SparkFun Forums

[ellemef]

Hello! I have been trying to upload a simple blink program (from the Arduino examples folder) to an Artemis Dev Kit board.

The error I get is:

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Arduino: 1.8.15 (Mac OS X), Board: "Artemis Dev Kit"

Sketch uses 115844 bytes (11%) of program storage space. Maximum is 983040 bytes.
Global variables use 27256 bytes (6%) of dynamic memory, leaving 365960 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 393216 bytes.
Error while uploading: missing 'upload.tool' configuration parameter

I have updated the board definitions and the libraries. I have checked that I am using a known-good data cable. I have googled the error message, haven't been able to find any answers for this particular board - there are some for other boards which are 3-5 years old and not SparkFun brand, and I'm not sure how applicable they are. (Which is to say, I tried them and they didn't help.)

The fixes I found involve editing a configuration file by hand, so I take it that there is a configuration file somewhere that the Artemis "getting started" documentation does not mention. I would appreciate it very much if someone could point me towards it, and could let me know what the 'upload.tool' parameter needs to be set to.

[ellemef]

I decided to give the configuration file edit one more try. I added the following line to boards.txt in /Users/MYUSERNAME/Library/Arduino15/packages/SparkFun/hardware/apollo3/2.1.0

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sfe_artemis_dk.upload.tool=ardunio:avrdude

That solved the missing upload.tool error.

However, I have a new error, which seems similarly resistant to finding an answer via google.

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java.lang.NullPointerException
	at cc.arduino.packages.uploaders.SerialUploader.uploadUsingPreferences(SerialUploader.java:80)
	at cc.arduino.UploaderUtils.upload(UploaderUtils.java:77)
	at processing.app.SketchController.upload(SketchController.java:732)
	at processing.app.SketchController.exportApplet(SketchController.java:703)
	at processing.app.Editor$UploadHandler.run(Editor.java:2055)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)

This happens when I hit the upload button, trying to put the blink example sketch onto the board. It throws this error, and then just hangs with "uploading" in the status bar.

Screen Shot 2021-05-23 at 19.19.44.png

My googling has been pretty fruitless. Any suggestions about where to look now? Here are the settings as I see them in the tools menu:

Screen Shot 2021-05-23 at 19.15.46.png

[YellowDog]

Those errors usually mean something inside the IDE is broken. Try uninstalling and reinstalling Arduino, that usually clears things up.

[ellemef]

I had already tried the uninstall/reinstall, but I tried it again, just in case. I'm still getting the "java.lang.NullPointerException" error on trying to upload.

I thought I would check if the Arduino IDE works with any board at all - because if it's a problem with the IDE, then it should give the same error for other boards, right? I hooked up a Adafruit Huzzah ESP8266 board, and uploaded the blink program to it with no problem. No errors at all.

So I'm kind of at a loss at this point. Is it a problem in the SparkFun board manager file? Are there more configurations I have to add to the boards.txt file? I have no idea where to go from here. The Arduino IDE is working for other boards, just not the Artemis Dev Kit. Is It a bad board? Any ideas or other things I can try? Or am I just stuck with a $50 piece of useless plastic?

For the record, here's the versions I'm using:
Mac (M1), Big Sur 11.4
Arduino IDE 1.8.15

PS. I tried this whole process on my MacBook as well - it's running Big Sur 11.1 and has an Intel chip (same Arduino IDE version). Same exact error. Also confirmed that I can upload a program to the Huzzah ESP8266.

[ellemef]

Is this the incorrect channel/forum to get official help? Should I have posted this question somewhere else?

I left a review of the Artemis Dev Kit board on the site, and the reply there said to ask in the forums about the problems I was having. So I did - and I have waited more than 3 business days, as noted in the intro post - and I remain without any help and unable to connect the board to the Arduino IDE successfully.

Is there no official support for connecting this board to the Arduino IDE or did I put my question in the wrong place?

[KyleW]

Try following the guide here.
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/ge ... o-examples

The Dev Kit uses a USB interface for the bootloader.
In summary:
1. In arduino. Sketch -> Export compiled binary
2. Copy the binary to the ARTEMIS usb drive.
3. Artemis DK will restart, running the sketch

Does this help?

[Airheadbit]

Yes, yes it did help since the guide that you refer to does NOT have 'In arduino. Sketch -> Export compiled binary' Since Arduino has been around I can not remember ever having to manually copy a bin file. Sparkfun should talk with the STM32duino people to learn how to add all the features needed for a real working device, small things like compiler switches to generate debug files, upload options as in file, serial, tag, just the stuff that a 'DEV' board needs to be used as a 'DEV' board.