I am using the radio modem with the OLED and single UHF radio, which is working really ok.
The images are:
Pi Zero W: Pi-Star_RPi_V3.4.16_17-Dec-2018.zip (and previous version of Aug 2018 as well)
Pi 3B+: Pi-Star_RPiB+_V3.4.16_10-Aug-2018.zip (not tried yet .... I will do this tomorrow or in the weekend)
I tried a bunch of PSU ... and with the original SD all of them are working. With the new SD, I have no reboot at all
Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
I just downloaded a fresh version of Etcher (1.4.8) to my Win 10 laptop and installed it. I also downloaded a fresh image of Pi-Star (Pi-Star_RPi_V3.4.16_17-Dec-2018.zip). I burned the image to a 32 GB microSD card, booted up a hotspot running on a RPi Zero W, used Pi-Star's Auto AP feature to add my local wireless network, rebooted, and connected just fine. No problems.
This tells me that it's most likely NOT an issue with the latest Pi-Star image, nor with the latest version of Etcher.
Even though you have used your microSD cards for other things, I suggest you try a new, good quality microSD card. They don't cost very much, so it's a reasonable troubleshooting step to take. 2 GB is probably too small. I suggest 8, 16, or 32 GB.
I also suggest you try a new, good quality power supply. It doesn't matter whether your current power supply units have worked for other things. You need a good quality power supply for a hotspot. The important thing is a power supply unit that can supply a steady 2.5A output under load. Again, they don't cost very much, so it's a reasonable troubleshooting step to take.
If I were encountering the issue you are facing, another troubleshooting step I would consider taking would be to download a copy of the Raspbian image, burn it to a microSD card, and boot up just the Raspberry Pi (with no radio/modem board attached), to verify that the RPi is working properly.
Another thing you should check is to make sure the OLED is not shorting anything on the radio/modem board it is attached to, and that all the solder joints are good.
Finally, if you are using one of the Chinese clone radio/modem boards, you might want to consider getting a better quality radio/modem board.
After that, I'm out of suggestions. Good luck.
This tells me that it's most likely NOT an issue with the latest Pi-Star image, nor with the latest version of Etcher.
Even though you have used your microSD cards for other things, I suggest you try a new, good quality microSD card. They don't cost very much, so it's a reasonable troubleshooting step to take. 2 GB is probably too small. I suggest 8, 16, or 32 GB.
I also suggest you try a new, good quality power supply. It doesn't matter whether your current power supply units have worked for other things. You need a good quality power supply for a hotspot. The important thing is a power supply unit that can supply a steady 2.5A output under load. Again, they don't cost very much, so it's a reasonable troubleshooting step to take.
If I were encountering the issue you are facing, another troubleshooting step I would consider taking would be to download a copy of the Raspbian image, burn it to a microSD card, and boot up just the Raspberry Pi (with no radio/modem board attached), to verify that the RPi is working properly.
Another thing you should check is to make sure the OLED is not shorting anything on the radio/modem board it is attached to, and that all the solder joints are good.
Finally, if you are using one of the Chinese clone radio/modem boards, you might want to consider getting a better quality radio/modem board.
After that, I'm out of suggestions. Good luck.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
Hey Toshen,
thank you so much for the time you dedicated me with the test.
I am goin' crazy.
I am using SanDisk 16 GB SDs only. The one prepared some months ago is working fine, as well as its image copied on the SD I would like to use for the updated Pi-Star of dec 17.
Same SD with specular image of the working SD is ok. Etching with both versions of aug and dec is resulting in no boot. Same SD.
I have a bunch of PSU and all of them are powering correctly the Raspberry Pi ZeroW.
I have a second hotsport kit which reflects perfectly the behaviour.
No short circuits at all ... everything is nice and clean.
No RF around during the whole process...
The only logical explanation I can find is about that during the etching process something goes wrong.
But BTW, what ? Basically there are no option I can set on etcher ....
Maybe not Linux format ... but how can this be possible ? Just etching the image !!!
This story is drivin' me mad.
Luca
thank you so much for the time you dedicated me with the test.
I am goin' crazy.
I am using SanDisk 16 GB SDs only. The one prepared some months ago is working fine, as well as its image copied on the SD I would like to use for the updated Pi-Star of dec 17.
Same SD with specular image of the working SD is ok. Etching with both versions of aug and dec is resulting in no boot. Same SD.
I have a bunch of PSU and all of them are powering correctly the Raspberry Pi ZeroW.
I have a second hotsport kit which reflects perfectly the behaviour.
No short circuits at all ... everything is nice and clean.
No RF around during the whole process...
The only logical explanation I can find is about that during the etching process something goes wrong.
But BTW, what ? Basically there are no option I can set on etcher ....
Maybe not Linux format ... but how can this be possible ? Just etching the image !!!
This story is drivin' me mad.
Luca
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
One last thought: are you extracting the zip file contents from the downloaded Pi-Star zip file? You should be burning just the .img file it contains, not the entire .zip file.
Other than that, you might try re-downloading Etcher, and re-downloading the Pi-Star zip file.
Other than that, you might try re-downloading Etcher, and re-downloading the Pi-Star zip file.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
Yes, of course I am flashing the .IMG file ....
Re-downloaded and installed ... no changes
Re-downloaded and installed ... no changes
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
Hey, maybe I am getting to a possible conclusion:
I didn't see (it's damn small) the message that the verification failed during the etching process !
The report says that the written xxHASH is different from the image ... how can I include the snapshot ?
How can I proceed ?
I am not able to override the problem ... any other etcher I should try ?
UPDATE 1: Just etched image with a Mac. It ended successfully ... let's see it Raspberry will boot now
UPDATE 2: Etching was 100% OK now, BOOT OK NOW !!!!!
THANKS A LOT EVERYBODY !!!!!
I didn't see (it's damn small) the message that the verification failed during the etching process !
The report says that the written xxHASH is different from the image ... how can I include the snapshot ?
How can I proceed ?
I am not able to override the problem ... any other etcher I should try ?
UPDATE 1: Just etched image with a Mac. It ended successfully ... let's see it Raspberry will boot now
UPDATE 2: Etching was 100% OK now, BOOT OK NOW !!!!!
THANKS A LOT EVERYBODY !!!!!
Re: Hi-Perf HotSpot for newbie ..
For Windows -- you might have tried the older win32 disk imager program https://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/ (this is what /used to/ be suggested for the BeagleBone Black, before Etcher showed up; it was capable of both reading and writing image files, Etcher is a write-only program).
I'd also recommend using https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/ to format SD cards before writing (even though image writers basically do high level formatting in the process, the SD card association formatter should restore a card to the recommended optimal FAT configuration)
I'd also recommend using https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/ to format SD cards before writing (even though image writers basically do high level formatting in the process, the SD card association formatter should restore a card to the recommended optimal FAT configuration)
--
AF6VN
Dennis L Bieber