Unable to upload from Win 7 Home Pro

Just received my Sparki from Adafruit. The default program runs but I can’t upload anything. When I plug into my Win 7 PC (MacBookPro Retina), the COM port appears for a few seconds but then disappears. Neither automatic not manual upload process works.

Moreover, the Sparkiduino software blue screened my PC TWICE in the last 30 minutes!

Not a good first experience so far…

Any ideas?

PS. I am very experienced with Arduino, having designed many consumer products based on it.

moved to another USB port, same behavior.

Error on upload using manual process is:

processing.app.SerialException: Serial port ‘COM20’ already in use. Try quitting any programs that may be using it.
at processing.app.Serial.touchPort(Serial.java:119)
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.uploadViaBootloader(AvrdudeUploader.java:203)
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.uploadUsingPreferences(AvrdudeUploader.java:67)
at processing.app.Sketch.upload(Sketch.java:1671)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1627)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1599)
at processing.app.Editor$DefaultExportHandler.run(Editor.java:2380)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

Needless to say, I have no other programs occupying COM20. This is fresh after a forced reboot of the system and right after the COM20 was ID’ed after plugging in Sparki into the new USB port. Note that same as with previous USB port, COM20 disappeared from the list a few seconds after it appeared and no new port has showed up.

V

automatic upload process error:

processing.app.debug.RunnerException: Couldn’t find a Leonardo on the selected port. Check that you have the correct port selected. If it is correct, try pressing the board’s reset button after initiating the upload.
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.uploadViaBootloader(AvrdudeUploader.java:153)
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.uploadUsingPreferences(AvrdudeUploader.java:67)
at processing.app.Sketch.upload(Sketch.java:1671)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1627)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Sketch.java:1599)
at processing.app.Editor$DefaultExportHandler.run(Editor.java:2380)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)

the above was done with power switch in OFF position. When in ON position, no COM port gets ever recognized on plug-in. Uploads fail in the same way

Any luck on the OSX side? USB3.0 on the MBP retina in windows leads to weird issues with leonardo devices (I have one myself). I have no issues in OSX, or when using parallels (as its USB 2.0 only).

If a port does show up when Sparki reboots, then the bootloader driver is working, and a manual upload will work if the guide is followed.

Thanks Joseph - I’ve tried manual upload more than 10 times - doesn’t work. Also, all my other Arduino boards are recognized and upload fine on either of the 2 USB ports on my PC. That includes Pro Mini, UNO, Due. Also ChipKIt (various versions), Fubarino, and Teensy 3.1. I am probably forgetting a few LOL.

What could be going on?

I am not using OSX - this is a Win machine. My various CAD packages don’t work too well on Apple OS.

no ideas? still not able to do anything with product. same as 3 days ago…

Well, over a week and I still can’t use my robot. Moreover, the system had a few blue screens directly attributable to Sparkiduino.

This thing is going back to Adafruit. Too bad as I was going to order Hexi from them, as well.

Perhaps my case is the edge case in hardware - OS combination (MacBookPro + Win7), but this is THE first software package that had repeatedly blue-screened my PC.

Great concepts, incomplete execution. Hope ArcBotics survives through these.

Hi Valerun,

It doesn’t have anything to do with Sparkiduino, but with Windows having faulty drivers for certain USB 3.0 chipsets, which causes a bad interaction with the Leonardo drivers. While it will work 100% in OSX (which has correct USB 3.0 drivers), it should work if you plug it in through a USB 2.0 hub. This knocks the USB back ‘down’ to USB 2.0. I’ve done this successfully with my macbook.

Great job, especially with the documentation and all.

How well did it go over in the science fair?

Also, you may want to consider turning this into an instructable. You’ll definitely get questions/suggestions/etc from that place.