General Question about USB and wearables

[krizb2]

I have used the Flora and Gemma (as well as a Lilypad), and am able to code, upload, and run the code just fine. But EVERY time eventually it stops uploading and I get errors. The USB connection stops working. Sometimes a reboot will work, but most often it is just done. I have switched USB cables, computers, and still have had this happen. The reason I got into coding wearables was to introduce it to my daughter and get her coding, but after this frustration with this every time, I will not show it to her. I have checked the errors and it seems I am not alone in this issue. Why does this happen and what are the options for the USB drivers and communication so it doesn't continue to happen? (I can look up the exact errors, but this is so common I would be surprised if someone doesn't know what I am talking about.)

[caitlinsdad]

Sorry that you are having difficulties with your programming. It seems that that USB 3 on newer computers and the changing standards between USB 2.0 and 3 have caused some issues with older boards communicating over USB for programming, especially with upgraded versions of the Arduino IDE. If you don't have an older USB 2.0 port on your computer to connect to, an external usb2.0 hub used as a passthru from the board to the computer helps. With the Gemma, because it uses a different controller chip, sometimes it helps to hit the reset button on the board to get it to blink red to so it is in bootloader mode. That takes a bit of fiddling to find the right time to press reset when the IDE is ready to upload the sketch after compiling.

Maybe consider getting a Circuit Playground Express board for your daughter, and learn to use MakeCode or CircuitPython. It is so much easier to use and avoid the issues you have in the arduino environment. Good luck.

[Disciple]

I've scarcely scratched the world of wearables, but the experience of simply carrying USB devices around my neck taught me that wearable electronics can suffer...well, wear. Perspiration corrodes, lint and dander fouls connectors, display screens get scratches. A human being can be a harsh environment. I don't know if any of this is relevant to your experience, but I thought it bore mentioning. Best of success.

Hallelujah!
Disciple