Possibly damaged Zero USB?

[Overlord44]

I recently bought a RasPi Zero (which was an experience in itself, fighting off the digital throng to snag one) and powered it up at work on Friday. I already have one of the first RasPi Model B units, which I'd used to install 3 different distros with earlier in the week, specifically the newest available builds of Raspbian, RetroPie and OSMC. Downloaded all 3 of these, ran

Code: Select all

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

on the first two (my understanding is OSMC does it automatically on boot, but that's irrelevant as you'll see), and waited patiently for my Zero to arrive.

It did during the week, and the first opportunity I got to power it up was the last half an hour of work on Friday when everything else was wrapped up and I had nothing else to do. Put together the following:

* Existing USB power supply (Maplins 2.1A output for USB, have been using this successfully ever since I got my B)
* Existing Amazon HDMI cable
* Existing Raspbian microSD (created/tested with the B, as mentioned)
* New Zero
* New microHDMI adaptor from the Zero package
* New USB micro-to-A adaptor from the Zero package

Plugged in a keyboard/mouse dual unit from the workbench into the USB adaptor and plugged the HDMI into one of the bench's monitors (about the only one we've got with a HDMI input on it). Switched on the power, and success: the Zero started the boot process and reached the Raspbian desktop. I then tried to move the mouse - nothing.

I've tried a dual keyboard/mouse unit, a wired laser mouse on it's own, a wireless mini keyboard with a trackpad built into it (that works fine with my B), a different keyboard on it's own, and I've basically whittled the possibilities down to exactly two:

* The Zero's USB port is DOA
* The USB adaptor is DOA

I don't have either of the aforementioned items in spares, so I'm wondering how I can remove one of these two possibilities. I read somewhere the Zero can work as an OTG device to a PC but though I can do the physical setup for this with known good cables, I'm not exactly sure of what procedure I should be following to do this. Any suggestions/ideas?

[drgeoff]

The procedure is described in the "Not booting" sticky post in the section specific to the Zero.

[asandford]

Burn a brand new image of Jessie (one released a week or so ago), don't try and use ones that worked on previous models which may (or may not) have been updated recently ( i.e within the last 3 months).

[Overlord44]

The image is brand new, it's not an old one. Wiped the card and got the very latest from the site. As noted, the Pi boots to desktop correctly on the Zero, it just doesn't detect any USB peripherials.

OK so I found this in the Zero specific thread:

Take your Zero, with nothing in any slot or socket (yes, no SD-card is needed or wanted to do this test!). Take a normal micro-USB to USB-A cable (the most common type) & connect it to your PC, plugging the micro-USB into the Pi's USB, (not the PWR_IN). If the Zero is alive, your Windows PC will go ding for the presence of new hardware & you should see "BCM2708 Boot" in Device Manager.

First try of doing this didn't work ("Unknown Device"), but the second and third detected it as BCM2708 Boot. If it's getting this far, I guess the adaptor's dead, then?

[fruitoftheloom]

The image is brand new, it's not an old one. Wiped the card and got the very latest from the site. As noted, the Pi boots to desktop correctly on the Zero, it just doesn't detect any USB peripherials.

OK so I found this in the Zero specific thread:

Take your Zero, with nothing in any slot or socket (yes, no SD-card is needed or wanted to do this test!). Take a normal micro-USB to USB-A cable (the most common type) & connect it to your PC, plugging the micro-USB into the Pi's USB, (not the PWR_IN). If the Zero is alive, your Windows PC will go ding for the presence of new hardware & you should see "BCM2708 Boot" in Device Manager.

First try of doing this didn't work ("Unknown Device"), but the second and third detected it as BCM2708 Boot. If it's getting this far, I guess the adaptor's dead, then?

No it is alive if Windows shows in Device Manager, as stated in the "sticky", the Windows Machine is powering up the Zero and the Zero is responding.

[Overlord44]

No, that's what I mean - I'm not using the adaptor for that, just the Zero. So the USB adaptor appears to be dead.

[drgeoff]

No, that's what I mean - I'm not using the adaptor for that, just the Zero. So the USB adaptor appears to be dead.

The micro-USB to USB adaptors have no electronics, just wires and connectors.

I have found the Zero to be extremely picky about what USB devices (including hubs) it will work with.

[Overlord44]

Just to conclude the thread - I got a replacement adaptor from the fine folks over at PiHut and as soon as that one was plugged into the setup, everything worked - so it was the USB adaptor all along.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[Onira]

I bought new OTG cable and my RPi0 from PiHut started working too