HELP! I need somebody...

I am a relative novice at programming but am playing with an arduino Mega 2560 with the end goal of building a reprap mendelmax 3d printer. However, I am currently having difficulty with even even doing the most basic 'blink' function although I have followed the start-up guide.

Problem list:

  1. The Tx and Rx leds, as far as i can tell never blink
  2. The 'L' led blinks even when i have pressed the reset button
  3. Everytime I try to upload anything it gives me the error message:

avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): timeout communicating with programmer
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): timeout communicating with programmer

Things that may be of interest:
I am using a MackBook with OS 10.5.8
I have pulled the USB lead out during an operation and it came up with an error message warning against doing it again = there is some communication/recognition between the Arduino and the computer

Any help much obliged,
K

Try Coding Badly's Loop Back Test:
http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,73748.0.html

I have the same problem. I'm new to Ubuntu and i have successfully installed all necessary stuff for Arduino Mega 2560. but when i upload it, it shows uploading... and say "receivemessage() timeout"
i need a help from you guys
Thanks a lot

What happened when you tried the loop-back test and the troubleshooting guide?

Problem list:
Arduino 2560 times out during uploading of a script (even blink)

Progress:
Advice was given as above in forum posts and loop back test performed --> no echo using serial monitor
I've looked at the troubleshooting, tested jumpers, and changed USB cable twice - all didn't seem to help.
Have now just realised that this was produced in sketch...

java.io.IOException: Device not configured in writeArray

  • at gnu.io.RXTXPort.writeArray(Native Method)*
  • at gnu.io.RXTXPort$SerialOutputStream.write(RXTXPort.java:1124)*
  • at processing.app.Serial.write(Serial.java:517)*
  • at processing.app.Serial.write(Serial.java:540)*
  • at processing.app.SerialMonitor.send(SerialMonitor.java:200)*
  • at processing.app.SerialMonitor.access$100(SerialMonitor.java:32)*
  • at processing.app.SerialMonitor$3.actionPerformed(SerialMonitor.java:89)*
  • at javax.swing.JTextField.fireActionPerformed(JTextField.java:487)*
  • at javax.swing.JTextField.postActionEvent(JTextField.java:668)*
  • at javax.swing.JTextField$NotifyAction.actionPerformed(JTextField.java:783)*
  • at javax.swing.SwingUtilities.notifyAction(SwingUtilities.java:1573)*
  • at javax.swing.JComponent.processKeyBinding(JComponent.java:2766)*
  • at javax.swing.JComponent.processKeyBindings(JComponent.java:2801)*
  • at javax.swing.JComponent.processKeyEvent(JComponent.java:2729)*
  • at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:5394)*
  • at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2010)*
  • at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4083)*
  • at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2068)*
  • at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:3918)*
  • at java.awt.KeyboardFocusManager.redispatchEvent(KeyboardFocusManager.java:1828)*
  • at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.dispatchKeyEvent(DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.java:681)*
  • at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.preDispatchKeyEvent(DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.java:940)*
  • at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.typeAheadAssertions(DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.java:810)*
  • at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.dispatchEvent(DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.java:645)*
  • at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:3956)*
  • at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2068)*
  • at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:1801)*
  • at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:3918)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:501)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue.access$000(EventQueue.java:80)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(EventQueue.java:462)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue$1.run(EventQueue.java:461)*
  • at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)*
  • at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:84)*
  • at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:95)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(EventQueue.java:476)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue$2.run(EventQueue.java:475)*
  • at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)*
  • at java.security.AccessControlContext$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(AccessControlContext.java:84)*
  • at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:473)*
  • at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:269)*
  • at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:190)*
  • at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:184)*
  • at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:176)*
  • at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:110)*

Plan:
Any further advice. Could this be firmware? Hardware? My computer (running 10.5.8 osx, arduino 1.0.1)?

Thanks for anymore advice in advance...

You will want to see if the USB cable is bad by swapping with another cable. You could also check out another PC just to see if the USB tries to find the driver.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have tried 3 different cables and that doesn't seem to have any effect sadly. I have tried it on a PC and that seemed to spring up another error message - cant remember exactly what. I'm starting to lose faith in this

K

Cables are just part of the troubleshooting list :wink: Don't give up. For some unknown reason, the Mega2560's 16u2 is very sensitive and may need reprogramming from time to time (Not the case with the Uno 16u2). Do you have any programmers or another Arduino?

spcomputing:
Cables are just part of the troubleshooting list :wink: Don't give up. For some unknown reason, the Mega2560's 16u2 is very sensitive and may need reprogramming from time to time (Not the case with the Uno 16u2). Do you have any programmers or another Arduino?

Thanks for the encouragement. I need it to be a mega as i need to have a ramps 1.4 shield to run a reprap 3d printer. Ill up date my osx to 10.6.0 and see how that goes. This is my only arduino.

What is a programmer in this context?

ICSP (In Circuit System Programmer) for those (2)3x2 headers which are the SPI connections to the 8u2/16u2 and your Atmega2560. USB Tiny, USBasp, AVRISP, etc connect to these headers. You also can use another Arduino as a programmer. I have not tried the Atmel FLIP or the dfu-programmer, but here is the link:

I just do not know if this will work if the DFU is really messed up. Using the ICSP is a lot cleaner, to me.

Do you have a serial port show up? (/dev/tty.usb* on Mac) Is there more that one? Are you sure you're using the right one?

So after a bit of a long trip around the houses I found that it was all to do with my mac. I was ising osx 10.5 and upgraded to 10.6 and everything was great.
Thanks for all your help
K