Hey, I have been using my Nerdkit now for a couple weeks and am loving it. Went through all the tutorials, built motor control, servo control, etc. Haven't had any problems. Now, suddenly I am getting the following error no matter what program I try to load in:

C:\Eclipse\Microcontrollers\ATMega168-20PU\trafficlight>make
avrdude -c avr109 -p m168 -b 115200 -P COM3 -U flash:w:trafficlight.hex:a

Connecting to programmer: .
Found programmer: Id = "FDL v02"; type = S
    Software Version = 0.2; No Hardware Version given.
Programmer supports auto addr increment.
Programmer supports buffered memory access with buffersize=128 bytes.

Programmer supports the following devices:
    Device code: 0x35

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: NOTE: FLASH memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed

         To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "trafficlight.hex"
avrdude: input file trafficlight.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: writing flash (10216 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 1.54s

avrdude: 10216 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against trafficlight.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file trafficlight.hex:
avrdude: input file trafficlight.hex auto detected as Intel Hex
avrdude: input file trafficlight.hex contains 10216 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 1.77s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: verification error, first mismatch at byte 0x0000
         0x0c != 0x00
avrdude: verification error; content mismatch

avrdude done.  Thank you.

make: *** [trafficlight-upload] Error 1

Now, when I throw on the AVR ISP MKII programmer (I know my wiring is correct as I can use another ATMEGA168 chip and everything works) and try to read the Device ID, or lock or fuse bits (or anything), I get:

"Unable to enter programming mode. Verify interface settings, target power and connections to the target device"
"Failed to enter programming mode, ispEnterProgMode: Error status received: Got 0xc0, expected 0x00"

Does this mean my chip got wrecked? Is it a throw away?

Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Hmm, found another post in the forum here that I didn't see before posting my first one. I have done all the same things and everything is fine except for the MCU. I just wanted to double check that an MCU can just corrupt like that.

Just the cost of having fun I guess. Loving this stuff!!

Yup, I have a number of dead mcu's with no real concrete explanation why they died!

I can guess at over voltage or shorts but I really don't know, same for LCD's I have trashed a couple of them also,

again for no explicit reason.

Ralph