Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

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jmlabs
 
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Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by jmlabs »

Hey there!

This is my first time ordering from adafruit, so I was very excited to get my Pi project up and running. Thanks for the great resource and directions.
I followed all the directions, got the Pi booting up and installed all Python libraries (and changed the settings I was supposed to), was able to SSH in, and everything! So the Pi was working.

I was able to make all solders, double checked a few times before I did any of them to make sure that I was doing it right (right wire, right place, etc). I will admit it's been a while since I've soldered but I was able to get all the T-Cobbler connections done.

When I plugged in the power the first time for the Pi, the printer started up fine, but the led light on the printer just sat there and blinked, maybe once every second. I was able to push the paper feed button, so it was working.
The Pi also started up fine, but the led on the front of the case didn't light up or do anything. Then, I DL'd the python printer support libraries and tried to print. When I ran the printertest.py script I got nothing - assuming the connections weren't good. I powered everything down, disconnected the power supply, double checked all connections, and connected the power supply again to power everything up.

THIS time the printer started up fine, like before, but the Pi seemed to hang. I was able to SSH in but then it all froze, and kicked me out. It started to get hot, so I unplugged the power in fear of damaging the Pi - I know they can be fragile.

I looked it up online and thought maybe the polyfuse needed some time (I don't understand the hardware stuff much, I'm a web developer). After about 2 hours I attempted to plug everything back in - I didn't get even a glowing red pwr LED. I then tried using the console cable which I had previously used to supply power (only using the red/black cable) - nothing. At one point, I saw a VERY faint glow from the pwr LED which flickered back and forth and then finally went out.

Think my Pi is dead? How could this happen if I followed all of the directions? Was it my soldering? A bad Pi?

As much as I'd love Adafruit to send me a new Pi, I don't want to fry it again the same way.

What should I do? How do I double check the Pi is dead?

Thanks.

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Let's start by having a look at your cobbler. Can you post some clear, detailed pictures of both side of it so we can check the soldering and assembly?

jmlabs
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by jmlabs »

Thanks for the response!

I know this doesn't look like the best soldering ever (cause it's not), but like I said, it seems to have worked for a little while there...

I'm guessing it was probably a soldering issue.

Here are the pictures:
Image
Image
Image

jmlabs
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by jmlabs »

Sorry about the huge pictures, does your forum not resize them?

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Some things to clean up here. First, this looks suspiciously like a solder bridge between pins 6 and 8:
solder_bridge.png
solder_bridge.png (422.15 KiB) Viewed 312 times
This would certainly explain why you couldn't talk to the printer, since the bridge is between Ground and TX.

In general, many of your solder joints appear to be what are called "cold joints". This one in particular illustrates the problem nicely:
cold_joint.png
cold_joint.png (213.36 KiB) Viewed 312 times
As you can see, the solder hasn't flowed over the pad; the pad is still visible, while all the solder is blobbed up on the pin. Overall, you have too much solder on each joint, and it looks as if you only heated the pin and not the pad. That's why all the solder is in a blob.

In a proper solder joint, you will have headed both the pad and pin evenly. The solder will flow across the pad and up the pin, yielding a shiny concave-shape, like this:
Image

Reheat the joints, making sure you touch both the pad and pin with the tip of the iron. You should see the solder flow onto the pads. Don't over-heat - it should only take a couple of seconds to do.

Make sure that solder joint between 6 and 8 is gone. If you have a multimeter, check that there's no continuity between those two pins.

Regarding the Pi, that solder bridge should not have damaged it. Is it possible you shifted the ribbon cable over by a pin when you connected it to the Pi? Does the Pi work without the Cobbler connected?

jmlabs
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by jmlabs »

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

As I said, my soldering isn't expert. I could have sworn I took care of the bridges but it looks like I hadn't!
I'll see if I can clean those up for sure...

No, the Pi doesn't turn on even if I attempt to power it using just the console cable from my computer, which is how I set it up originally (to set up the OS + install software, when it was working fine.

I don't recall moving the pins over one, but maybe I did? Would that have killed it? I panicked when the Pi got hot and froze up... There's no way I would have done it for more than a split second because I would have noticed that it was going in on the wrong pins.

Either way, it sounds like a new Pi and some better soldering might solve my issues, am I right?

Thanks again for your help with this Newb. :cry:

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

Doesn't sound too good for the Pi. :(
You've tried it on USB power, too?

jmlabs
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by jmlabs »

Yep. I get nothing! Hopefully the boot drive is still intact.
Does that mean I need to order a new Pi?

Thanks.

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adafruit_support_rick
 
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Re: Raspberry PI Therml Pinter Kit = Dead Pi

Post by adafruit_support_rick »

If you're not getting the power LED on, then yes, I'm afraid it's dead.

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