I have a Sparkfun RTK Facet ( https://www.sparkfun.com/products/19984 ) which won’t power on. It has been working fine for almost a year. I disassembled the unit per the instructions on the website. After disassembly, ribbon cable connections were checked (unplugged then plugged back in). Battery connection and battery voltage were also checked and both were fine.
When the battery cable is disconnected then re-connected, the unit does begin to boot up (indicating that the display is working). As soon as it completes the boot-up process and comes to the main display screen, however, it immediately begins shutting down. While the battery is connected, however, neither power button will initiate the boot-up process.
Is it possible to get a replacement for one or more of the internal PCB’s?
This morning, I tried removing the overlay board (whose only purpose is the exterior switch). With this board removed, the Facet powered up normally and stayed on. Apparently, the switch traces on the overlay board are continually shorted. Thus, when un-plugging the battery then plugging it back in the device would power up then immediately power down (the button was being held down the whole time).
I am having this exact issue as well. I JUST got this from Mouser last week. Loaded up v3.6 and used it as a Base the other night. Worked well as a TCP Server for RTCM corrections for a UAS Rover. After I was done, I powered it off. Last night I brougt it back out to use again and it didn’t power on (display). I thought I left it on and the battery drained, so I plugged it in via USB. The green light came on and went off shortly after (10mins). I thought the charger was broken, but as I’ve left it “charging” overnight, I suspect the battery it full and is shutting the LED light off as normal. I thought maybe just the OLED is broken, but trying any combination of holding down the power button and giving it time to boot isn’t working - no ports showing up on the computer
I hoped/planned to bundle this unit with a product I’m selling, but I’m a little concerned after a day of use. I’m also afraid to order another one from Mouser to have the same issue happen.
@brian31415 - Good troubleshooting and sorry to hear it’s being a pain. I’ll send you an email for a new display board.
@techvevtures-sean - An immediate failure like that is very odd. When you attach the unit to USB does it enumerate? This would indicate the display is not working but the unit in general is running. I’m happy to have you return the unit for a full checkout if you’d prefer. See https://www.sparkfun.com/returns for an RMA.
So I decided to open her up. What I found is the STAT LED was on (orange). I tried the internal power button (metal) and still nothing. I figured the firmware was locked up, so I disconnected the ribbons from the main board, pulled it up and disconnected the battery. The battery read 3.99 volts, so the charge was good…and I suspect it was always charged up, otherwise it would have drained and powered down the locked up firmware.
After reconnecting everything, it powered right up.
I definitely think this is firmware related. I haven’t had time to look at the schematics to check, but I kinda wish the power button could be a bit more direct (e.g not software driven - my assumption).
@sparky - it wasn’t entirely immediate, but if you consider how recent I’ve had this, we could say that. This was as dead as a doornail in terms of how the computer saw it, no USB. Nothing broadcasting via Wifi or Bluetooth.
I definitely think this is firmware related. I haven’t had time to look at the schematics to check, but I kinda wish the power button could be a bit more direct (e.g not software driven - my assumption).
The power button is not software driven, it’s tied to a MOSFET that, when held for ~10s will cut power to the entire system.
I suspect the device got into an odd state where the ESP32 was not booting properly. A hard power cycle cleared the issue (when you removed the battery). Please let us know if it happens again and give the hard power cycle via power button if you hit the same issue again.
Ah - I suspect I never held it down for that long. I’ll give that a go if it happens again. Took it out again last night - everything is working as it should the next morning, so I suspect you’re right.
My unit seems to be having power issues and will not turn on.
I hope someone in this forum, or perhaps the technical assistance, can help me
When plugging in the type C cable, the charging light indicator does not turn on. Only the blue SparkFun logo can be seen on the display screen. Shortly after, it turns off.
When I press the “Power Setup” button, the display screen reads “SparkFun RTK Facet v.2.4”. Shortly after, the display screen reads “Charge Battery”. Then it turns off.
I have already tried to charge it overnight (10 hours). And still no success.
The charger circuit seems to be malfunctioning. Please use this form (https://www.sparkfun.com/returns) to get an RMA and start a return for repair. We should be able to get it fixed up and back to you.
I also had the problem that the external button stopped working. The internal button did not work either. Only when I disconnected the cable that connects the external button to the display board, I could switch on the device using the internal button.
So, I ordered a replacement display/button combo, which I received today. However, it appears that the display board has been changed from the original version. The cable to the button is not connected using a backflip connector any more. Instead, there is some kind of socket into which the cable can be forced, but that does not work. As far as I can see, the leads on the ribbon don’t match the leads inside the connector. I tried to connect the cable several times without success.
The old and new connectors can also be seen on the repair- and product pages, respectively.
The repair page shows the original backflip connector:
I managed to repair my facet by replacing just the button, using the original display board. That works, but I still wonder how that new connector is supposed to work and I would appreciate if the repair manual could be updated accordingly.
The backflip connector was 12 pin and 0.5mm pitch. The FPC on the overlay was 6-pin and 1mm pitch. The original board design worked, but the connector was not ideal. We revised the board to use a proper 6-pin friction fit, 1mm pitch connector.
Thanks for DIY’ing your units repair! If you’re patched up and working, I don’t think you need to swap out your display board but keep it on hand in case you need it.
