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I have a model 1B that's been faithfully running for years. Recently I was unable to ssh into it and decided to erase the SD card and upgrade the OS.

When plugged in the ACT light displays an error code pattern that I cannot translate to the error code documentation. The pattern is three brief flashes followed by a longer pulse. Here's a video of the pattern.

I have been able to remove boot-related files and get the Pi to produce other patterns (e.g. remove start.elf and the ACT light produces four flashes).

Current setup:

  • Power: provided power adapter
  • Peripherals: none
  • SD card: I've tried multiple SD cards (one 4GB and one 32GB)
  • OS: I've tried both Bullseye and Buster (written to SD card using Raspberry Pi Imager)

The result is always the same ACT light pattern described above. The display is a single large centered rainbow square that never disappears. Are there additional diagnostics that I can run? Is this a possible hardware failure?

Growth Mindset
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2 Answers2

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See The Boot Problems Sticky &
LED Warning Flash Codes for diagnostics.
There is no error corresponding to what you claim.
You should check what happens with no SD Card.

You can't boot a modern OS with a 4GB SD Card.

As you get a rainbow screen the GPU is working - the problem will be with your SD Card

Milliways
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Is this a possible hardware failure?

I think it could be, because that "error code" that doesn't have a listing does not look like an error code at all. The "3 short flashes" are more like a stutter at 5-10 Hz.

The real error code short flashes are much more distinct, I think 2 Hz and the long flashes 1 Hz, but the light stays on for half the cycle (ie., the light is on for as long as it is off).

You mention being able to produce error codes by removing start.elf, etc., watch them again and think about this, keeping in mind that that "stutter" might be messing them up a bit.

The "long flash" in your case is I think the normal once per second blip that happens when an SD card has been found but there is not much activity going on I/O wise.

Niether of the 1Bs I started out with work anymore. One of them I think I broke the power connector, and the other one pretty sure the SD card reader stopped working.

goldilocks
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