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My lovely RaspberryPi is dead...

e14 Contributor

I was so looking forward to it and I was pleasantly surprised how the  RaspBMC from the NOOBS package worked, I have even bought a wireless  keyboard for it ( http://www.totalhtpc.com/logitech-k400r-wireless-touch-keyboard-review/ ) but...

 

The problem started about a week ago, when I had to unplug  everything to get the image going, as it was all stuck. Several reboots  and it started working again but all that unplugging and plugging it  back again - maybe it was the electricity somehow damaging some of the  HDMI/composite circuitry?

 

I can see  that it is powered up (there is red light inside) but neither HDMI, not  Composite cables give me any image whatsoever, on the TV.

 

I  have reformatted and copied the NOOBS files to the SD card, as  described on your pages - but I get no system booting in any way. Not a  flicker of an image on my TV.

 

The SD card seems OK, as I have dealt with it in my laptop without a problem.

 

I also tried other OSs, like RaspBMC alone, as well as OpenELEC. Alas, to no avail. The same applies.

 

I have tried different ports and different cables. Not a squeak.

 

Therefore, I must conclude it is the HW that is faulty.

 

Please, instruct me how to return the Pi to you.

 

A refund is preferable to "repair and return", at this point. No response from "sales" at Fernell, sadly... Just forwarded it to the other email...

 

========================================

 

In addition, I hope this might help a bit...

 

I  have read that Pi  might be susceptible to varying voltage/electricity problems. I have a  Belkin safety multiple extension cord, with serious protection against  electricity surges. So, can it still be an electrical mishap?

 

Or is it simply the power supply issue, as some here have suggested, in which case we would need a really good one, properly advertised here and on sales website...

 

May  I also suggest a ON/OFF switch, as a good idea, which may go  a certain  way towards preventing this from occurring. I understand that it only  uses very little electricity but I think this is beside the point.  Sometimes my NAS would not go to "Standby" mode after 10 minutes as I  set it up because it seems that RaspBMC could have been queering it?

 

Not  sure what exactly went wrong but I can see quite clearly that both HW  and SW improvements are possible. I would urge you to contact the patent  holders ASAP, in order to make the Mark III...

 

Best regards,

 

gorski

 

P.S. Anyone with multiple HDMI switches experience? I have this one in my mind: http://www.amazon.it/Ligawo-%C2%AE-switch-attivo-automaticamente/dp/B002I9LH2Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382270091&sr=8-1&keywords=ligawo+5x1

  • in reply to DAFlippers

    Just signed up to say thank you for the advice given in this post.

     

    My Pi had been working absolutely fine running RaspBMC and suddenly stopped working. I was getting a power light but no card activity. I tried formatting the card and different power supplies with no joy. But after reading your post I tried pushing on the SD card while powering the device on and the activity light starting flashing! I'm so happy it's not dead as I've only had it about a month and it was a birthday present from my wife image I'm guessing if it happens again a slight nudge upwards with a small screwdriver is all that is needed?

  • in reply to e14 Contributor

    Stuart Luscombe wrote:

     

    Just signed up to say thank you for the advice given in this post.

     

    My Pi had been working absolutely fine running RaspBMC and suddenly stopped working. I was getting a power light but no card activity. I tried formatting the card and different power supplies with no joy. But after reading your post I tried pushing on the SD card while powering the device on and the activity light starting flashing! I'm so happy it's not dead as I've only had it about a month and it was a birthday present from my wife I'm guessing if it happens again a slight nudge upwards with a small screwdriver is all that is needed?

    A piece of thick paper or thin cardboard might help.  But be careful -- the SD card socket is pretty fragile.

  • I'm a rpi guy too, but in my summer house I had a wee Android stick, USB powered to run the bedroom entertainment center.  Crummy power out there, big boxes are all on giant filters followed by big UPSs.  Line glitch like usual, blew the little PS and compy clear into the next life.  When I de-couch to set it back up again I will put a fuse and bead in series, a 5.6 or 6.2 biggie Zener in shunt along with a biggy Shottky.

  • in reply to D_Hersey

    Stands to reason as a good measure - could you photograph/document it, please?

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    CN1 F1 F2 ZD1 SD1 FB1 CN2

     

    connector one, one fuse is plastic (self resetting) and the other is metal so it goes kablooee! make it a slightly higher value, Zener diode or maybe super Zener, Shottky diodes lower drop shunts forward Zener drop, FB, make sure not saturated by DC bias!, connector two

     

    DO NOT SCALE THIS DESIGN UP! -- next regime requires crowbar

     

    excuse ascii-cad

     

    values after coffee

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    image

    This is a super-Zener.  The industry hasn't been marketing power Zeners since my son was born.  I'm a grandpa.  Obviously this only apes the Zener in reverse breakdown mode, so this must be paralleled by the power Shottky.  BV(breakdown potential) is Vz+c. 0.6V, 1.2 for Darlington.

    Not all rpi setups are the same.  3.5W seems to be a max for the board alone, we could use 10W for our design-point, implying a flow of 2 Amperes.

    In an extreme stress event, this device only has to be robust (must be?) enough to live 'til the fuse rides to the rescue.  Moderate situations could have it warming up some without blowing (activating?) the fuse.

  • For the connectors, if one has reason not to mess about w/ usb pcb connectors, he could use screw-terminals and simply snip a pass-through cord about the middle, so long as he reckoning upon and implemented stout strain-reliefs.

    Since one isn't using all of the wires,one has to be careful in treating the unused ones.  If you have to construct your own lumpy bit to cover over a connection or something, one can make a little mold and fill it with silicone RTV intended for electrical application.

    Meltable and fusable inner-core heat-shrink is often available at the boat supply store, in a pinch.

    Looking at the details of it, in this low-low-power situation, the plastic fuse might not be appropriate.  It would require that we always use minimally half the power of our max drain.  So let's skip it.

    One fuse that might work is a Littelfuse 0251002.MRT1L

    leave on some of its leads and use a heatsink close to the body of the device.  This is an ultimately thermally-activated device.

    let's use a TIP31C for our power Q.  An itsy-bitsy TO-220 heatsink nudges it closer to its DS rep.

    It would be a pretty tight clip with a 4.7 V Zener at the helm.

    1N5821 is a leaded Shottky diode rated at 3A continuous with a 30V reverse breakdown potential.  Seems to be the commodity part.

  • This circuit should offer pretty-good ESD protection.

     

    I haven't described our bead.  We want slow-mix, and we only want to half-saturate at 3A dc.  Lunch time, I'll be back with a p/n.

  • fair-rite 2773009111 would be workin' hard, but it would probably work.

     

    Nothin' says we can't bulk up with a little bulk capacitance across the supply.  Maybe some e-lytic water-towers, some MLCC for speed.  I don't recommend tantalum for reasons of conscience.