Device missing or unknown device (-24)

[pomprocker]

I know this is a common topic, but everyone's situation is different.

Suddenly last night after uploading code and testing it out to work good. I went to write more code and program again and I got the infamous error message, without touching anything! (fuses, electronics, etc..)

The robot runs just fine. I went over the programming pins with a dmm and its all good. I did not change ANY settings in ponyprog, I have it all set up perfect. Battery is charged 100%

What the hell?

[pomprocker]

I hit ignore, and it writes and verifies. But at the end it says "Write Failed!"

[Admin]

I got the infamous error message, without touching anything!

So the error came *before* you pushed program?

The robot runs just fine.

So you got the error, but then the robot still works?

Perhaps a loose connection caused a temporary short?

Restart windows?

[pomprocker]

Well obvisouly the error came after selecting 'write all' like i usually do.

no the robot is still programmed from the previous time about 5 minutes earlier.

of course i blamed windows first. still not working.

[pomprocker]

i put the atmega8 in there and can't program it either.

so since I checked the programming header on the board to be OK

I suspect the programmer cable. do those suddenly go bad?

[Admin]

not a clue . . .

i'm still thinking there was a temporary short somewhere, something jostled just enough to cause a temporary short . . . this kind of short is almost impossible to find with a multimeter . . .

[pomprocker]

at any rate what i dont have to test with is another programmer, so i set aside my serial dongle and ordered an avrisp2 mkII

and if that don't work i'm ordering an axon, cause i'm tired of fooling with my horribly soldered $50 robot board. its delaying my talents here.

[pomprocker]

Yeah I think it was a phantom short somewhere.

Anyway, I unsoldered my 2x5 header and hooked up a 2x3 header for the avrisp mkII.

I also broke out the pins for port B and hooked it up to unregulated power, for use of more servos.

So it is able to be programmed again with the mkII.