Arduino - Multiple values changing when only one analogue input in being changed

Question

I am building a simple volume control surface using an Arduino plus a few potentiometers (slide and knob). I am following the guide found here.

Essentially this is the guide for wiring everything up:

I followed it all exactly as it is above and when I starting testing the sliders connected I found this: Sliders connected to A1, A2, A3 and A4 are working exactly as expected when observing them in the serial monitor. However when I move the slide on A0 it changes the value for itself (A0) and A1. Below is screenshot of serial montinor with values shown for pins A0 - A4 from left to right (not only slider A0 is turned up physically):

I tried using a different set of pins on the Arduino, from A3 - A7, same issue.

Here is how I have hooked it up:

1. I paid close attention to connect 5V to all the tabs marked "1" in on my slider pots and the data pins are hooked up to the tabs labelled "2".
2. Ground connected to all tabs marked "3"
3. Although its hard to see on the photo, The ground wire does go across all the way at the bottom and there is a connection from the rotatory potentiometer's ground (left tab) to the common ground wire.

Parts I used:

• https://za.rs-online.com/web/p/potentiometers/7377795
• https://za.rs-online.com/web/p/potentiometers/2499238/

I use this simple code to program the Arduino and monitor the values changing as I'm adjusting the sliders.

Could it be that my Arduino is a bit defective or my pins are bridged somehow? I did hook it up wrong the first time cause I followed the photo and did not pay attention to the labels on the sliders and only noticed the ones I bought has the pins 1 and 2 flipped. But I doubt that will have caused damage.

Answer 1

Reversing pins 1 and 2 will almost surely burn out any slide pot that is moved from somewhere in the middle to "all the way down". That's probably what happened.

You can confirm by connecting only the +5 and GND and measuring the voltages on the pot wipers (that would normally go to the Arduino) with respect to ground.

You may also be able to detect the characteristic smell of charred phenolic.