I have an Arduino UNO which doesn't let me upload any sketch to it nor does it get detected on the computer when I connect it to the USB port. The last sketch I uploaded on the UNO had something to do with a bluetooth module interface and serial communication. After that I haven't been able to get the UNO to do anything. When I power up the UNO the RX LED and the power LED are constantly turned on. See picture
I searched for answers on the forum and even tried to burn bootloader using my chinese nano as an ISP. But nothing seems to work. When I plug in the UNO my computer emits a beep sound indicating that it has detected it but is still not able to recognize it.
I see something like this on Device Manager - Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)
When I used my nano as an ISP to program the UNO I kept getting the error below:
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x14
avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x01
avrdude: stk500_initialize(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
this check.
avrdude: stk500_disable(): unknown response=0x12
Failed chip erase: uploading error: exit status 1
I would like to know what exactly the problem with the UNO is and if there is a possible fix for it. Thanks in advance.
We can't access the picture. Please post it directly here on the forum. You can do that clicking the "Reply" button here on the forum thread and then dragging and dropping the picture onto the post composer field.
This might be caused by a short or external circuitry connected to the Arduino board causing it to malfunction.
Make sure the board is not sitting on anything conductive that could short the contacts on the bottom of the board. Inspect the board carefully on both sides to make sure there isn't any conductive debris (e.g., strands of wire or component leads) on the board or on the surface the board is sitting on.
If you have a shield or any external circuitry or components connected to your Arduino board, try this experiment:
Disconnect the USB cable of the Arduino board from your computer.
Disconnect any shields, modules, external circuitry, etc. from your board.
Connect the Arduino board to your computer with a USB cable.
Now check to see if the problem still occurs.
This experiment will determine whether the problem was caused by the external circuitry. If so, you can then focus your attention on identifying the specific problem with the circuit and resolving it.
When I see this it is generally the Tx LED that is lit. I cannot see the picture but since you uploaded serial code try this.
Take these steps:
Power off the board completely
Remove the USB cable
Hold down the Reset button
keep it held down (or, run a jumper wire from the RESET pin to the GND pin).
Still holding down Reset reconnect the USB cable.
Start uploading a sketch that does not have this problem (I use the Blink sketch).
When you see the Receive light blink, release the Reset button
Change your code and add a delay(3000), or more in setup(). This allows easy recovery from a serial flood.
Note: I have seen this happen several times when I flood the serial output. An indication is the Tx light is stuck on.
Thanks for responding. The picture should be visible now that I have made it public. No, there was no external circuitry connected to UNO when I plugged it in.
The Rx andTx LED are controlled by the serial-to-usb converter (16U2 on original Unos), not by the main processor.
The reset button only controls the main processor (328P).
With the fact that Windows device manager is not happy with your board, it indicates that the serial-to-usb converter is malfunctioning. You can try to burn the firmware (see https://docs.arduino.cc/retired/hacking/software/DFUProgramming8U2) to try to fix that. If that doesn't work, I suggest that you replace the board unless you have the capabilities to replace it.
When you press and release the reset button, does the L-LED give three quick flashes? If not, the 328P is malfunctioning. You can try to burn the bootloader and see if that fixes that problem.
Is there any history to your board? Was it new? If not, what was the last project that you were working on before it started failing / before you hooked it up again.
I have been facing this exact issue but my arduino uno seems to also have the RX LED always on. I tried to burn bootloader using my nano as an ISP but that gave me the following error:
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x15
avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x14
avrdude: stk500_getparm(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x01
avrdude: stk500_initialize(): (a) protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x10
avrdude: initialization failed, rc=-1
Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
this check.
avrdude: stk500_disable(): unknown response=0x12
Failed chip erase: uploading error: exit status 1
That would, in my opinion, indicate that the 328P is dead. If it's an Uno with a 328P DIL chip, you can replace the chip with a new one (with or without bootloader).
There however might be more damage depending on what went wrong. If your board does NOT have the CH340 serial-to-usb adapter, did you try the loopback test (Loop-Back Test Instructions) to see if that part is still working?
What did you do to the poor thing (that is, what was the project that you were working on when it started failing)?
I and my friend were using the UNO for a drone project. I am not exactly sure what happened but apparently my friend was using a 12V power adapter to power the UNO along with some external circuity (ESC, BLDC, etc). I believe he told me that he smelt smoke (not quite sure though) from the circuitry. And since then I haven't been able to upload any code to the UNO. The board seems fine though. Picture below:
I recommend you purchase a new UNO and see if it works, if so use the old one for a mechanical template as it is fried. Butting 12 volts on the wrong pin can destroy it is a microsecond. The smell was coming from the chip overheating.
I guess I can confirm that the board is indeed fried. When I plug in the power jack the voltage regulator gets hot quickly. I am also not able to get a 3.3V ouput from the board.
