Is my Raspberry PI 2 dead? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 04:42:09 am
content: So I got one not too long ago but I had forgot to order a micro SD card so that finally came in the mail not that long ago. I downloaded an OS, dd'ed it to the SD card and plugged it all in. I get nothing at all on the screen. Even if the OS was faulty should there be some kind of output at least? Before I start trying different OSes and running around can anyone confirm if there is any screen output even with no OS?If it really is dead well there goes about 70 bucks.I already soldered my power leads to it so pretty sure I killed any warranty it may had. I did get the polarity right, i tripled checked that. The LEDs light up but there is absolutely nothing on the screen.Anything I can do or check for?

author: Gixy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 05:29:01 am
content: Do you know that putting the OS on the SD card requires a special software and not an ordinary copy?Why did you solder the power leads?

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 06:26:35 am
content: I used dd which has worked on the previous Pi's. But should I at least get some kind of output even without a SD card or a blank/invalid OS one? Or does it only output something if it starts to boot on an actual OS?I don't have a micro USB connector so soldering the leads was the easiest. I had previously tried my phone charger but was getting same results. That was with no SD card though, so not sure if that's normal. I would expect some kind of output at least though...

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 07:15:38 am
content: Did you write to the correct device with dd? i.e. the whole sdcard (like /dev/sdX) and not the partition (like /dev/sdX1) ?Also, to verify plug the sdcard back to the (Linux, I suppose) machine which you used to write it. Can you mount its partitions and read back its contents?

author: Gixy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 07:25:23 am
content: No video without booting:http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=58151Double chek your SD, as well as your power supply.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 07:29:31 am
content: Quote from: bitwelder on April 03, 2015, 07:15:38 amYep to both questions. I'm trying another distro now, I'll report back.Edit: well it looks like the display is not working but it actually is running. I checked my firewall's DHCP table and found it. Thankfully SSH is enabled by default.Code:falcon Downloads # ssh pi@10.1.9.41pi@10.1.9.41's password:Linux raspberrypi 3.18.7-v7+ #755 SMP PREEMPT Thu Feb 12 17:20:48 GMT 2015 armv7lThe programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;the exact distribution terms for each program are described in theindividual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extentpermitted by applicable law.NOTICE: the software on this Raspberry Pi has not been fully configured. Please run 'sudo raspi-config'pi@raspberrypi ~ $I'm using a HDMI to VGA adapter because my workbench monitor is only VGA, so maybe it does not like the adapter.

author: grythumn
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 02:14:28 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on April 03, 2015, 07:29:31 amBy default it tries to detect the display before enabling it. You need to force the HDMI output active and probably set a mode in config.txt.http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=269212-R C

author: tonyarkles
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2015, 05:57:50 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on April 03, 2015, 07:29:31 amAs a curiosity, where did you get such an adapter? HDMI is digital and VGA is analog. Some video cards had little hacky adapters that would tell the video card to output an analog signal through the adapter, but I don't think there's a standard way of doing that. It looks like there are adapters with some kind of digital to analog converter inside, but...Hopefully following the above instructions to force HDMI output will work for you, but it wouldn't surprise me if the HDMI implementation on the RPi2 was simple enough that it would require HDMI or DVI on the other side.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2015, 01:21:25 am
content: Found it on Amazon, though I would have expected such adapter to also require external power as it's probably not a simple conversion to do. Maybe it only works with certain HDMI signals. For what I'll be using the pi for I wont need a monitor so now that I have ssh access I should be good to go. It will be for home automation. It might have some kind of LCD and push buttons though. I think you can actually get a touch screen module for the RPI, might eventually play with that too.

author: rickselectricalprojects
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2015, 07:03:49 am
content: i had a problem with my RPI 2 as well. i loaded raspbian onto the sd card (i know how to do it properly) and it worked OK the first time although it wouldn't see my wifi dongle and the second time i booted it up it crashed and showed a black screen and you could type stuff in white font. i returned it to the seller who never gave me a new one or my money back and on $10 pocket money a week it was a huge pain.as for the raspberry pi 2 i will stick to my b+ and might get something like a banana pi or pro or at least one WITH A POWER SWITCH!!!!

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2015, 01:52:41 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on April 04, 2015, 01:21:25 amYou need to be careful. You must use an active HDMI to VGA converter, that is, one with circuitry inside to convert the digital signal to analog. These exist, and are common and not expensive. No external power is needed; HDMI specifically provides limited power for things like active repeater cables and such. But there are also passive adapters out there. All they do is connect some signal lines of the HDMI connector to the VGA connector and expect that the video card will send the appropriate analog VGA signals to its HDMI output. These work with certain video cards, but will not work with the Pi. Unfortunately, most sellers on ebay and amazon are clueless about what they are selling, they just use drop-ship services to fulfill the orders they get. Most never even see or handle the products they are selling. You will not get an accurate answer to a pointed question like "is this an active HDMI-VGA converter, or simply a passive port adapter?". You will need to do your own research to find an appropriate product, then go searching for a good deal from the many different vendors selling that exact same product.