Verify and Upload Hang with Example Sketches

Using Arduino Installation & Troubleshooting
#1

Hi. I have a new Arduino Uno board and can't seem to finish communication with it. I am using MPIDE 0150 on an Win XP OS.

I have never been able to get any code, including sketches found in the Examples (Blink, etc.), to verify or upload to this board. It seems to progress about 30% of the way but then just hangs and I never get a message that the verification or upload is complete. I have verified that I have selected the correct board (Arduino Uno) and port (COM7). I have plugged an LED between pin 13 and Gnd to see if a Bootloader is on the chip (it is since the LED blinked). When I plug the board into a USB port the area of the board labeled "ON' is on with a green LED. I also see a blinking yellow LED next to "L" which is adjacent to the TX and RX LED's.

Contrary to the problems I am experiencing with this board I have successfully used the same MPIDE to verify and upload sketches to a chipKit uno32 board without this problem.

The messages that I get are:

java.lang.NullPointerException
at processing.app.debug.Compiler.compileLink(Compiler.java:705)
at processing.app.debug.Compiler.compile(Compiler.java:229)
at processing.app.Sketch.build(Sketch.java:1588)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1628)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1597)
at processing.app.Editor$DefaultExportHandler.run(Editor.java:2334)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

Searches on similar problems seem to focus on the actual code being verified or uploaded but since I can't even verify or upload an Example sketch I think there is something else that is amiss. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

#2

I'm not familiar with the chipKit IDE. The Arduino IDE has the option to verify only (and you don't need the board to be connected for that). Does the MPIDE have that same option? If so, try that first as it will tell you if the problem is in the verify phase or the upload phase.

Any option to use one of the older Arduino IDEs instead of the chipKit?

Does chipKit has its own forum? If so, you might be better off asking there. Or contact chipKit.

The Uno already has a LED that is driven via pin13; it's the one that you see blinking (next to 'L'); I think the Uno comes with the blink sketch preloaded and hence the blinking (one second on, one second off).

Note:
You should never connect a LED directly between a pin and GND or Vcc; you run the risk of blowing up the pin.

//Edit: chipKit.net forum

#3

Great suggestion to try MPIDE forum! Turns out it was an outdated IDE. A better solution (that worked great) was to use UECIDE instead. Thanks for the help!

#4