AVR MKII Bricking Every Chip!?

[AceTK]

Hi All,

The other week I ordered 3 more 328p chips because the AVR MKII said that my existing 2 chips would not program and the arduino software gave the "not in sync" error too.  The chips arrived today and so far here is what happens:

1. Fresh 328p with uno bootloader and blink inserted into uno.
2. AVR MKII plugged into header and usb to uno connected
3. Uno pin 13 starts flashing then goes solid once AVRMKII usb is connected
4. Try to use arduino ide to use MKII to flash bootloader and get error below.
5. The 328p is now bricked and pin13 will never turn off.


"bad AVRISPmkII connection status: Unknown status 0x00 avrdude"


I have a feeling that the MKII has gone bad. So far in total I've bricked 4 chips. With 1 left I'm not sure what to do. My finger is hovering over the purchasing a new one but I thought id at least get everyone elses take on what it might be.

Thanks

[fungus]

With 1 left I'm not sure what to do.

Put it in the Arduino and set it up for "Arduino as ISP" then put one of the others in a breadboard and check it out.

[AceTK]

Ok connected and done. How should I check it out it still seems to be jammed with pin13 on?

[CrossRoads]

Do you have the MKii drivers installed? They are buried in the IDE folders.
You also have to power the board when using it, the MKii only senses the voltage on the ICSP header, it does not provide power.

[retrolefty]

Do you have the MKii drivers installed? They are buried in the IDE folders.
You also have to power the board when using it, the MKii only senses the voltage on the ICSP header, it does not provide power.

I though only drivers for the various USB serial converter chips where included in the IDE standard disturbution. Are you sure USB drivers are included to support the various hardware programmer supported by the IDE (other then arduinoISP sketch of course)?

I know I had to find and download a USB driver for my USBtiny hardware programmer.

Lefty

[AceTK]

Do you have the MKii drivers installed? They are buried in the IDE folders.
You also have to power the board when using it, the MKii only senses the voltage on the ICSP header, it does not provide power.

Hi yes drivers installed and yes both had power from separate usb cables. The unit was working fine the other week and I was handling chips to and from the breadboard to the uno board and then I tried to flash one and it did the error so I thought hmm maybe I bust it touching the pins too many times and caused problematic electrostatic discharges to the pins so I tried another chip and that broke too. At the time I thought it was the chips and maybe id static damaged two chips. The new chips arrive and think right il be extra careful and not touch any pins and ground myself only to find that I break another 2 chips aggghh lol. So yeah I figured if the chips are no longer reading in the uno either now they must need the high voltage programmer, a working mkii to bring them back or they are nerfed.

[fungus]

Ok connected and done. How should I check it out it still seems to be jammed with pin13 on?

Do a 'burn bootloader'...

[fungus]

You also have to power the board when using it, the MKii only senses the voltage on the ICSP header, it does not provide power.

That could be very bad if it happened. With nothing on the +5 line the power could be getting in through one of the I/O pins, in which case it will switch on/off as you send data. Corruption will surely follow...

I assume another USB cable to the Arduino board would fix this.

[CrossRoads]

That could be very bad if it happened.

With my MKii, the status light goes Red until the board is powered, it will not allow programming until board power is applied.

I often have an FTDI Basic connected with power coming from USB cable when I am bootloading via MKii.
I bootload, then download a sketch to make sure both ICSP & Serial interfaces are working.

[AceTK]

Ok I thought it had copied the ArduinoISP sketch as the lights flashed and it stopped blinking but looking back at the output it shows

Binary sketch size: 5,444 bytes (of a 30,720 byte maximum)
Binary sketch size: 5,444 bytes (of a 30,720 byte maximum)
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0xf9

I think perhaps the AVR MKII has damaged the arduino board too or vice versa. Both did exactly the same thing and worked till I tried to program then nothing happens with an error but the chip gets nerfed.

Well that was my last chip so now I'm going to try using just the AVRMKII with a nerfed 328p on the breadboard.