Tx Rx leds always ON. PC doesn't detect Arduino on USB anymore.

Development Tools IDE 1.x
1

Well, my Arduino suddenly stopped working and now the leds Rx and Tx are always on. On USB or external power supply, they're always on.

When it happened I was doing a series of tests in a circuit, changing the Arduino supply from USB to 12V and sometimes both connected.
I've already connected both supplies together and anything never happened. And I've been using the 12V source for a while, it's trully 12V and never ever happened before.

There is an important detail:
I was using the board without the ATmega, just as a serial bridge to other microcontroller (a 3.3V one). I removed the Atmega328 and connected the Tx and Rx pins of the microcontroller to the board. I just made a circuit to lower the 5V from the FTDI to 3.3V.
It worked all the day but suddenly stopped working.

Sadly, I think the FTDI cooked, but I don't know why =(

Help! :frowning:

2

(deleted)

3

Well,

I find out that the problem was with the circuit of the microcontroller I was testing. I used an xbee breakboard (that also has a FTDI) to continue the work and it stopped working either.

Unfortunately something wrong happened to that circuit and it cost me 2 FTDIs =/

4

Bummer -and those are difficult (near impossible) to replace as well.
I'm supposed to have a hot-air soldering station today, will let me play with that in the future.

5

(deleted)

6

"doddle" ? Ok none of that Scottish slang here, let's keep it clean 8)

I see a whole bunch of nozzles here, am hoping I can find some that fit nice over the TSOP parts.
Pricey tho. I think to start I will just have 4 sizes of round nozzles.

http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect.asp?dept=479&main=79&item1=15143+TL&item2=16121+TL&item3=6830+TL

7

I hope there's one I can use in my University... Let's see...