Can't upload to Arduino UNO: "stk500_getsync" error

I recently got my SparkFun Inventor’s Kit and cannot make it work. The software loaded OK from the Arduino web site and the hardware shows signs of working – lights blink. I am trying to load the Blink program. I get the error message “stk500_getsync”. Upon looking in SparkFun and Arduino forums, I see this is a problem shared by many.

I have two Mac computers. One I call Jim’s in this note, and the other Randy’s. Both fail to upload my program.

I select the Uno board. I get different error messages based on which Serial Port I select. I surmise the Arduino app is looking at the hardware in the computer it is running on to determine which options to present to the user for “Serial Port”.

The information below shows the verbose output describing the problem when I run on Jim’s computer and select /dev/tty.modem for the Serial port.

How can I fix this so I can get on with my real project??!!

–jim hahn

email: hahn_02493@yahoo.com

Jim’s computer:

iBook G4 Power Pc processor

Mac OS 10.4.11

There is only one device plugged into the USB port: The Arduino board.

Jim’s computer, Arduino application, Tools->Serial Port

Eight options are presented for the Serial Port:

/dev/tty.modem stk500_getsync error

/dev/cu.modem

/dev/tty.usbmodem1B11 stk500_getsync error

/dev/cu.usbmodem1B11

/dev/tty.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Modem

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-Modem

The usbmodem1B11 options are presented only if the Arduino is plugged in.

Error messages from Jim’s computer. Using /dev/tty.modem

Binary sketch size: 1018 bytes (of a 32256 byte maximum)

/Volumes/Arduino/Arduino.app/Contents/Resources/Java/hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude -C/Volumes/Arduino/Arduino.app/Contents/Resources/Java/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -v -v -v -patmega328p -cstk500v1 -P/dev/tty.modem -b115200 -D -Uflash:w:/tmp/build7554345388825479034.tmp/Blink.cpp.hex:i

avrdude: Version 5.4-arduino, compiled on Oct 9 2007 at 11:22:08

Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/

System wide configuration file is “/Volumes/Arduino/Arduino.app/Contents/Resources/Java/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf”

User configuration file is “/Users/jimhahn/.avrduderc”

User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

Using Port : /dev/tty.modem

Using Programmer : stk500v1

Overriding Baud Rate : 115200

avrdude: Send: 0 [30] [20]

avrdude: Send: 0 [30] [20]

avrdude: Send: 0 [30] [20]

avrdude: Recv: 0 [30]

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x30

avrdude: Send: Q [51] [20]

avrdude: Recv: Q [51]

avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x51

avrdude done. Thank you.

Randy’s computer:

Macbook Intel processor

Mac OS 10.5.8

There are many devices plugged into the USB besides the Arduino. These include a mouse, external disk, printer, hub.

Randy’s computer, Arduino application, Tools->Serial Port

Only four options are presented for the Serial Port:

/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Modem

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-Modem

/dev/tty.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

Why only these four? None appear to be anywhere near correct.

OK, solved. (Hopefully for good.)

The problem in the end is simple: The 10.4 Mac OSX does not work.

The place I got hung up was not realizing the Arduino app only ‘builds’ its list of possible serial ports based on what’s plugging in at that instant. I had initially written down the port possibilities on paper when the Arduino was NOT plugged in. Then I walked through those ports and they all failed. I should have noticed, but didn’t, that after I had plugged in the Arduino, two other ports showed up.

So, if you are on a 10.5 Mac and choose the tty.usbmodemNNN port, it’s working.

I’ve been having an almost identical error on my win7 machine. I’ve had no problems with the FTDI based solution on the duemilanove but the atmel chip on the uno is not as friendly. I’ve tried just about everything I can think of to get code uploaded onto the uno platform but I haven’t had any positive, or even different results.