SparkFun Forums

[MAXTHEDOG]

Hello All,

Is it possible to use a SF RB ans an Arduino Uno on the same Win PC? Not at the same time, only one plugged at once. I'm asking this due to problems I've mentioned in another topic in Projects using both on a Mac Book Pro which has been marked as solved, which it is as long as I never want to use the serial port feedback function.
So I tried the Uno on a Win PC running WIN 7, and worked (with the simple projects - didn't get to test the serial port). Then I was advised by another forum contributor that the SF RB needed FTDI drivers which I installed. The SF RB then worked - but not the echo of serial data sketch ( that'll have to be another post - it just gives an endless stream of yyyyyyyyyy) but on disconnecting the SF RB shutting down the IDE AND the PC, rebooting the Uno won't communicate - giving the message:

avrdude stk500_getsync(): not in sync resp=0x30
I've searched breifly online about this message and will be investigating. Am I wasting my time? Is it just not possible to have them configured on the same PC given that one uses FDTI drivers and the other not.

It would be good to get on with learning the coding and actually doing something other than flashing LED's, but all I seem to be doing is battling with configure problems.
Regards,
M.

[Ross Robotics]

Yes, it's possible to have more than one Arduino on the same PC. I have: 2 Megas, ~10 Micros, 4 Pro Minis, 3 UNOs, and a host of other custom AVR chips that are assigned to this PC. Every time you connect a new USB device, the computer assigns it with a COM Port. That COM port will only work and show up on that specific board.

When I first started with Arduino, I too had a host of problems. The one I had was that the Java software already installed on my PC was interfering with the Java that was installed with the Arduino IDE. It took almost a week to get anything to work right.

For your issue with the Serial monitor, the only thing I can suggest is that the serial monitor reads ASCII characters. What do you think the serial monitor should be showing?

Check out this link for some solutions to your error message.

[MAXTHEDOG]

Thanks for your reply, Codlink.

I've created a small sketch that is supposed to echo what I type in the field at the top of the serial port window, which was just 'serial' - without the commas.


Something like this copied off the Arduino site (I'm not at the PC so I'going by memory here):


SoftwareSerial mySerial(10, 11); // RX, TX

void setup()
{
// Open serial communications and wait for port to open:
Serial.begin(9600);
while (!Serial) {

}


Serial.println("Goodnight moon!");

// set the data rate for the SoftwareSerial port
mySerial.begin(4800);
mySerial.println("Hello, world?");
}

void loop() // run over and over
{
if (mySerial.available())
Serial.write(mySerial.read());
if (Serial.available())
mySerial.write(Serial.read());
}


Another thing I've noticed is that the 'Tools' menu takes longer to open if I've got WiFi and Bluetooth activated on the PC. It's not a problem, I just wondered if that was normal.

Regards,
M

[Ross Robotics]

Yep, bluetooth has been known to cause issues with the IDE..

You don't need the

Code: Select all

while (!Serial)

in there.

[Mee_n_Mac]

Does either print, "Hello world" or "Goodnight moon", from the RB to the serial monitor work

[MAXTHEDOG]

Hi Mee_n_Mac,

No, it prints nothing that I input. It seems that the horizontal line of 'y' s are hogging the input.

Also, I've had slightly more success with the serial port on the Arduino, but sometimes I get about 12 readings from the pot, other times I only get 5 or 6 even though my understanding of the sketch is that it should just Cary on displaying the input reading.

Regards,
M.

[Ross Robotics]

Is anything connected to the Arduino when testing?
What are the Serial Monitor settings (at the bottom of the monitor window)?
What baud rate is the monitor set to?
Take out the softwareSerial code and try just the hardware serial. Make sure nothing is connected to the Arduino.

Run a basic sketch to see if we can get the Serial monitor to work right.

Code: Select all

void setup(){

Serial.begin(9600);

Serial.println("Goodnight moon!");
 }

void loop(){
 }

You should see "Goodnight Moon" in the Serial Monitor.

Note: On your sketch above, you will not see anything on the Serial Monitor from softwareSerial.

[MAXTHEDOG]

Hi Codlink,

Thanks for your efforts and patience with all this.

A quick resume....

The SF RB is dead in the water - both boards began suffering from

avrdude stk500_recv(): processor not responding.

This got worse and worse until the SF RB would not accept any uploads and locked the Mac up so completely that 'Force Quit' would not work and I had to power it off and reboot. Tried this 3 or 4 times with no improvement. Have contacted the supplier so a refund/replacement hopefully will be on its way.

The Arduino is doing the same,but does seem to accept an upload eventually, depending on the timing of my pressing the reset button. It has not locked the Mac up though.

In answer to your question -

Anything connected? No, but earlier there was a temperature sensor (TMP type) and an LED.

The Serial port settings are all default - auto scroll on, 9600 baud, all the new line and CR options have been tried.

Will try your sketch as soon as I can.
Again, many thanks,

M.

[Ross Robotics]

Good luck with the replacement. I know that MAC and Arduinos don't get along real well. You might search some other forums for problems related to MACs. The drivers on MACs are a real pain to get to work right. If/when you get it to work, please post up the solution so others can benefit from it.

[MAXTHEDOG]

Hi Codlink,

I tried the SF RB again last night on one of the two Win PC's I used the other day, and it seemed to work absolutely without fault! Admittedly, I only loaded the Blink sketch and the Bare Minimum alternately. There was no resetting, no having to have the serial port window open and no sign of the avrdude......processor notresponding.
So I will give it a try tonight with your simple serial port test sketch. If it passes that I'll keep hold of it for the time being.
I was beginning to think that all was not well with these boards and my MAC running 10.6.8. Maybe it would be better with a newer OS,but I've too much music software on it that it's staying at 10.6.8.

One question, is it possible or advisable even to have more than one board connected to the PC at a time?

Regards,
M.

[Ross Robotics]

One question, is it possible or advisable even to have more than one board connected to the PC at a time?

I've never had a problem. I know some MAC users buy a cheap laptop just to program and prototype Arduinos. Just don't buy anything like a Netbook. You can buy a full laptop for $200-300 at Walmart.

[MAXTHEDOG]

Hi Codlink,

It would appear that all is now well with the SF RB!

I'll save the MAC for Ableton duties from now on.
I tried your 'Goodnight moon' sketch - perfect. Also tried a sketch where I had to input numbers and the board multiplied it by 2,again perfect.
No resetting, no upload problems, serial port now works both ways. Great!

Seems my three week period of aggravation is the equivalent of your one week.

Many thanks once again.

Regards,
M.

[Ross Robotics]

No problem, that's why we're here. Just click on the green check mark to mark this issue solved.