Suddenly can't upload to Arduino

Hi, I'm using a Macbook Pro on Yosemite 10.10. I have been uploading sketches with no problems to my Arduino and then tonight I get an error message. I looked at the trouble shooting info and it looks as if my usb port has lost something.

This is one of the error messages I get

Arduino: 1.6.1 (Mac OS X), Board: "Arduino Uno"

Sketch uses 4,894 bytes (15%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32,256 bytes.

avrdude: usbdev_open(): did not find any USB device "usb" (This is when I press the verbose option)

In the port options I only have 'Bluetooth-incoming-port' and 'Bluetooth-modem' Should there be a USBmodem port in there somewhere? And if so, how do I get it back?

I should say that the Arduino stopped working with the other usb port a while ago, although my iPad works perfectly with it. I have 2 Arduinos, and the message is the same with each of them. I've changed the usb cable with no result.

I would really appreciate being able to sort this out soon, I had just managed to get a PIR working with a servo for my project before this happened, and I have a deadline for Wednesday.

Does the USB power the Arduino?
Have you reloaded your drivers?
Does the Arduino work on any other computer?

Weedpharma

I've restarted the computer several times, I haven't yet worked out how to reload the drivers, when i first loaded Arduino i got a message saying the Uno didn't need the drivers loading, or something, it did it automatically. Does that mean reinstall the program? (I'm new to Macs and haven't yet reinstalled anything)

The green light goes on and the new Arduino is doing its factory blink sketch, so I assume the usb is doing something.

I am just in the process of powering up my 10 year old Windows laptop to see whether I can get it going on there, but it is likely to be a lengthy process. It's a little slow.

Huh, almost exactly the same problem I have (see my post on whether I blew up my Serial port).

I am on Yosemite as well.

Power comes through OK, but I can't see the Uni in the ports list and therefore cannot upload sketches to it.

I am going to get an ISCP programmer and see if I can program it that way, and if so I will burn one of my "permanent" sketches to it and not use that one again for any future work.

Hi Shuntera,

Looked at your post, and mine is a bit different in that the computer can't see either the old Arduino that the problem happened with, or the new Arduino that I took out of its package to test it when the other one didn't work. The new one seems to be programmed as it's blinking, but I can't see the port, so the computer can't see either or them. To be honest, I'd rather have your problem.

Weedpharma

The green and the orange light are on in both arduinos, in the new one it is blinking. I can't even remember which sketch is loaded on the other one, whether i managed to change it when things began to go wrong, but both lights are on constantly.

I fired up my Windows laptop running XP, it is very slow, and objected to having Arduino installed, but I think I managed it and the Arduino is not recognised as new hardware by windows. The lights go on, though. I find it hard to believe that my Macbook is killing Arduinos, but that's what it looks like. I really need to try a third one to confirm this.....! I'm a little worried that the Arduinos could do something to the laptops involved, not sure how to approach this one. Would something awful happen if I tried plugging it into a college computer?

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the Arduino IDE on both computers, restarted them several times, left them off for a few hours....

I would be surprised if the Mac USB was causing the Arduino to break.

I do not know anything about Macs to offer any more assistance.

Weedpharma

Ok, just a quick update for if it helps anyone. I tried arduino no.2 on 4 different computers and nothing, so I ordered Arduino no.3. I tried it on someone else computer first and it was recognised, so I dared to plug it into my Macbook and it worked there too.

So I can only conclude that I had one Arduino that stopped working and a new Arduino that was faulty. What a coincidence!

Still a bit of a relief. Hit the deadline, everything fine now.

Thanks everyone for the help!