Is my Nano 3.0 broken? cant run analogInOutSerial??

Using Arduino IDE 1.x
1

Hi, I'm very new to Arduino and I seem to be having a problem. I just wanted to make sure that the problem wasn't hardware related because it seems quite strange.

I am running an Arduino Nano 3.0 through USB. I have installed the ide and the drivers for the USB.
I then plug a 10k Pot into 5v to one side Gnd to the other and A0 to the middle signal lead(on the pot).
next I plug an led with resistor protection into pin D9.
then I open the ide and select AnalogInOutSerial from the examples, select my board(nano 3.0) from the tools menu, and click "upload"
the Arduino blinks for a while, then the IDE says "Done Uploading" no errors
I open the serial monitor and begin to play with the pot.
I get no output until I've turned the pot almost all the way up, then the led works but as expected, unfortunately once I do that, the serial monitor just shows 1023 for sensorValue and 255 for outputValue no matter what the position of the pot.
If I reset the board with the pot in any other position than all the way down serial monitor stays at 1023/255 if I turn it all the way down and reset the whole process starts over again,

not sure If what I'm doing wrong. I am running the example code with no alterations and I have set the IDE for the Nano 3.0 in the tools menu as well. I hope I'm just doing something stupid and I haven't wasted my $30USD =(

any help would be appreciated.

2

The setup sounds correct so my best guess is that the pot is flakey. Can you try a different one? How are the wires connected to the pot? Are they soldered?

3

I actually tried 3 but they were all on the same RadioShack electronics Lab... I am connecting the pot using the breadboard supplied on the lab.

4

Try just connecting a wire to A0 (hanging loose).

Run this sketch:

void setup ()
{
  Serial.begin (115200);
}

void loop ()
{
  Serial.println (analogRead (A0));
  delay (500);
}

Grab the end of the wire. I found that the more tightly I held mine the higher the number was. Then shove it into the Gnd pin and it should drop to 0 (in the monitor). Then touch the wire against the 5V pin and it should read 1023. That will prove your Nano works.

5

thank you I appreciate all your help. Unfortunately the arduino isn't giving me 0 at gnd or 1023 at 5 volts it is giving wildly variable number at each =( but hey at least I know now!

6

UPDATE--
I tried the sketch again several times in order to test al the other pins and got the same result. Looks I'm off to buy another uController...

7

Seems odd they have all failed. Maybe a photo of your setup?