Hello all, I am currently working with an ADXL377 accelerometer and I am curious if anyone knows what happens when the accelerometer is damaged or fried. I was installing standoffs to my breakout board and used a drill to slightly expand the standoff holes on the adxl board. When I turned my prototype that includes the adxl on, everything else worked fine but the accelerometer was reading 200g for all axes. Does this mean the unit is damaged or is there another possible explanation? I can post pictures if needed.
You may have cut through a trace while drilling, that would cause the board to not function correctly.
Dropping the sensor onto a hard surface can also cause the board to not work correctly. 
When you say trace, are you referring to the circuit connecting the adxl to the other pieces on the breakout board? I checked for any circuitry around the holes I widened and I thought I was safe. Lesson learned I suppose!
Also, is it normal for the adxl to read 200g if it is damaged or not functioning properly?
That is one possible failure mode. The symptom suggests that the ground connection is broken on the board, or somewhere in the wiring.
Yes, traces are the printed wires on the surface and sometimes below the surface (invisible) that connect the various components on the board. Cutting one or short circuiting a trace will generally cause some sort of malfunction.
The board always reading 200g is abnormal unless you’re subjecting it to 200g and would be an indication that something is wrong.