Power light flashes on then nothing

[foxy82]

Hi,

So I have a Pine64 with 2GB RAM and an LCD screen. 

I put in an SD card, connect the LCD screen and power and turn it on the power light (red light) turns on for a few seconds. The screen displays an image then the power light goes out and the LCD turns off. 

Is this normal?

I've tried 3 different 2amp power supplies. I've tried 2 different SD cards and burnt 5 different images.

Anything I can try? Is it worth just leaving it powered on once the power light turns off? Have I got a dead board?

Thanks.

[MarkHaysHarris777]

First, make sure that you are using this power supply from MCM.

Second, if you're powering on with the power switch make sure that the battery is plugged in or you WILL get the same results you are describing.

Third, only use the Android LCD image . None of the other images support the LCD display.

Visit us live on the chat for tips, tricks, and live assistance... lots of great guys eager to help you.

[foxy82]

First, make sure that you are using this power supply from MCM.

Second, if you're powering on with the power switch make sure that the battery is plugged in or you WILL get the same results you are describing.

Third, only use the Android LCD image .   None of the other images support the LCD display.

Visit us live on the chat for tips, tricks, and live assistance... lots of great guys eager to help you.

Thanks for the response. Do you have a link to the power supply? 

I haven't attached the power switch to the board so I'm just turning it on using the switch on the wall power outlet. I don't have a battery...do I need one?

I used the Android LCD image. Also in case it was the LCD pulling too much power for my power supply I detatched the LCD and tried both android image that isn't specfgically for the LCD screen and also the Debian image both showed the same although I didn't have a display connected to the HDMI. I assume the power light should still not go off even if you don't have a display connected...

[MarkHaysHarris777]

Use this power supply:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/28-21442

[pfeerick]

I haven't attached the power switch to the board so I'm just turning it on using the switch on the wall power outlet. I don't have a battery...do I need one?

I used the Android LCD image. Also in case it was the LCD pulling too much power for my power supply I detatched the LCD and tried both android image that isn't specfgically for the LCD screen and also the Debian image both showed the same although I didn't have a display connected to the HDMI. I assume the power light should still not go off even if you don't have a display connected...

No, you shouldn't need a battery, unless you want your pine64 to be mobile ;D

Since you also the debian nonLCD image, and the power light still went off, I suspect either the USB lead you're using is wimpy and the voltage is dropping too low, or the power supplies you're using just aren't up to the task. Unfortunately, most 5v power supplies are around 5v when not loaded, and at hte power supply. Add to that thin wires, and load them up, and the voltage can easily sag to v4.75 or lower, and things like the Pine64 and Raspberry pi get unhappy! Try and grab yourself a power supply like the one Mark recommended, or one of the ones Adafruit sells... And no, the power light certainly should go off if there's a valid image on the microSD, and enough power is provided, regardless of if you have a monitor connected or not.

[foxy82]

I haven't attached the power switch to the board so I'm just turning it on using the switch on the wall power outlet. I don't have a battery...do I need one?

I used the Android LCD image. Also in case it was the LCD pulling too much power for my power supply I detatched the LCD and tried both android image that isn't specfgically for the LCD screen and also the Debian image both showed the same although I didn't have a display connected to the HDMI. I assume the power light should still not go off even if you don't have a display connected...

No, you shouldn't need a battery, unless you want your pine64 to be mobile ;D

Since you also the debian nonLCD image, and the power light still went off, I suspect either the USB lead you're using is wimpy and the voltage is dropping too low, or the power supplies you're using just aren't up to the task. Unfortunately, most 5v power supplies are around 5v when not loaded, and at hte power supply. Add to that thin wires, and load them up, and the voltage can easily sag to v4.75 or lower, and things like the Pine64 and Raspberry pi get unhappy! Try and grab yourself a power supply like the one Mark recommended, or one of the ones Adafruit sells... And no, the power light certainly should go off if there's a valid image on the microSD, and enough power is provided, regardless of if you have a monitor connected or not.

So I got the power supply tried it - same result red light flashes on then goes off....

Anything else I can try?

[pfeerick]

I haven't attached the power switch to the board so I'm just turning it on using the switch on the wall power outlet. I don't have a battery...do I need one?

I used the Android LCD image. Also in case it was the LCD pulling too much power for my power supply I detatched the LCD and tried both android image that isn't specfgically for the LCD screen and also the Debian image both showed the same although I didn't have a display connected to the HDMI. I assume the power light should still not go off even if you don't have a display connected...

No, you shouldn't need a battery, unless you want your pine64 to be mobile ;D

Since you also the debian nonLCD image, and the power light still went off, I suspect either the USB lead you're using is wimpy and the voltage is dropping too low, or the power supplies you're using just aren't up to the task. Unfortunately, most 5v power supplies are around 5v when not loaded, and at hte power supply. Add to that thin wires, and load them up, and the voltage can easily sag to v4.75 or lower, and things like the Pine64 and Raspberry pi get unhappy! Try and grab yourself a power supply like the one Mark recommended, or one of the ones Adafruit sells... And no, the power light certainly should go off if there's a valid image on the microSD, and enough power is provided, regardless of if you have a monitor connected or not.

So I got the power supply tried it - same result red light flashes on then goes off....

Anything else I can try?

Ok, maybe we need to rewind a bit, and check something more basic... how are you putting on the images on the microSD card? Maybe something is wrong with the microSD which is causing it to crash and poweroff? 

Otherwise, what happens when you have absolutely nothing plugged into the pine64 (no keyboard, mouse, etc). You can even remove the microSD card. Does the red power light come on when you connect the power usb lead and stay on? I just realised with mine that if I remove the SD card, and power it up, it will power on, and is still 'on' a couple of minutes later... although absolutely nothing is happening. Which is different from your case as it won't stay on.

[MarkHaysHarris777]

I will add in addition:

... you can plug a serial tty cable into the uart0 , EXP header at pins 7,8, and 9 (ttyS0)

pin(8) is the Rx pin... plug your Tx line here , usually green

pin(7) is the Tx pin... plug your Rx line here, usually white

pin(9) is ground... plug your black ground wire here

WARNING VERY IMPORTANT

Use only a serial ttl bridge set for 3v3 (NOT 5V) !!! or you will toast your Pine board... words to the wise.

(all the cables from ada fruit [pl2303 based] use the 3v3 setup, be careful to not touch the 5v (red) line to anything !! )

Use a serial ttl to usb bridge cable like the one from ada fruit (PL2303 based) or you can use a similar cable that is CP2102 based. Plug the usb adapter into your PC (I use a gnu+linux Mint system) and a comm program like 'screen' or 'minicom' or similar vt102 emulator.

Now you can 'watch' the bootup progress, regardless of what happens on the hdmi screen, and you can see where its dropping out and powering down.


Also, if you visit us live on the chat site, I can help you easier on-line live, than here on the forum. I'd be happy to help you, and I'm hanging out there most days... and some nights.

---

Please read my previous post...

... just to be complete, although perhaps pedantic, it is 'normal' for the PineA64 to poweron with the 'red' light on momentarily, and then go off--- IF you power-on the PineA64 with the power button and the battery IS NOT plugged in.

Please don't misunderstand me. You do not need a battery; however, IF you do not have a battery you cannot power-on the pine board with the power button-- in this case you will need to power-on the pine board with the power cord alone. Unplug the PSU power cord, count 5, plug the PSU power cord back in (don't touch the buttons).

[foxy82]

I will add in addition:

... you can plug a serial tty cable into the uart0 , EXP header at pins  7,8, and 9  (ttyS0)

pin(8) is the Rx pin...   plug your Tx line here , usually green

pin(7) is the Tx pin...   plug your Rx line here, usually white

pin(9) is ground...   plug your black ground wire here

WARNING VERY IMPORTANT

Use only a serial ttl bridge set for 3v3   (NOT 5V)  !!!   or you will toast your Pine board... words to the wise.

(all the cables from ada fruit [pl2303 based] use the 3v3 setup, be careful to not touch the 5v (red) line to anything !! )

Use a serial ttl to usb bridge cable like the one from ada fruit  (PL2303 based)  or you can use a similar cable that is CP2102 based.  Plug the usb adapter into your PC (I use a gnu+linux Mint system) and a comm program like 'screen' or 'minicom'  or similar vt102 emulator.

Now you can 'watch' the bootup progress, regardless of what happens on the hdmi screen, and you can see where its dropping out and powering down.


Also, if you visit us live on the chat site, I can help you easier on-line live, than here on the forum.  I'd be happy to help you, and I'm hanging out there most days... and some nights.  

---

Please read my previous post...

... just to be complete, although perhaps pedantic, it is 'normal' for the PineA64 to poweron with the 'red' light on momentarily, and then go off---  IF  you power-on the PineA64 with the power button and the battery IS NOT plugged in.

Please don't misunderstand me.  You do not need a battery;  however, IF you do not have a battery you cannot power-on the pine board with the power button-- in this case you will need to power-on the pine board with the power cord alone. Unplug the PSU power cord, count 5, plug the PSU power cord back in (don't touch the buttons).

Hi thanks both for the info.

A picture tells a thousand words (or in this case a video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTUit2Wfnoo this is the problem shown with no SD card, no monitor, no touch screen, no network connection and no keyboard / mouse, no battery. Just power...

I've never connected anything other than the LCD touchscreen and an SD card to this board. It has never had Keyboard/mouse connected and never had any network connected. Images were burnt with DD in Cygwin and also using Win32DiskImager. However I think that might be a mute point if the power light is meant to remain on when there is no SD card and mine doesn't?

I will try to get on IRC and will consider a serial terminal but I think we are getting beyond what I'd expect to have to do with a brand new board and it does seem that this one might be DOA?

[MarkHaysHarris777]

I will try to get on IRC and will consider a serial terminal but I think we are getting beyond what I'd expect to have to do with a brand new board and it does seem that this one might be DOA?

I have seen many supposedly DOA boards so far, and none of them (to date) has actually been DOA... I even thought maybe I had one myself !!-- but I was wrong... it was alive and well.

Yes, get on chat.  We'll get to the bottom of it... really.   And, try to get yourself a serial ttl usb bridge cable .