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Build done, but random reboots and screen freezes

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 3:24 pm
by 3kidsinaustin
I'm hoping someone here could help point me in the right direction for investigating an operating problem with my GBZ.

It will boot up fine and operate great, then will randomly reboot. I also get the occasional screen freeze, sometimes in the middle of the game or initiating the shutdown procedure. This has happened both on straight battery (fully charged) and plugged into the 5v 3.0A charger. My power supply is the generic banggood version.

Is there a command I can use that would allow be to diagnose what could be causing the issues? I disassembled the GBZ today, made sure areas were isolated either with a small dab of hot glue on wires or some electrical tape on board surfaces.

I'm just not enough of an expert in linux to know where to start. My thoughts are that something must be shorting out and causing the raspberry pi to reboot...?

Links with lots of pictures of my build are here:
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=7444

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: Build done, but random reboots and screen freezes

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 3:28 pm
by McGyver
Could be a lag of sufficent power. Or someting is shortening the power maybe from force to the case when you press buttons during games.

Re: Build done, but random reboots and screen freezes

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 4:15 pm
by 3kidsinaustin
I wondered about the power, but wouldn't the battery provide a large enough storage for current? I'm pulling from memory but isn't the banggood supply good for 1A? Can a Pi pull more than that? I'm getting reboots just testing basic games like Zelda on NES.

Re: Build done, but random reboots and screen freezes

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 5:38 am
by McGyver
The behaviour of the running Pi itself let me guess it is not under voltage. For suddenly reboots I more feel its linked to a short cirquit from 5V power to ground.

Re: Build done, but random reboots and screen freezes

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 2:59 pm
by 3kidsinaustin
Makes sense. I've gone back through the wiring, made sure everything was insulated with either a dab of glue or separated with electrical tape. Ran the GBZ for ten minutes or so with no issues yet. Will have to run a longer trial period when time permits. Fingers crossed!