Meaning Yellow Blinking? FreedomBox Pioneer, A20

[jeeppler]

I plugged in a power-plug from an external hard drive case (3,5) inches instead of the cable for the FreedomBox Pioneer (based on A20). Once I plugged in the wrong cable my FreedomBox started blinking yellow. What does the yellow blinking mean?

For more information see: https://discuss.freedombox.org/t/yellow-blinking-no-connection/844

[LubOlimex]

Yellow LED is user LED. Blinking means that some software is driving it to blink. In Olimex-made images the yellow blink starts when Linux kernel starts. So something works.

Red LED is hardware power LED, it can't be controlled by software but indicates sufficient power is applied to the board.

Was the external hard drive powered by 5V or 12V of voltage? Where did you apply it - to the board's power jack?

[jeeppler]

Was the external hard drive powered by 5V or 12V of voltage? Where did you apply it - to the board's power jack?

12V and I applied it to the board's power jack.

In Olimex-made images the yellow blink starts when Linux kernel starts. So something works.

Where can I look up what the meaning of the yellow blinking is for FreedomBox? FreedomBox is a pure-blend of Debian. Could you show me the file for your Debian Buster server image for Lime2 (the Home-Server product)?

[LubOlimex]

Maybe try to re-write the SD card. The image can be found here:

https://ftp.freedombox.org/pub/freedombox/pioneer/


Download and extract "freedombox-stable-free_pioneer_a20-olinuxino-lime2-armhf.img.xz"

Plug the SD card in the card reader/writer and use Etcher software to download the image to the card. Test again how it goes.

However I fear that 12V almost certainly killed parts of the board but the yellow LED gives me some hope. I've done the same mistake myself a lot of times since I often deal simultaneously with boards that require 5V and such that require 12V and it usually leads to hardware damage. If you disconnected it up to 5 seconds after applying the 12V it might survive by chance but anything longer certainly damaged at least one but maybe more components.

It would usually require to replace few components, which can be done with some soldering experience. Let me know if you need more details on that.

> Where can I look up what the meaning of the yellow blinking is for FreedomBox? FreedomBox is a pure-blend of Debian. Could you show me the file for your Debian Buster server image for Lime2 (the Home-Server product)?

I don't know, but the yellow LED is still user-controlled LED, it won't turn on unless the software turns it on, so some software is running. It is not a hardware status light (like the red LED).

[jeeppler]

However I fear that 12V almost certainly killed parts of the board but the yellow LED gives me some hope.

It does not seem to have damage any hardware parts. I plugged in the correct power plug provided in the FreedomBox Home Server Kit and my FreedomBox Pioneer worked again. It does not seem to have caused any damages.

---

During the time I plugged in the wrong power cord, the Red LED was on, the yellow LED started blinking and nothing worked. The LAN port LEDs were off. I was completely confused.

I tried to reformat the SD Card. This had and tried again. Plugged in the wrong power cord again.

In the morning I saw my mistake and plugged in the right power cord. Everything, worked just fine.

[LubOlimex]

So it is now fixed and working alright? That is great!

[jeeppler]

It is working, but the thread subject is: "Meaning Yellow Blinking? FreedomBox Pioneer, A20"

You told me what the Red LED is suppose to do. You told me that the yellow LED is user driven.

I still want to know what the yellow blinking LED actually means. Where can I find more information regarding the meaning of the blinking of the yellow LED?

Usually that is written in the manual. However, I was unable to find it in the manual.

[LubOlimex]

It is probably the same as in other Linux images - indication that Linux kernel is working, that the software is working.

[jeeppler]

Yes, but where can I find more information regarding the yellow blinking? There was a patter to the blinking.

The question is, where do I have to look for the information in the Debian Buster image for the A20? Do you know that?

[JohnS]

I expect it's in the dtb stuff, like in this thread:
https://forum.armbian.com/topic/112-dtb-howto-add-leds/

(look for heartbeat)

Failing that, it may be a boot script along the lines of this:
https://forum.armbian.com/topic/143-enable-led-blinking-for-cubietruck-kernel-412/

John

[jeeppler]

@JohnS that is the answer I was looking for. Thank you.