Building my first MPGuino: Help?
 

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This thread was originally made to help me troubleshoot building my own mpguino but has now turned into my mpguino install thread. Hope you enjoy.




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You have all the parts right. The wiki has a link to some out of date software about 75% down, says something like "You must use version 0011 or it won't fit", but that isn't applicable for your Uno R3 because it has a bigger ROM (atmega328 vs 128). You could use it and it would work fine, but there's newer code available. This is a link to the latest code:

http://opengauge.googlecode.com/svn/...no/mpguino.cpp

To install it on your device, download the arduino software from here:

Arduino - Software

Once you have it open, copy and past the code into your empty sketch. You'll need to change a few lines because the prebuilt MPGuinos are 20mhz instead of 16mhz like the Uno, which will skew all of your numbers if not corrected for. If you scroll down just a bit in the code you'll see the following:

"//" means the line of code isn't used, so add "//" to the 20mhz lines and remove them from the 16mhz lines so they look like the 20's did, or change the 20mhz section's values to be the same as the 16mhz section's. (that's what I did)

Make sure under "tools" you have the Uno selected as your board, and the right port (might take some trial and error if you have a bunch) and then hit Upload.

Thank you very much Ecky, i was actually hoping you would be the one to reply because you seem to be the person who has most recently build and troubleshooted one of these. I will follow you directions to a T as soon as i get my parts. Will post pictures and maybe even make a tutorial for the forum if it would be helpful. Thanks again.

No problem, I look forward to seeing your finished product!

Got everything and soldered it all up, one row of the 16x2 screen has black boxes.. powers up good tho? That ok?

I tried uploading the code to it and it verifys fine but just keeps uploading?? Like forever.. :/ The RX and TX led's aren't flashing like the tutorial said it would either. HELP!!

I know you probably have, but check your wiring again. Black boxes can be a result of one of the wires to the screen having a poor connection. I have a poor connection somewhere in mine and I get a line of black boxes if I drop it while it's plugged in.

What gauge wire did you use? If they're really small, I suppose it's possible that your poor connection lies not in your solder points but where you plug your wires into the arduino board.

As for uploading the code, you should be able to do it with a bare arduino board, you won't need the screen or wires to flash the ROM. I'll bring mine upstairs in a bit and see what it does when I flash it.

Either it just keeps uploading or i get this error code..

avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding


Yeah i took EVERYTHING off and just tried uploading the basic blink code and it wont. So discouraged. Idk what to do now? I chose the correct board and input..

I seem to remember seeing that error code and I got past it somehow. In your device manager, make sure that when your Arduino is plugged in, you have a device called "Arduino UNO R3 (COM3)" under "Ports (COM & LPT)". If not you may need to install the drivers which are in the arduino folder.

In the Arduino program please check the following: under Tools->Board have "Arduino UNO" and Tools->Port "COM3" (unless yours is COM1) selected.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6007/arduino1.png

Under "Sketch" when I click "Verify/Compile", it says:
Binary sketch size: 17072 bytes (of a 32256 byte maximum)

^ Which is good. When uploading the sketch, try hitting File->Upload, rather than File->Upload using Programmer.

So i got it all together and it works great! Only one problem, the first line of my 16x2 display is blank. So say the x's are what i want, this is what it looks like.. [ ]XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The box is where its blank.. nothing shows up there nomatter what i do.

Im hoping its a defective lcd? HELP!