is detected correctly
• driver works
• problem occurs only when Arduino IDE tries to open the port

👉 This strongly points to: bootloader timing or port lock issue, not hardware failure

🧪 Fastest thing to try next

Do this exactly:

1. Set:
   • Board: Arduino Nano
   • Processor: ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)
2. Unplug USB
3. Plug back in
4. Click Upload
5. Press RESET once when “Uploading…” appears

👍 If it still fails

Tell me:

• what processor option you selected
• whether COM13 changes number when replugging
• exact Arduino IDE version

and I’ll narrow it down to a single definitive fix.

ATmega328P (Old Bootloader); COM13 does not change; Arduino IDE 2.3.10

Good — that actually narrows it down a lot. At this point your setup is correctly detected (CH340 + fixed COM port), so we are no longer dealing with drivers or basic USB issues.

This becomes a bootloader / port-opening timing problem or a hang on the Nano during reset/upload.

Let’s fix it in the most reliable order for Arduino IDE 2.3.10 + Nano clones (CosmicWatch v2 is a classic case).

—

🔧 1. Try manual bootloader entry (most effective fix)

The Nano bootloader only listens for uploads for a short window.

Do this exactly:

1. Click Upload

2. Wait until Arduino IDE shows:

“Uploading…” (bottom bar)

3. Immediately press RESET on the Nano once

If timing is right:

COM13 will stay

upload will proceed past avrdude stage

—

🔧 2. Force a clean serial reset (important in IDE 2.3.x)

Arduino IDE 2.x sometimes leaves background serial handlers active.

Do this:

Close Arduino IDE completely

Open Task Manager

End any of:

Arduino IDE

Java / Arduino background processes

Then:

reopen IDE

try upload again

—

⚙️ 3. Lower upload stability sensitivity (common Nano fix)

Go to:

> Tools → Upload Speed

Set:

57600 baud (try this even if default is 115200)

Many CH340 Nano clones are unstable at higher upload speeds.

—

🔌 4. USB port change (not cable this time — port only)

Even if COM13 is stable, Windows USB stack can still misbehave.

Try:

different USB port (prefer USB 2.0 if available)

avoid front-panel ports

—

🧠 5. Very likely underlying issue (CosmicWatch-specific)

CosmicWatch v2 Nano boards often have:

marginal bootloader timing

slightly non-standard reset circuit

CH340 with slow DTR reset response

So Arduino IDE may:

> open port → try reset → miss bootloader window → fail with “unable to open port”

That’s why manual RESET during upload works so often

—

🧪 6. If still failing: bypass IDE reset entirely

Try this stronger method:

1. Press and hold RESET on Nano

2. Click Upload

3. When “Uploading…” appears → release RESET

This forces bootloader listening state.

—

🚨 7. Rare but possible issue

If none of the above works:

bootloader may be corrupted

or wrong fuse settings on Nano clone

Then solution becomes:

reburn bootloader using another Arduino or ISP programmer

—

👍 What I think is happening in your case

Given:

CH340 detected correctly

COM13 stable

Old Bootloader already selected

IDE 2.3.10

👉 This is classic Nano timing mismatch during upload start

So the fix is almost always:

> RESET timing during upload OR upload speed reduction

—

✔️ Try this first (highest success rate)

1. Set Old Bootloader

2. Set Upload Speed = 57600

3. Click Upload

4. Press RESET once when “Uploading…” appears

—

If it still fails, tell me exactly what the bottom console says after retry — we’ll get it down to a single definitive cause.

I can’t see upload speed on tools.

That’s normal in Arduino IDE 2.3.10 — the menu layout is different from older tutorials.

In IDE 2.x, Upload Speed is hidden unless the correct board/core is fully selected and expanded.

Let’s sort it properly.

⚙️ Why you can’t see “Upload Speed”

In Arduino IDE 2.3.10:

• Upload speed only appears for boards where it is exposed by the core
• For Arduino Nano (AVR / ATmega328P) it should appear, but sometimes the menu is collapsed or not fully loaded until the board package is correct

🔧 Step 1 — Make sure correct board package is installed

Go to:

Tools → Board → Boards Manager

Search:

• “Arduino AVR Boards”

Make sure it is installed (or updated)

You want:

• Arduino AVR Boards (by Arduino)

🔧 Step 2 — Select board properly

Go to:

Tools → Board

Then choose:

• Arduino Nano

Not “Nano Every” or any clone variant.

Then re-check Tools menu.

🔍 Step 3 — Where Upload Speed should appear

Once correct board is selected, it should show:

Tools → Upload Speed → 115200 (or 57600 etc.)

If you still don’t see it, it’s not critical — we can still fix your issue without it.

🚨 Important point (for your specific error)

Given your earlier error:

“unable to open port COM13”

👉 Upload speed is NOT the root problem.

So don’t worry if it’s missing — it’s not what’s blocking you.

🔧 What actually matters for your setup right now

Focus on this instead:

✔ Correct settings:

• Board: Arduino Nano
• Processor: ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)
• Port: COM13

✔ Then use this upload method:

1. Click Upload
2. Wait for “Uploading…”
3. Press RESET on Nano once

🧠 Key insight

In IDE 2.x:

• Upload speed is no longer a reliable troubleshooting tool
• Reset timing + bootloader selection matters much more for CH340 Nano clones (like CosmicWatch v2)

👍 If it still fails after this

Tell me:

• what appears in the black console after a failed upload
• whether pressing RESET changes anything

and I’ll pinpoint the exact failure stage in one step.

I pressed reset as soon as uploading… appeared. Got not in sync: resp=0x00 error 10 times then it failed

That message is actually very diagnostic:

“not in sync: resp=0x00”

This means: 👉 The PC is talking to the USB-serial chip, but
👉 the ATmega328P bootloader is NOT responding at all

So we are no longer dealing with COM ports or CH340.

We are dealing with one of these three things:

🔴 What this error REALLY means

1. Bootloader is not running (most likely)

The Nano is not entering upload mode.

2. Wrong reset timing / auto-reset not working

DTR reset pulse is failing.

3. Bootloader missing or corrupted (very common on clones)

Especially with CH340 Nano boards.

🔧 Step-by-step fix (do in order)

⚡ FIX 1 — Manual bootloader entry (important)

Do this very precisely:

1. Click Upload
2. Watch console until you see:
   • “Uploading…”
3. NOW press RESET and HOLD it
4. Wait 2 seconds
5. Release RESET

If it still fails → try next fix.

⚙️ FIX 2 — Try opposite processor option

Go to:

Tools → Processor

Switch to:

• ATmega328P (not Old Bootloader)

Then upload again using same reset timing.

👉 This mismatch alone causes EXACTLY your error.

🔌 FIX 3 — USB port behaviour fix

Unplug Nano completely:

1. Unplug USB
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Plug back in
4. Select COM13 again
5. Upload immediately

Then use reset timing again.

🧠 FIX 4 — Bootloader likely issue (important insight)

If ALL of the above still gives:

“not in sync: resp=0x00”

Then your Nano likely has:

• missing bootloader OR
• corrupted bootloader OR
• wrong fuse settings (common CH340 clones)

🧪 How to confirm bootloader failure

If bootloader is broken:

• COM port still appears ✔
• Upload ALWAYS fails ❌
• “resp=0x00” repeats every time

This is exactly what you’re seeing.

🛠️ If it is bootloader damage (next step)

You have 2 options:

Option A (best)

Re-burn bootloader using:

• another Arduino (as ISP)
• or USBasp programmer

Option B (easier if available)

Replace Nano (they’re cheap clones often < £5–£10)

🧠 What I think is happening in your CosmicWatch v2

Given:

• CH340 works
• COM13 stable
• Old Bootloader already tried
• reset timing attempted
• still “resp=0x00”

👉 80–90% probability: bootloader problem or wrong fuse/clone variant

👍 What I need from you to confirm instantly

Reply with:

1. Does the Nano show a blink LED pattern when you press reset?
2. Does upload ever briefly start (TX/RX LEDs flicker)?
3. Is your Nano definitely a clone (CH340 suggests yes)

If you want, I can also walk you through .