Circuit Sword Lite - Kernal panic

[Stek692003]

I've tried a couple of SD cards and reimaged the cards a couple of times, does anyone have any idea how to fix this? Shutdown works fine using the power switch but goes into kernel panic if emulation station menu shutdown is used
Thanks Steven

[kite]

When you slide the switch off, it powers down right? As in, START -> SHUTDOWN (from menu) ... when it gets to kernel panic you slide the switch OFF and it turns off?

If so, then great it works perfectly! The kernel panic is because it gets to the end of shutdown but "power is still applied" and so it's still on. The same happens with a Pi Zero if you do exactly the same but leave the power connected. I have a feeling that by this point its disabled HDMI so you might not SEE it on a normal hdmi build, but this is super normal.. if you want to shutdown, just slide the swtich! It already safely closes so it saves everything anyway

[Stek692003]

Yes that's correct. I'll try the latest image of Retropie on my other pi zero over the weekend but I hadn't noticed on my non handheld pi zero previously (no safe shutdown on that pi). Do you have a circuit Sword Lite built up that you are able to see if you get the same message?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpaEalsgKGz ... 7wnr3mysyo

[kite]

"Reached target Shutdown"
"reboot: Power down"

It has fully powered off mine and all of my boards do the same, it's nothing special! You don't need to press start->shutdown, you can just slide the switch off and it'll safely bring the system offline.

[Stek692003]

I've tracked this issue down a little further. The shutdown command from the emulationstation menu doesn't like the gpio overlay in the config.txt, when this line is commented out the shutdown command from the emulationstation menu works fine and then you have to cut the power manually.

Looking elsewhere online I can't find an alternative shutdown command that works with the gpio overlay so I'm just going to remove the option from the emulationstation menu, as you have to cut the power after using this option anyway as you said previously the option isn't needed.

Thanks for your help Kite and a great product as usual.

[kite]

No problem, that overlay is the signal used for the power management chip (the LED labelled "PGOOD" is this state) and is used to signal when the power should be cut (so when PGOOD is off AND main switch is off, if either are 'on' then the power will remain!). By disabling the overlay, at any point you slide the main switch off it will just insta-kill the power to the Pi (because PGOOD is off and so it the switch now).

As you say, removing the option from menu would be best.. it would be the equivalent of a generic electronic on/off device having a menu option to power off.. yet it will STILL remain 'on' because the power switch is still 'on'

In case you didn't already know (as it doesn't seem to be common knowledge) that when you slide the switch off and for whatever reason shutdown fails (and so PGOOD is still 'on').. pressing the MODE button will override this and perform an insta-kill on the power I've seen others pulling batteries and stuff which isn't needed, just slide off and press mode