Port Greyed Out With Uno Pro

Hi..

Using an Uno Pro board with a laptop PC running Windows 10. Installed the 1.8.12 version of the Arduino IDE, connect Uno via USB and find the Port in the tools menu is greyed out. There is no Com port in the Windows Driver Manager. The comms device on the Uno board is CH340G. I installed the COM & LPT port as legacy hardware using the PC Device Manager, selected the Uno device driver from Arduino.cc and loaded it. The Ports (COM & LPT) now show Arduino Uno (COM8) but with a yellow triangle. Selecting Properties of the port message: "This device cannot start. (Code 10)". What's wrong guys? Can anyone help? Have downloaded and tried CH341SER driver install - still no go!

Seems that the problem is with the CH340 chip. Because you have tried using all the drivers and seen the options in the device manager. The board is not Genuine and it is a clone. That's why it has a CH340 chip for USB instead of Atmega16u2 which is on the genuine board. The CH340 might have some problems. Do you have any other board that has the CH340 chip? Try connecting that board to the computer and see if that has any problems. Also check that the chip on your board is marked CH340 and not something as CH341 or anything like that.

.. Arnav

I have two identical UNOs. They have both worked with the PC before, I have written working code (sketch), but neither work now. I am using a laptop and a desktop with Windows 10, they both have the same error Code 10. The trouble seemed to start when I moved to 1.8.12 and now doesn't work with 1.8.5 which I used before. The board is sold by 4tronix as a UNO Pro, the comms chip is WCH CH340G. One board flashes twice when powered up and flashes blue LED at 0.5 Hz as previously programmed.

Tried installing with setup.exe in folder CH341SER. Either didn't install or gave the message: driver is successfully Pre-installed in advance. Couldn't open Old_Arduino_Drivers.zip which came with IDE.

Ok, you have tried everything for the drivers, now the error can only be with the CH340 chip. Either the USB connection is loose or the chip has been partially damaged.

Try using other cables, check the continuity between the USB pins of the CH340 and USB pins on the port. If this didn't bring any success, then the chip is broken. Please tell us that when the problem started from and when it was working fine.

.. Arnav

Thanks for looking at this again. I didn't use the Arduino for a year, when I did I upgraded to 1.8.12. So I assumed that's the cause but may not be as I didn't use the IDE before upgrading. I haven't reconfigured the PC within that year. There is a code 10 error, device cannot start, when the COM & LPT Arduino Uno driver is installed, this seems to be the problem. I have tried three different cables with two different Unos. Is it a Windows registry problem? I ran the Arduino debug programme this generated large amount of info.

Ok, as you gave this information, it seems the problem is with the boards. Have you bought both the Uno boards from the same site, or are they the same product on the site? This may help me analysing. Also try and connect the Uno to another PC, and tell me what you get. If it works fine then the problem is in your PC.

..Arnav

The boards are bought from the same site, 4tronix.co.uk, at different times and have identical parts and markings. I have tried both boards with each of my two PCs with the same result.

Robomorgan:
The boards are bought from the same site, 4tronix.co.uk, at different times and have identical parts and markings. I have tried both boards with each of my two PCs with the same result.

So now, as to say you have tried everything-
Different Cables, PCs, Boards, and Drivers.

The problem is with the boards. Because both the boards are the same product on the online site, and ordered from the same site, then you can't test two different boards because you don't have them. The two UNOs you have are exatly identical. The problem now exist with the boards. The CH340 chip is broken.

Please tell me that when the boards were working and if you have observed any strange behaviour previously with the boards. Tell me with anything that was done wrong with the board- any wrong connection or over voltage.

The CH340 can be a clone which probably don't last long. I suggest you to buy a '"Original" board. The cheap ones have this only problem. They don't last long. Please give me information.

..Arnav

One thing to do is a continuity check. If you have a mulitmeter.

Find the USB+ and USB- pins on the CH340, and find the USB+ and USB- pins on the USB connector of the board. Try a continuity check.

.. Arnav

I cannot tell you any more about the history, there has been no strange behaviour. I haven't used the two boards for a year, one clearly works (0.5Hz output). Can't identify the pins on the comms chip. I have purchased a board from your shop which will arrive in five days - next week.

Robomorgan:
I cannot tell you any more about the history, there has been no strange behaviour. I haven't used the two boards for a year, one clearly works (0.5Hz output). Can't identify the pins on the comms chip. I have purchased a board from your shop which will arrive in five days - next week.

Ok. If the new board works, then the problem was with the older boards, which were not genuine. Tell me when you get the board and test it.

..Anrav

I have purchased an Uno from your shop and find that it functions. I can only conclude that both the devices that I had failed at some point, they operated successfully a year ago. Very frustrating and the whole episode has wasted three weeks.

Error 10 is simply a windows driver issue.

Under windows 10 you may have to disable UAC for driver issues.
There are also other occasions where a driver may not be fully installed.
Sometimes it may depend on antivirus software or similar.
On other occasions it may be down to user privileges.
And in some cases there may be a security policy in place such as on corporate or educational computers.
Another common reason for boards not showing up (unlikely in this case) is USB 3.0 ports.
You should include a picture (in focus) of the chip near the USB connector to it can be better identified.

There are also multiple other fixes that you could have found by using the new search facility (small magnifying glass) upper right and typing "driver error code 10" or similar variations.

Could you also take a few moments to Learn How To Use The Forum.
Other general help and troubleshooting advice can be found here.
It will help you get the best out of the forum in the future.

@Arnav Take this as another warning to hone your skills please before chasing things. You could have pointed the OP to multiple answers that were better than yours.

Bob.

I have a further twist to this problem. I have just purchased Nanos from Arduino and find I have the same problem as previously with Unos. The Uno I bought from Arduino interfaces to the PC and I have written sketches that run. Now I find with the two Nanos that I have the same problem as before: The Port function on the Tools menu is greyed out and device driver error message is the same " Driver cannot start"! I have tried two USB cables with the same result. I have replaced the Nanos with an Uno and all is working fine. What is going on? Are there non standard USB cables? I have to use different cables for the Uno and the Nano due to different board connectors. There are no warnings about how to handle the devices, I do treat them gently.

Do you have FTDI drivers for the Nanos?

Real Nano uses FT232 for the USB/Serial, while an Uno has Atmega16U2 programmed to act as USB/Serial interface.
www.ftdichip.com
Current version is 2.12.28.0

I have located FT232H, B and R on the FTDI website. I downloaded the CDM21228setup file and executed it. It reported that the drivers had been installed successfully. I selected Nano board in the Tools menu of the IDE. The Port indication was still greyed out and the PC didn't produce the usual ding dong sound when I plugged the Nano into the PC USB port. Checking the Device Manager there was no LPT/COM hardware and I couldn't see any sign of the driver. I tried installing the hardware and driver manually via the PC Device Manager but there was no driver listed for the Nano when I selected Arduino LLC (www.arduino.cc). The two smaller devices on the Nano are marked ATMEL SAMD IU 9280 and MPKM 261D 478 M approximately as it's very hard to read.