Programming Arduino MKR Zero

I'm having a lot of trouble programming Arduino MKR Zero boards. I've had two boards that would not connect to USB at all, and two more that worked initially and then stopped working.

I think that I need to upload a new bootloader onto the MKR Zero boards, but I don't know how to do that.

The processor in the MKR Zero board is an ATSAMD21G18A-48, and I don't know what programming device is needed. In the Ardunino IDE, when I select one the programmers that I have, and then click on "burn bootloader", the dialogue box just says
"Arduino: 1.8.9 (Windows 7), Board: "Arduino MKRZERO"
Please select a programmer from Tools->Programmer menu"
even though I have selected a programmer.
The only programmers that have a different error message are:-

Atmel EDBG
Atmel-ICE
Atmel SAM-ICE

where the Arduino IDE gives and error message saying the programmer can't be found, which is what I would expect as I don't have any of those.

Do I need one of those three? How do I go about reloading the bootloader?

You shouldn't go burning boot loaders - have you installed the boards correctly in the Arduino IDE?, there will be plenty of instructions how to use the boards on-line, have you followed those?.

Nigel Goodwin said:

You shouldn't go burning boot loaders - have you installed the boards correctly in the Arduino IDE?, there will be plenty of instructions how to use the boards on-line, have you followed those?.

Click to expand...

Well I think that it's only three boards that aren't working. I think that two arrived dead, and one stopped working, possibly a faulty USB cable caused the programming of the sketch to go wrong.

I agree that we shouldn't have to burn bootloaders, but we have three MKR Zero Arduinos that aren't recognised by a PC when plugged into the USB port, and other working ones that are. On the working ones, we can program the sketch without any difficulty, and the Arduinos work fine, once program bugs have been fixed, so it seems that the Arduino IDE is installed on the PC correctly.

I have had something similar with PICkit2 programmers. The first one I bought arrived with no bootloader, which Microchip admitted to, and I got it working by burning the bootloader with an ICD2. I have also had PICkit2s stop working, and a new bootloader burning on them, using another PICkit2. I had assumed that the issue with the MKR Zero boards was something like that.

Have you installed the board driver?? The SAMD 32bit boards are an addon... I'm sure you have done, but I just need to throw it out there..

One other thing.. Check the core against the build... Some builds only work with certain cores...

Ian Rogers said:

Have you installed the board driver?? The SAMD 32bit boards are an addon... I'm sure you have done, but I just need to throw it out there..

One other thing.. Check the core against the build... Some builds only work with certain cores...

Click to expand...

On some MKR Zeros, the PC talks to them fine. I think that means the drivers are installed OK. Others just don't appear when I plug them in the USB port.

Diver300 said:

On some MKR Zeros, the PC talks to them fine. I think that means the drivers are installed OK. Others just don't appear when I plug them in the USB port.

Click to expand...

I use the Teensy3.6 with the MK66 micro... It will only work on 3 or 4 builds of the Arduino.. I'm using 1.8.8 and it seems to work with my chipkitMax as well.. But I know some Arduino builds are awkward..

I'm using Arduino 1.8.8
I was looking for ways to reload the bootloader on the ATSAMD21G18A-48 that powers the MKR Zero board.

https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=401301.0
This topic is being discussed on the Arduino forum... There may be a new core ( .json) available..

Well following this thread, I was inspired to order one - it came today, and after following the instructions for adding it to the Arduino IDE it programs and works perfectly.

Nigel Goodwin said:

Well following this thread, I was inspired to order one - it came today, and after following the instructions for adding it to the Arduino IDE it programs and works perfectly.

Click to expand...

Most of the ones we have work fine. We've been making use of the MCP2515 CAN shield.

David Johnson-Davies recently described a procedure to burn the ATSAM21 bootloader in a blog entry; Minimal ATSAM21 Computer

Mike - K8LH said:

David Johnson-Davies recently described a procedure to burn the ATSAM21 bootloader in a blog entry; Minimal ATSAM21 Computer

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for that. As I had some working MKR Zeros, I used this LINK to program from a micro SD card, and I've revived the three MKR Zeros.

That actual programming took a second or two.

Happy to hear you got those boards working again...

Would anyone with an MKRZERO consider helping me out by burning the bootloader onto some 'D21E samples I've got coming? I've also ordered the adapter boards (see below) which should show up in a few weeks.

Cheerful regards, Mike

I could do that for you if you want. Send me a PM.