Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

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aiki
 
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Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by aiki »

Hi all,

I tried booting up my new Raspberry Pi today and am having a problem. The red power LED is on, but nothing else happens. No green ACT light, no HDMI or RCA video... nothing. The SD card is appears to not be readable, or is not being read.

Before posting, I saw TerryB's thread from yesterday - my problem sounds just like his. I've also taken a look at the symptoms page. Here's what I've done to troubleshoot the problem:
  • Tried both HDMI and RCA video output.
  • Multiple chargers, all rated at 5v and > 1A.
  • A couple of different micro USB cables.
  • Seated and reseated the SD card.
  • Verified that the SD card is readable on my PC and contains the Wheezy image (I'm using a pre-imaged card from Adafruit).
  • Powered up with no peripherals attached (e.g. keyboard/mouse).
The only things I haven't tried are testing the voltage across TP1/TP2 (can't find my old multimeter). I also haven't tried another SD card as I don't have one that's 2GB or larger (until now I've been a CF kinda guy).

At this point I believe that the RPi may be source of the problem, but I want to make sure I've done everything I can do before requesting a replacement. Any suggestions?
Thanks

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modeller
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by modeller »

Man, I have to ask this , since I've been reading the forums for a while ...

Are these Rasp. Pis reliable/built well? I've seen a lot of reports of failures.

aiki
 
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Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:32 am

Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by aiki »

Quick update. I found my multimeter (analog) and tested the voltage across TP1/2. It was just under 5V with on charger, and just over 5V with the other one. Nothing on the ACT light.

matt_adafruit
 

Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by matt_adafruit »

Actually, these are very reliable for the price. We encourage anyone facing any difficulties with their Pi to post them here for the technical support engineers so that we can all benefit from the collective knowledge. As a result, any forum with troubleshooting emphasizes the issues over the non-issues. (Most folks are too busy having fun with their Pi!) I have 2 256MB and 1 512MB Model B and they have given me no problems despite my abuse of them. Just make sure you get them in a case as they are more sensitive than Arduino boards because there are more layers stacked in there.

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

First of all, a big Thank You and a Tip o' The Adafruit Hat for going through all those diagnostics before contacting us! It's wonderfully helpful :D

So, it isn't sounding too good for the Pi. One question - did you check the SD card contacts for 'springiness', as suggested in the troubleshooting page? I'm not asking you to fix it - it's just for our information.
Look at the SD card holder on the Raspberry Pi carefully. At first glance it may look fine but the contacts must be springy and they must protrude at least 2mm as measured from the lower edge of the holder to the top of the contact bulge.
Email [email protected] with a link to this thread, and ask them for a replacement Pi.

aiki
 
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Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:32 am

Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by aiki »

I didn't check specifically for springiness, but I did try powering up while pressing gently on the SD card, both from the end (to check seating), and from the bottom (for contacts).

Thanks.

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry Pi - No SD Activity, No video

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

OK - that ought to cover it. Thanks.

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