[SOLVED] SOS – I may have killed my Pi – SOS

[jcu-muc Moderator]

jcu-muc Moderator

1. Dezember 2016 at 16:15 #24468

Hello all or anyone,

I think I may have accidentally killed my RPi3 with a static electricity discharge from my hand…

I have an RPi3 / IQaudIO Pi-DAC+ / IQaudIO Case / Max2Play 2.38 setup. I properly shut down the Pi and then removed the SD card so I could back it up with W32 Disk Imager. So far so good, backup completed without problems. But then I put on a wool sweater (big mistake), went back over to the Pi, touched it to insert the card… and ZAP! Nothing major, or so I thought.

Now the Pi doesn’t boot, neither with the SD card I backed up or with another previously working backup card. When I plug in the power supply, all I get is a steady, non-blinking red light near the power socket. Inside the Pi all I can see is a steady, non-blinking faint green light.

I have read elsewhere that:

• leaving it unplugged overnight can help
• perhaps the SD slot on the Pi itself has a defect (poor connectors, sometimes break or fail if you remove cards frequently)
• importantly, one should avoid wearing wool sweaters, socks, hats, underwear etc. while handling Pi’s

I have built my own computers since the late 90’s and have never had a static fatality. Is the Pi that sensitive, even when inside a case?

Has anyone had this experience before? Is there any hope of fixing this?

Frustrated but hopeful,
Jason

[jcu-muc Moderator]

jcu-muc Moderator

1. Dezember 2016 at 18:51 #24474

Nach einigen Recherchen sieht es leider so aus, als ob mein Pi durch die statische Entladung gekillt / gebricked wurde, trotz Verbau im Gehäuse. Dies als Mahnung an alle M2P-Enthusiasten mit Wollpullovern in der kalten Jahreszeit. 😉 Die Entladung ereignete sich übrigens mit dem IQaudIO Case an einem der 4 großen äußeren Metallbolzen…

Siehe auch https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=22152

After having researched the issue a bit, it unfortunately appears that I did indeed kill / brick my Pi via static discharge, even within its casing. This is meant as word of warning to a all M2P-Enthusiasts with woolen sweaters during the cold time of year. 😉 The discharge occcured with the IQaudIO case on one of the 4 big exterior bolts.

See also https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=22152

I will give it another go tomorrow, but I expect the end result will be a required replacement of the RPi3 board. 🙁

[jcu-muc Moderator]

jcu-muc Moderator

5. Dezember 2016 at 18:36 #24566

Update: I have replaced the RPi3 with a brand new unit and everything is up and running again.

Moral of the story: A normal, everyday static discharge can and will kill your RPi – even when it is inside a proper case. The IQaudIO Pi-DAC+ appears to be in good working order with its new RPi3.

Be warned and take care. 😉