ACT light does not even blink ! what next?

[idontlikelinux]

I've been using my model B Pi for a short while only. I started using it during the xmas / new year period, i would have booted it a max of 20 times.

Today i try to use it, no HDMI signal is detected on the TV, check the Pi the green light (ACT) does not even flash as it used to. The only light is the red PWR light which comes on. I have not done anything fancy to it, no overclocking, was extremely gentle with the hardware, and now for this to happen !

I can't even return it now as the warranty has long expired - I left it in the courier parcel for about 18 months unused, only having a chance to unpack it last holiday season.

What next ?! piece of sh...

[drgeoff]

There is a very comprehensive sticky which mahjongg took pains to write for the benefit of you and others with non-booting RPis. Have you read it?

[idontlikelinux]

There is a very comprehensive sticky which mahjongg took pains to write for the benefit of you and others with non-booting RPis. Have you read it?

yes boss, i read it prior to posting. Does not cover my case where ACT light does not even blink.

[DirkS]

Is the SD card bent / warped (see http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 3&p=327342)?
Have you tried using a different SD card?

Gr.
Dirk.

[idontlikelinux]

Is the SD card bent / warped (see http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 3&p=327342)?
Have you tried using a different SD card?

I think you have it back to front, surely you don't expect a good card to suddenly make the ACT LED light up or start blinking... I would have thought firstly the ACT LED needs to light up, then the pi will attempt to read the card.. not the other way around.

In the topic header i clearly mentioned that the ACT light does not blink at all. If it is not clear, i will emphasize it again, only the PWR LED lights up, no other lights come on or blink.

(In any case i tried 3 different cards all brand new prior to posting).

[drgeoff]

Normally I'd suggest checking the power. On a B the red LED can light even when the voltage is too low for the RPi to boot.

However as you have already read the sticky you will have already done that.

[mahjongg]

I would have thought firstly the ACT LED needs to light up, then the pi will attempt to read the card.. not the other way around.

No! you got it wrong, the ACT led lights up to indicate the card is being read. Its all explained in the sticky!

Not lighting up means the PI cannot read the code needed to control the ACT LED.

Does not cover my case where ACT light does not even blink.

Yes it does! very extensively so! In fact its the primary reason it exists.

[DirkS]

I think you have it back to front, surely you don't expect a good card to suddenly make the ACT LED light up or start blinking... I would have thought firstly the ACT LED needs to light up, then the pi will attempt to read the card.. not the other way around.

In the topic header i clearly mentioned that the ACT light does not blink at all. If it is not clear, i will emphasize it again, only the PWR LED lights up, no other lights come on or blink.

Have you actually tried to power up the Pi without SD card inserted? Do you see the ACT led blinking?

Gr.
Dirk.

[mahjongg]

Have you actually tried to power up the Pi without SD card inserted? Do you see the ACT led blinking?

Gr.
Dirk.

that would be impossible

don't tease him....

[idontlikelinux]

Normally I'd suggest checking the power. On a B the red LED can light even when the voltage is too low for the RPi to boot.

Understood. However i am still using the SAME powered hub which worked previously.

[idontlikelinux]

Have you actually tried to power up the Pi without SD card inserted? Do you see the ACT led blinking?

that would be impossible
don't tease him....

Ok, ok.. i almost thought that was serious advice until i saw this.
Guess i should have tried before the problem, it's too late now to know what is normal behaviour, maybe you guys with a perfectly working Pi should tell me

[mahjongg]

No card, then only the power led will light up, as the PI has no code to boot from.

With a working card the ACT led will start blinking to indicate it is reading the card, as it will boot.


simple, no?

[mahjongg]

Normally I'd suggest checking the power. On a B the red LED can light even when the voltage is too low for the RPi to boot.

Understood. However i am still using the SAME powered hub which worked previously.

that's not a guarantee there is no power problem!

[idontlikelinux]

With a working card the ACT led will start blinking to indicate it is reading the card, as it will boot.
simple, no?

Yes simple, i did not pay attention to your sticky that says with model A and B+ the ACT led will be ON by default (but not so with B).

In any case i think it is more than a prob with the SD card. Pins look fine, i put a bit of pressure to ensure the sd card connectors touch the pins on the pi, the (three) cards i tried all read fine on the laptop.

Shame it stuffed up after less than 1 months use.

[mahjongg]

That the cards read fine on a PC does NOT mean they were imaged right, or that they are bootable.

If you have booted them previously they should be okay in principle, but if they are newly imaged, I would have doubt you did it right. even if you can "read the card". For example if the card contains a single folder with the boot files in it, then that is wrong, the boot files themselves should not be in a folder!

Also, ACT initially on or off doesn't really matter, it only matters that it starts blinking, so there is card reading ACTion going on.

[idontlikelinux]

Also, ACT initially on or off doesn't really matter, it only matters that it starts blinking, so there is card reading ACTion going on.

... which is what i have been saying all along, there is no action going on, that ACT led is totally dead.. regardless if the card is bad or not.. it should at least blink to show there is some attempt at reading.

[BMS Doug]

... which is what i have been saying all along, there is no action going on, that ACT led is totally dead.. regardless if the card is bad or not.. it should at least blink to show there is some attempt at reading.

Not until the initial boot files have been read, which requires a good sd card.

[rpdom]

Until at least the first part of the bootloader has been read off the card the Pi doesn't know anything about the ACT LED or what to do with it. The LED is activated by software and there is no such software built into the Pi.

[idontlikelinux]

Just to close off this post, and confirm that my raspberry pi was kaput after only max of 20 reboots ! How i envy the ones who have it running 24x7 for months and years...

Confirmed by obtaining a new pi, using the same SD card, the same usb powered hub. green ACT LED comes on, and Bob's your uncle (not to forget Fanny's your aunt).