Arduino Nano33 BLE Sense Serial Port Locked by Processing

Hello,

I’m a self-certified newbie. I was working on the example at https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/06/24/machine-vision-with-low-cost-camera-modules/. Unfortunately, Camera Pattern was not displayed by Processing. I closed Arduino IDE (and Processing window was dismissed thereafter). I rechecked the pin connections and did not discover anything incorrect.

Now when I launch Arduino IDE, Processing is launched too without any manual operation. To make matters worse, Arduino can no longer upload code via /dev/ttyACM0 - the only active serial port on the desktop seems to be permanently enjoined to Processing. Dismissing Processing window, closes Arduino IDE.

How can I stop Processing from being launched (and locking up the serial port) whenever I want to work on Arduino IDE? Thanks for any suggestion.

Kind regards.

What OS are you using? My first suggestion is to restart the system. Simple but if it works, it is a good start. Another suggestion is to check the running tasks in the background (On Windows use the task manager, on Linux ps -ef could do the trick) and see if you identify a processing task (very likely it will be named something like Java Platform Binary SE if you don’t see the name of the sketch.

I also recommend to use a simpler example if possible when starting. For example, echoing commands that you send to your arduino. In other words, you send a byte to your arduino and your unit send it back and you catch it with your same code. This is always a good start and it helps in troubleshooting. Finally, I suggest you explore related issue via Google by tagging searches with :processing.org which increases your chances to explore previous posts in this and previous forum versions.

Kf

@kfrajer,

Thanks for your reply. At the risk of sounding impolite (you were kind enough to field the question), your reply implies that you have not encountered the issue previously.

My apologies for not describing the issue with greater clarity. The fact that nobody else has reported the issue implies some configuration issue at my end.

Kind regards.

Hi @baqwas. Arduino IDE was developed from Processing IDE. They have not been fully separated because on Windows occasionally one offers to save a sketch in the other’s sketchbook. You are using Mac? or RPi? Maybe they are less separated there?

This is might not be your ideal, but if all else fails: Use text editor (I use Notepad++ on Windows) for Arduino sketch, command line to compile and load. I can show you bat file for PC, we’d have to adapt it for Mac. I’ve done some of this as I use command line on RPi to load hex file to Arduino.

Hello @RichardDL,

Thanks for your feedback and advice. I’m using Ubuntu 20.04 and Arduino v1.18.12 with straightforward vanilla installations and a single USB port. Arduino CLI is an option that I’ll consider thanks to you but somewhere “some ex-Sun Microsystems code” needs a bug fix, IMHO, on account of this undocumented feature (trust that you understand the intentional euphemism here)! Also, VS Code does not have an issue with sketch code upload - only Arduino IDE on account of the automatic launch of Processing that then locks up the only serial port to the Nano33.

I have other sub-optimal workarounds but these would not emulate the Arduino’s Dominic Sajak introductory tutorial which was my original intent. I reported the issue here with the naive assumption that others would have encountered it too. Apparently not! So the issue is truly at my end.

Appreciate your feedback. Thanks again.

Kind regards.