Upload Error

I have the infamous error, 'Problem uploading to board' with the following specifics. I have a Duemilanove. It worked last night before I went to bed, now I can't upload to it.

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

I have read several other submissions and find it difficult to see that there is no reference to the error numbers somewhere where the user can find what the circumstances are that generated the error. Having been a software engineer for many, many years, I know someone wrote the error message for a specific problem. Where can we see what the errors are associated with the message?

Having been a software engineer for many, many years, I know someone wrote the error message for a specific problem.

You, sir, are an optimist!

Where can we see what the errors are associated with the message?

http://www.google.com/search?q=avrdude%3A+stk500_disable()%3A+protocol+error%2C+expect%3D0x14%2C+resp%3D0x51

Enough clowing around... Essentially, the error message means that AVRDUDE was unable to make contact with your Arduino. AVRDUDE is the application responsible for uploading programs to your Arduino.

Some possible causes...

  • Defective USB cable
  • Out-of-date FTDI driver
  • Wrong serial port selected
  • Wrong board selected (I think the error message is different in this case)
  • Missing bootloader
  • Watchdog has run amok
  • Damaged or defective Arduino

Course of action...

  • Disconnect everything from the Arduino (or VERY carefully ensure everything is wired correctly)
  • Ensure you've selected the correct serial port
  • Try a different USB cable
  • Ensure you have the latest FTDI drivers

well, it worked perfectly last night, I plug in a different arduino and everything works great, I guess your telling me I somehow fried the arduino. >:(

No, I'm saying you MAY have fried your Arduino. To arrive at a definitive yes / no you will have to perform some testing.

The first is a "loop back" test. Wire pins 0 and 1 together. Start a terminal (like Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE). Type. If the characters you type are echoed back, the FTDI chip is OK.

They echo back.

Does the LED on pin 13 blink when the board is first powered?

No, the tx and rx led's flash but not the one labeled L.

What were you working with last night? Motor? LED? I2C?

I have a Serial LCD I was working with.

I was also experimenting with some 6 v switches, but they were disconnected because I didn't know how to read which one was on or off. They were connected to the digital lines and the switch was connected to the 5V line on the arduino.

I have a Serial LCD I was working with.

That one is very unlikely to cause problems. Is it a 5 volt device?

I was also experimenting with some 6 v switches

What's a "6 v switch"?

They were connected to the digital lines and the switch was connected to the 5V line on the arduino.

Like in the Button Tutorial?

Any chance you accidently set one of those digital pins to OUTPUT / LOW?

Is it a 5 volt device?

No, its a 12V device. It is connected to Vin with a 12 power supply connected to the arduino.

What's a "6 v switch"?

sorry, the switch has the capacity to switch 6V, at least thats what the package stated.

Any chance you accidently set one of those digital pins to OUTPUT / LOW?

Lots of chance, I have been using these flimsy wires I bought to connect from the arduino to the breadboard and they roll around in the arduino sockets, they need replaced.

The switches are connected to the arduino based on the circuit from the adafruit tutorial. I can't at this point draw the circuit, I will be able to before the nights over.

No, its a 12V device

Is it wired directly to the Arduino digital pins? Or through a "level converter"? Or through a Maxim chip?

The switches are connected to the arduino based on the circuit from the adafruit tutorial. I can't at this point draw the circuit, I will be able to before the nights over.

Don't bother. Lady Ada does very good tutorials. It's unlikely she made a mistake that would fry an Arduino.

Is it wired directly to the Arduino digital pins? Or through a "level converter"? Or through a Maxim chip?

It is driven by the sparkfun LCD backpack, I didn't look to see how it was put together, I assume it was made to be interfaced with the arduino.

So, at this point, I have to believe it is fried. More then likely do to some mistake I made working with the switches.

Thanks for your generous time you have spent on this, I do appreciate it. I wish the answer were different, but :frowning:

It is driven by the sparkfun LCD backpack, I didn't look to see how it was put together, I assume it was made to be interfaced with the arduino.

I agree.

So, at this point, I have to believe it is fried.

Yup.

One final thing ... You can replace the part that's most likely fried, the processor, for a few dollars. Get one with a bootloader already installed or learn to install a bootloader.

I also have the upload error. It is a new Uno. The power light comes on and led L blinks. I installed the driver. I am using Vista. When I try to upload neither Rx nor Tx flash. I have reinstalled the driver. I have tried a different usb cable.

Binary sketch size: 962 bytes (of a 32256 byte maximum)
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

I got it to working by going into the divice manager for usb-com3. Under advanced tab I forced to com1, closed, reopened and changed it back to com3. This time Windows hooked it up and it now works.