RedBoard refuses to cooperate on port selection

Development Boards Arduino
1

I’ve been away from Arduino-activity for a few years, and so am a bit overwhelmed by all the new stuff. I fired up an old project that used a RedBoard Qwic – but I can’t get it to work because, when I upload the sketch, I get a port error. Here’s the actually informative portion of the error message:

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

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

Using Port : /dev/cu.usbmodem1411

Using Programmer : arduino

Overriding Baud Rate : 115200

avrdude: ser_open(): can’t open device “/dev/cu.usbmodem1411”: No such file or directory

The error message is absolutely correct: there is no such file as avrduderc. I searched the web and found a Windows version on SourceForge, but I’m running on a Mac. What is particularly frustrating is that I had no problem using the RedBoard a few years back. Does anybody have any idea of what I’m doing wrong?

2

I may have figured out the solution to the problem. SparkFun now sells a passle of RedBoards, including one that is described as “programmed with Arduino”. This implies that the other RedBoards canNOT be programmed with the Arduino IDE. I know that I was able to program my old RedBoard with the Arduino IDE back in yesteryear, but apparently that is no longer possible. Perhaps the Arduino IDE has changed in such a way as to render the original RedBoard unprogrammable with the Arduino IDE.

If anybody can confirm or deny my suppositions, please advise.

3

I have learned some more: I tried using my desktop Mac to upload the program. The RedBoard Qwiic refused to connect: that is, when I attempted to connect, the USBmodem port normally used was not available. So I disconnected the RedBoard Qwiic and connected a standard Arduino Mega. Sure enough, the USBmodem port WAS available with the Mega connected.

The conclusion is clear: the RedBoard Qwiic refuses to talk to the Arduino IDE. So now the questions are:

  1. Is this a flaw in the Macintosh version of the Arduino IDE?

or

  1. Is this a flaw in the RedBoard?
4

I have a [SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic (DEV-15123) that I got in Oct 2020. I have been using it without issue since then on a linux system (currently Ubuntu 21.04). I was using Arduino 1.8.13 and just upgraded to 1.8.15 (both downloaded from https://www.arduino.cc/en/software) and both versions work ok.

Do you have the correct port selected in the Arduino IDE (Tools->Port)? It is quite possible it is different from the Mega even if you only have one plugged in at a time. I have that with the Redboard Qwiic vs an Elegoo UNO R3 I have.](SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic - DEV-15123 - SparkFun Electronics)

5

Thanks for the information, jfbauer. I suspect that the problem lies with the Macintosh version of the Arduino IDE.

When I use the Arduino IDE (Tools → Port) menu item, the only port it lists is the BlueTooth port. The standard USBmodem port that is normally used does appear for the Arduino Uno, the Arduino Mega, but not for the RedBoard.

6

One more tidbit of information: I tried a different USB cable and it didn’t change anything. The problem is with the RedBoard.

7

Did you [install the drivers?](RedBoard Qwiic Hookup Guide - SparkFun Learn)

8

Yes, I have installed the drivers as per the instructions on the page “Tutorials ==> How to Install FTDI Drivers”. The installation software reported that the installation was successful. I was unable to get the RedBoard working on either a Mac laptop running OS 10.13.6 or a desktop running OS 11.5.1.

I think it safe to say that the RedBoard is no longer compatible with Mac. It was once.

9

Whoa! I just noticed that you link to a different driver installation. I’ll follow through on that installation. Thanks!

10

Well, YellowDog, I followed the instructions on the page to which you linked. They didn’t work. So I went into the Terminal and followed the detailed instructions for installation, which led me down a rabbit hole. At one point, the Terminal demanded the system password – but refused to accept any keyboard input.

At this point, I am greatly tempted to dismiss the RedBoard. This situation is truly ridiculous. Apparently this is the kind of hoop-jumping that Windows people revel in, but I’ve been working with digital stuff for over forty years now, and I don’t have time to play these silly games. Perhaps I’ve just gone senile, but I think it will be easier at this point to assemble some huge monster of a board using old TTL chips than try to make sense out of the RedBoard. :lol:

Thanks for your help.

11

I am such an idiot!!! There has been a much simpler solution all along:

  1. Throw away the RedBoard Qwiic

  2. Purchase the Qwiic Shield

  3. Stick it onto a regular Arduino.

A seven-dollar solution to a twenty-hour problem.