In the Arduino IDE I can see the board on the correct serial port. When I try to upload the original source, it seems to compile properly, but then says "Uploading..." and freezes for a time. (Maybe a minute?) About 6 or 8 seconds into this "Uploading" procedure I see all of the LEDs on the MaKey MaKey flash as they normally do 8 seconds after plugging it in. (I guess the bootloader runs for 8 seconds, then the program starts?) Also, when it starts uploading, the Windows Device Manager starts wigging out: For that first 8 seconds the "MaKey MaKey Bootloader" shows up in the device manager with a little yellow alert "!" icon, then switches back over to the regular (non-alert) MaKey MaKey (COM9) object when the LEDs flash.
After the Upload times out, I get the following message:
avrdude: ser_send(): write error: sorry no info avail
Also, the board no longer shows up in the Tools->Serial Port menu. It only shows up again after I unplug the USB and reconnect.
The only other mention I could find of this issue was on another forum and the solution was to reformat the machine and install Windows 8. Not helpful. :~ Can anyone suggest a course of action? Thanks so much!
It looks like driver installation did not work properly for the bootloader.
The MaKey MaKey shows up as two different devices, one when it is running a sketch and another when it is running the bootloader.
Try the driver installation process while the bootloader is running. When you see " "MaKey MaKey Bootloader" shows up in the device manager with a little yellow alert "!" icon "
Right click the MaKey MaKey Bootloader in Device Manager
Select Update Driver Software
Select Browse my computer for software
Click Browse button
Select the folder that contains the MaKey MaKey.inf file
Click OK
Click Next
I've followed your directions but see no change. When I select the .inf file, it gives me one choice for the Model of my device: "MaKey MaKey". (I would hope that I would find "MaKey MaKey Bootloader" as an option here.) Meanwhile, back in the Device Manager window I still see the MaKey MaKey Bootloader entry with the yellow exclamation point.
Is it possible that I'm looking at the wrong .inf file?
What is the Hardware ID for the bootloader in device manager?
Go to Device Manager
Right Click MaKey MaKey Bootloader in Device Manager
Select Properties
Select Details tab
Change Property to Hardware Ids
What is displayed under Value?
This hardware ID should match the hardware ID in the .inf file.
Done. Now when I plug it in, instead of the "bootloader" device, it registers "Makey Makey (COM10)" for 8 seconds, then switches over to "Makey Makey (COM11)." What SHOULD it say in the Device Manager while the bootloader is running?
I notice that Windows is reporting that both the bootloader and the Makey Makey have the SAME VID and PID. Is that normal? Are they not supposed to be different? Is it possible that I got a wonky device?
I doubt the bootloader and the Makey Makey firmware have the same VID and PID or else it would have loaded the driver without you adding the additional device descriptor in the INF.
Its normal for there to be two different COM ports, one when the bootloader is running and another when the sketch is running.
The two different devices (bootloader and firmware) that show up in the Device Manager really do report the same hardware IDs. Very weird.
Meanwhile, I've thrown in the towel, run out and bought another device, which is working just fine. (It's branded differently from the problem unit. Obviously a different batch.) I kind of can't believe AC Gears in NYC happened to have exactly one in stock for me. Made my week.
Anyway, thanks so much for your help! For anyone else who comes across this thread: Check out the "Hardware IDs" as reported for the bootloader and firmware devices in the Device Manager. The really should NOT match. If they do... then maybe you found another weird one like I had. And the only solution might be to go buy another one.