Upload the Blink Program to the Arduino Board

1. Press the upload button to upload the Blink program to the Arduino board.
2. Notice that the Arduino software says “Done uploading” in the blue bar at the bottom of the screen.

STEM Connections

You are viewing the Blink code on the computer. The code has not yet been translated into machine code or sent to the Arduino board. At this point, the USB cable is simply providing power to the Arduino board. The upload button will cause the Arduino software to turn the Blink code into machine code and send the Blink program to the Arduino board. After the upload is complete, the Arduino board will begin carrying out the instructions contained in the Blink program. Once this code is uploaded, the code lives on the Arduino board and will remain there until new code is uploaded. Any changes made to the code on the computer must be uploaded in order for the change to occur on your Arduino board.

“done compiling” is not the same as “done uploading”

1. Be sure to click the “upload” button, not the “compile” button

“error compiling”

1. Try clicking ‘upload’ again.
2. If you accidentally added or deleted code and are not sure what you did, you can press Ctrl+Z 2. to undo what you previously had done.
3. Close all windows and open the Blink code again, then upload again.

“problem uploading to board”

1. Be sure the port is connected to the right COM# (refer to (b) Connect the Arduino Board to the Arduino Software)
2. Unplug and re-plug the USB cable (maybe even try a different USB port if available) and try uploading again.
3. Disconnect all wires from the Arduino board, unplug and re-/plug the USB cable, close all Arduino windows and open Blink code again, upload again.

1. Anytime we upload/download we are transferring information from one device to another. Once we upload the Blink code, the code lives on the Arduino board.
2. Continuing the texting analogy, ask “once our text is written, what do we do?” We need to hit send in order for our message to be delivered to the other person. Likewise, we need to press the upload button to “send” our code to the Arduino board.