So i purchased a cheap atmega2560 off ebay. Uploaded the first sketch and boom, the board no longer responds to any upload attempt. Got another board thinking it was a bad board, and the same thing happened. Well I assume the bootloader must have been bad or something so i'm trying to write the bootloader using an uno and i've run in to some problems. I am trying to use the method found here: http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=11635 . This look promising. it is able to find and identify the board. and it looks like it erases properly and then says it writes properly but when it verifies the data in the boot loader memory is just filled with incrementing values see below for what i'm seeing. so while it thinks it writes the bootloader it is obviously failing. anyone know what might be going wrong, or a better way to write the bootloader. I'm really hoping that i don't have two dead boards that i've never been able to use.
Attempting to enter ICSP programming mode ...
Entered programming mode OK.
Signature = 0x1E 0x98 0x01
Processor = ATmega2560
Flash memory size = 262144 bytes.
LFuse = 0xFF
HFuse = 0xFE
EFuse = 0xFC
Lock byte = 0x00
Clock calibration = 0x00
Bootloader address = 0x3E000
Bootloader length = 7474 bytes.
Type 'Q' to quit, 'V' to verify, or 'G' to program the chip with the bootloader ...
Clearing 'Divide clock by 8' fuse bit.
Fixing low fuse setting ...
Programming mode off.
Attempting to enter ICSP programming mode ...
Entered programming mode OK.
Erasing chip ...
Writing bootloader ...
Committing page starting at 0x3E000
Committing page starting at 0x3E100
Committing page starting at 0x3E200
Committing page starting at 0x3E300
Committing page starting at 0x3E400
Committing page starting at 0x3E500
Committing page starting at 0x3E600
Committing page starting at 0x3E700
Committing page starting at 0x3E800
Committing page starting at 0x3E900
Committing page starting at 0x3EA00
Committing page starting at 0x3EB00
Committing page starting at 0x3EC00
Committing page starting at 0x3ED00
Committing page starting at 0x3EE00
Committing page starting at 0x3EF00
Committing page starting at 0x3F000
Committing page starting at 0x3F100
Committing page starting at 0x3F200
Committing page starting at 0x3F300
Committing page starting at 0x3F400
Committing page starting at 0x3F500
Committing page starting at 0x3F600
Committing page starting at 0x3F700
Committing page starting at 0x3F800
Committing page starting at 0x3F900
Committing page starting at 0x3FA00
Committing page starting at 0x3FB00
Committing page starting at 0x3FC00
Committing page starting at 0x3FD00
Written.
Verifying ...
Verification error at address 3E000. Got: 0x00 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E001. Got: 0x00 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E002. Got: 0x01 Expected: 0x89
Verification error at address 3E003. Got: 0x01 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E004. Got: 0x02 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E005. Got: 0x02 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E006. Got: 0x03 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E007. Got: 0x03 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E008. Got: 0x04 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E009. Got: 0x04 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E00A. Got: 0x05 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E00B. Got: 0x0B Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E00C. Got: 0x06 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E00D. Got: 0x06 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E00E. Got: 0x07 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E00F. Got: 0x07 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E010. Got: 0x08 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E011. Got: 0x08 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E012. Got: 0x09 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E013. Got: 0x09 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E014. Got: 0x0A Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E015. Got: 0x0A Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E016. Got: 0x16 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E017. Got: 0x0B Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E018. Got: 0x0C Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E019. Got: 0x0C Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E01A. Got: 0x0D Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E01B. Got: 0x0D Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E01C. Got: 0x0E Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E01D. Got: 0x0E Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E01E. Got: 0x0F Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E01F. Got: 0x0F Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E020. Got: 0x10 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E021. Got: 0x10 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E022. Got: 0x11 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E023. Got: 0x11 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E024. Got: 0x24 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E025. Got: 0x12 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E026. Got: 0x13 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E027. Got: 0x13 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E028. Got: 0x14 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E029. Got: 0x14 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E02A. Got: 0x15 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E02B. Got: 0x15 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E02C. Got: 0x16 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E02D. Got: 0x16 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E02E. Got: 0x17 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E02F. Got: 0x17 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E030. Got: 0x18 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E031. Got: 0x18 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E032. Got: 0x32 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E033. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E034. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E035. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E036. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E037. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E038. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E039. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E03A. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E03B. Got: 0xFF Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E03C. Got: 0x1E Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E03D. Got: 0x1E Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E03E. Got: 0x1F Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E03F. Got: 0x1F Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E040. Got: 0x20 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E041. Got: 0x20 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E042. Got: 0x21 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E043. Got: 0x42 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E044. Got: 0x22 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E045. Got: 0x22 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E046. Got: 0x23 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E047. Got: 0x23 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E048. Got: 0x24 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E049. Got: 0x24 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E04A. Got: 0x25 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E04B. Got: 0x25 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E04C. Got: 0x26 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E04D. Got: 0x26 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E04E. Got: 0x27 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E04F. Got: 0x27 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E050. Got: 0x28 Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E051. Got: 0x50 Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E052. Got: 0x29 Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E053. Got: 0x29 Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E054. Got: 0x2A Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E055. Got: 0x2A Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E056. Got: 0x2B Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E057. Got: 0x2B Expected: 0xF1
Verification error at address 3E058. Got: 0x2C Expected: 0x0D
Verification error at address 3E059. Got: 0x2C Expected: 0x94
Verification error at address 3E05A. Got: 0x2D Expected: 0xB2
Verification error at address 3E05B. Got: 0x2D Expected: 0xF1
7417 verification error(s).
Please someone out there help me.