Arduino Uno on OSX 10.8.4 com port not detected (Error 5005)

[spacetime]

Hi,

I am using  Arduino Uno with 32-bit Labview 2011 on a Macbook pro. When I use the basic example of RGB LED, I get Error 5005: unable to find Arduino (attached screenshot). I checked the block diagram and tried to add the com port of Arduino to the visa resource terminal of init.vi but it caused Labview to freeze (attached screenshot). Am I missing something or doing something wrong? I installed LIFA using NI-VISA as explained on the NI website, and Arduino seems to work fine with the Arduino software. Is there anyway to check if Labview can see Arduino at all? I am using a USB cable to connect Ardunio to my laptop. I am new to Arduino and Labview and am really enjoying my inventor's kit! I am eager to soon start using Labview instead of the Arduino software.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Nathan_B.]

When you wire a constant to the Init.vi for the COM port, you need to specify which COM port to use.  Currently, you have an empty COM port wired to Init.vi which will certainly give errors.  You should be able to click on the drop down arrow on the constant and see a list of available COM ports.  If the port that your Arduino is on does not show up then we need to figure out why.

I'm told you should be able to see the Arduino's COM port in the Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX).  So, if selecting the correct COM port in the drop down doesn't work or the COM port does not exist in the drop down, check MAX to see if LabVIEW is seeing it as accessible.

However, one thing that I don't see in your post is if you are successfully able to upload the LIFA firmware to the Arduino using the Arduino IDE.  One way that I would test is to upload the simple Blink example in the Arduino IDE to make sure that the Arduino is successfully receiving code.  Then, if that works, upload the LIFA firmware and make sure that it completes successfully.

[spacetime]

Thanks for the response, Nathan.

1. My main problem is that I am unable to select a COM port. When I click on the drop-down arrow on the "constant" wired to the VISA resource in init.vi, Labview crashes.

2. I could successfully upload LIFA firmware to Arduino.

3. Basic examples such as blinking LEDs work fine in Arduino IDE.

4. MAX is not available on the Mac version of labview; however, there is something called DAQbase_mx which is similar in functionality to MAX. I haven't used it though.

I can't understand why labview doesn't let me select the COM port..  Thanks for your help.

[Nathan_B.]

If it doesn't show up in the drop down then LabVIEW can't see it.  However, I may have to stop trying to help as it seems it might be specific to Mac.  My last suggestion, which may be a shot in the dark, is to re-install NI VISA.

Good Luck.

[spacetime]

Actually,  I haven't been able to get NI-VISA to work. NI-VISA configuration app freezes on the initializing window. I have NI-VISA 5.4 running on Mac OSX 10.8.4. It seems that some people have had the same issue (http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/NI-VISA-freezes-when-initializing/td-p/247165...). Is this also a mac issue?