My arduino mega cards all seem to have bootloader errors from using this code..

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Hi,

I am trying to simulate a camshaft and crankshaft signal to emulate the engine speed on an ECU, I use an open source program called Ardu-Stim, this program switches the outputs according to an input pattern, and the principle is a comparison and interruptions by timer, the arduino board is connected to a driver powered at 12 V and the output signal from the arduino is amplified and goes directly to the ECU.

By dint of trying different patterns to get my way all the cards I use seem to have bootloader problems sooner or later: "avr dude : content mismatch", "avr dude : receive message timeout", sometimes on one of these cards the com port is no longer detected, and the ports used by the code are blocked (pin 52 and 53 of ATMega2560.

I tried to reload the bootloader with other arduino mega cards but I can't, the procedure requiring port 53 for reset, I'm considering acquiring an isp usb programmer to try to reload it without using this port.

I would like to know if you have any idea of the cause of this problem, maybe the use of timers 1 and 2 can be the source of the problem?

Thank you for your help.

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I would like to know if you have any idea of the cause of this problem,

Without schematics of what you are doing we can't tell what you are doing wrong.

maybe the use of timers 1 and 2 can be the source of the problem?

Simply no.

seem to have bootloader problems sooner or later:

That would suggest you are doing something wrong on the hardware side. Maybe putting too much voltage on something.

receive message timeout

This means the computer and Arduino are not communicating. Possible causes:-

  1. Picking the wrong Arduino in the IDE's menu.
  2. The Arduino's serial port is broken.
  3. The Arduino's USB to serial port chip is broken.

Don't cross post Computer Serial Port broken - #3 by Grumpy_Mike - General Electronics - Arduino Forum

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Grumpy_Mike:
This means the computer and Arduino are not communicating. Possible causes:-

  1. Picking the wrong Arduino in the IDE's menu.
  2. The Arduino's serial port is broken.
  3. The Arduino's USB to serial port chip is broken.

Ok thank you, it might be an hardware issue then I've checked my IDE's menu and the selected arduino

Grumpy_Mike:
Without schematics of what you are doing we can't tell what you are doing wrong.

Ok i'll send you a schematic later, the arduino mega is connected with port D52 and D53 to a L293DNE Driver on pin 2 and 7, this driver is supplied with 12V and the output are connected to pin 3 and 6 and comes directly from the ECU. Nothing else is connected to this board.

Grumpy_Mike:
Don't cross post Computer Serial Port broken - #3 by Grumpy_Mike - General Electronics - Arduino Forum

Sorry i didn't meant to cross post, I think that those two problems are not connected, this problems has occured thursday after testing my Ardu-stim code, and the problem with the USB Port this morning for no apparent reasons.

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I tried to reload the bootloader with other arduino mega cards but I can't, the procedure requiring port 53 for reset

Use Pin 10 on the Mega used as "Arduino as ISP" for the Reset .

"ARDUINOISP" sketch.

// The standard pin configuration.
#ifndef ARDUINO_HOODLOADER2

#define RESET     10 // Use pin 10 to reset the target rather than SS
#define LED_HB    9
#define LED_ERR   8
#define LED_PMODE 7
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kprims:
Use Pin 10 on the Mega used as "Arduino as ISP" for the Reset .

Thank you for the tip. I get "stk500_recv():programmer is not responding" message error I guess that my Serial port is broken..

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Try a 10uF capacitor between Reset and Gnd, stripe toward Gnd on the Arduino used as a Programmer.
Remove all unnecessary leads from the unit being programmed.