Bluefruit EZ-key DOA?

[Ro]

I received my Bluefruit EZ-Key in the mail today, but it appears to be DOA. I have tried powering it with various battery configurations of 3-6VDC but I'm not getting anything. Nothing else, apart from power source, is connected. The boards LEDs fail to light and there is no recognition of the EZ-key on any of my bluetooth equipped devices (iPhones, iPads).

I'm hoping for a satisfactory resolution fairly quickly as I'm in Australia and was looking forward to starting my foot switch page-turner project.

[adafruit_support_rick]

Please post clear, detailed pictures of both sides of the module

How are you connecting the power?.

[Ro]

Thanks for the reply. Pics of testing setup.

image.jpg (84.21 KiB) Viewed 366 times

image.jpg (88.08 KiB) Viewed 366 times

[adafruit_support_mike]

You need to solder the wires into the holes.

Wrapped wires don't provide a connection reliable enough to make Bluetooth connections work.

[Ro]

Thanks for the advice. I should point out that I'm not a novice at this. The pictures were for demonstration of the issue; not how the actual project will be executed. The surface contact was sufficient. I have tested with other battery configurations using square contacts in the holes - a typical practice for testing, no? It's definitely not a contact issue.

[Ro]

Hi Mike. I've just noticed that your reply misses my issue. The board is not powering up. I haven't event got to the bluetooth testing stage.

[adafruit_support_mike]

Unsoldered connections are always suspect unless you're using hardware specifically designed to provide seating force, like Pogo Pins. Even then, you characterize the connection with an oscilloscope to see how much make/break noise there is, and to verify that the signal is stable once contact is made.

If you've verified the supply rails as being steady on the PCB with an oscilloscope, we can look for other problems. If you haven't, none of us know what those signals are actually doing. We know that noise on the supply rails can interfere with the chip's function, and don't have clear evidence to support the assumption that the rails are smooth.

[Ro]

Thanks for the detailed response, Mike. I don't have an oscilloscope to test. I'd like to send this back to Adafruit to be tested as I'm confident the issue can't be resolved at this end. What's the procedure, please?

[adafruit_support_rick]

We can do that, but before we do, please solder the wires. Also, what kind of battery is that? Are you sure it's a good battery? Does it provide at least 3V?

[Ro]

Ok, will do. The one in the picture is two AAs - 3V - but I've tried different batteries. Just tried with a 6V battery pack now. No dice.