The Undetectable Uno R3

Development Tools IDE 1.x
1

Hello!

I purchased an Arduino Uno R3 kit from Amazon (ELEGOO) to see if I may use it for a project. However, I am having the following issues:

  1. It doesn't even make any sound when plugged into a windows 7 or 10 machine.
  2. Installed the Arduino IDE on my laptop twice but it still won't detect the board. The IDE has the PORT under TOOLS (Tools>Port) greyed out.
  3. On my university PC, downloaded the non-admin version of the Arduino IDE. Don't know why but this version of the software doesn't have the PORT greyed out but it shows COM3. That maps on to this:

794×596 65.9 KB

The green light on the board stays turned on while the amber/yellow one keeps blinking as long as it's connected to a USB port.

Anyway, I tried to upload a simple program into the thing through COM3 from the university machine and this is what it said:

Arduino: 1.8.5 (Windows 7), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

Sketch uses 960 bytes (2%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32256 bytes.
Global variables use 9 bytes (0%) of dynamic memory, leaving 2039 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.
Sketch uses 960 bytes (2%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32256 bytes.
Global variables use 9 bytes (0%) of dynamic memory, leaving 2039 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes.
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x0d
Problem uploading to board. See http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Troubleshooting#upload for suggestions.

What went wrong? I'd really appreciate some help with this.

Thanks

Safat

2

Once I perform Step 3, nothing happens. No sounds, no detection, nothing in device manager. Nothing at all. All I get to see are both the lights on my Uno R3 being turned on solid. That's it.

3

When you unplug the board, does COM3 disappear from device manager?
I suspect it will not, indicating that COM3 is something other than the Arduino board.

If you don't even get the bing noise (or even "this device has malfunctioned) when you plug it in, that's a very bad sign.

Are you using a known good USB cable? There's been a plague of bad ones lately, try a different one.

Did the board ever work?
Was the Arduino IDE installed on the system via the installer? (installing from zip won't auto-install the drivers).

I see that board has an atmega16u2 as the serial adapter, so the official uno drivers should work (many clones use CH340G or CP2102, which require different drivers - though even these should show as unknown device and make the bing noise when you plug them in w/out drivers).

4

Hey Azzy!

DrAzzy:
When you unplug the board, does COM3 disappear from device manager?
I suspect it will not, indicating that COM3 is something other than the Arduino board.

No! Nothing changes when I plug it or, after I plug it in or when/after I unplug. COM3 remains COM3.

DrAzzy:
If you don't even get the bing noise (or even "this device has malfunctioned) when you plug it in, that's a very bad sign.

Normally I expect to hear that bing sound followed by some unknown/unidentified hardware thing in the device manager. Sadly, didn't even get that much from this board.

DrAzzy:
Are you using a known good USB cable? There's been a plague of bad ones lately, try a different one.

I'm using the cable that came with the board. I'll go home soon and try using a different cable.

DrAzzy:
Did the board ever work?

Today's the first time I tried to connect it to the computers and see if it'd work. It's a new board.

DrAzzy:
Was the Arduino IDE installed on the system via the installer? (installing from zip won't auto-install the drivers).

On the university owned machine, I installed from the zip and it didn't work. On my own laptop, I installed using the regular installer and it still didn't work. So I'm doubting if it has anything to do with the installation method.

DrAzzy:
I see that board has an atmega16u2 as the serial adapter, so the official uno drivers should work (many clones use CH340G or CP2102, which require different drivers - though even these should show as unknown device and make the bing noise when you plug them in w/out drivers).

You see! Normally, when things don't work like that, what I do is that I find the drivers and then go to device manager and find the hardware there and try to point to the drivers from there(update driver). In bad cases, there's at least that "bing" sound followed by "Windows has no clue what in the world you just plugged in" kind of a message. What I can't figure out is why this board is completely undetectable. I've even tried plugging it into a friend's Windows 10 laptop to check it but even that failed to detect ANY signs of anything being plugged into the machine.

5

Although the points above are valid , as it’s not a genuine board , but a Chinese clone. I would be tempted to install CH340 drivers anyway - it costs nothing an eliminates a possible issue.

I’d always suggest a New comer always buys a genuine board .

Frustrating !!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.instructables.com/id/How-to-fix-bad-Chinese-Arduino-clones/%3Famp_page=true

6

hammy:
Although the points above are valid , as it’s not a genuine board , but a Chinese clone. I would be tempted to install CH340 drivers anyway - it costs nothing an eliminates a possible issue.

I’d always suggest a New comer always buys a genuine board .

Frustrating !!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.instructables.com/id/How-to-fix-bad-Chinese-Arduino-clones/%3Famp_page=true

I just tried that fix in my laptop and it made no difference.

7

If the chip near the USB port says 16u2 on it, the CH340G drivers will not help!

If changing the cable does not fix it, I would suggest that the board is defective.

In terms of what to recommend new users, tbh I think the chinese clones with other serial adapters are a better bet; the 16u2 is very easy to damage if you abuse the board (electronically), compared to the CH340G or CP2102.

8

@Safat, please do not cross-post. Threads merged.

9

DrAzzy:
If the chip near the USB port says 16u2 on it, the CH340G drivers will not help!

If changing the cable does not fix it, I would suggest that the board is defective.

In terms of what to recommend new users, tbh I think the chinese clones with other serial adapters are a better bet; the 16u2 is very easy to damage if you abuse the board (electronically), compared to the CH340G or CP2102.

MY GOODNESS!

I just got home and used my USB cable for the condenser mic that I have and it started working! Didn't have to do anything. Autodetection and I even managed to program the LED (pin 13) to blink in the pattern I wanted it to blink with!

Thank you so much :slight_smile:

10

That was a completely separate thread and I was responding to that to keep the discussion relevant to that issue (loop back test). Anyway, didn't know that was a requirement although I can see how posting that here could help with diagnosis.

Will remember that the next time, Mr Mod! Will remember!

:slight_smile:

11

Safat:
MY GOODNESS!

I just got home and used my USB cable for the condenser mic that I have and it started working! Didn't have to do anything. Autodetection and I even managed to program the LED (pin 13) to blink in the pattern I wanted it to blink with!

Thank you so much :slight_smile:

I'm starting to suspect that the reason we see this plague of bad USB cables is that a vendor is selling a bad batch of cables with arduino kits...

12

DrAzzy:
I'm starting to suspect that the reason we see this plague of bad USB cables is that a vendor is selling a bad batch of cables with arduino kits...

Sadly, there's not much we can do about that :frowning:

13

So tl;dr when getting new Arduino clone, always cut up and pitch the USB cable in trash (they are almost always too short anyway) and get a cable that came with something like your last printer, a good brand USB hub, etc. or those you bought locally and not online.

14

wilykat:
So tl;dr when getting new Arduino clone, always cut up and pitch the USB cable in trash (they are almost always too short anyway) and get a cable that came with something like your last printer, a good brand USB hub, etc. or those you bought locally and not online.

I used the one I've been using for my condenser mic and guitar processor. It is high quality indeed!

Didn't know that something as simple as that can be mass produced to not work.