Setup on Pi Zero Problems

jay81uk

Struggling this evening :(

The Pi boots up all fine, but with my cheap SNES controller plugged in, it's not recognised at startup by the Pi?

I am using a USB hub which lights up when plugged into the Pi, but the keyboard I have doesn't light up, yet works?

Do I need to install something? Bit confused. Thanks

backstander

@jay81uk

Here's some troubleshooting you can try!

Test with a different USB hub.

Tried the SNES clone controller plugged directly into the Pi Zero without the USB hub, does the controller work then? If so then it's the USB hub.

You could also try the same with the keyboard plugged directly into the Pi Zero.

jay81uk

@backstander yeah seems to be the hub... keyboard and controller work fine when plugged directly in.

The Pi reboots when you plug the hub in or take it out? Any idea why?

I can't use it anyway for the time being as I need wifi and I literally only have one USB port.

It seems that it's hit and miss with USB hubs and the Pi?

briankross

@jay81uk

My initial impression is a problem with power.

Are you using a powered hub? If not externally powered, a USB hub may draw too much power from the rPi.
Have you tried with no hub?
Check for a low power indicator on the upper right of your screen. If you see this, your rPi power supply is underpowered and you need a power supply that allows more draw.

jay81uk

Thanks, It's just a plug and play hub. I guess it's trial and error and I'll need to find one that will work. I know some unpowered ones do work don't they?

Also, I noticed during setup, it auto resizes the file system - so do I not need to do that option from a menu then as it says on videos?

briankross

@jay81uk

Take a look at your Raspberry Pi power supply. Reply with the power output.

From the FAQ:

The device is powered by 5V micro-USB. Exactly how much current (mA) the Raspberry Pi requires is dependent on what you hook up to it. We have found that purchasing a 1.2A (1200mA) power supply from a reputable retailer will provide you with ample power to run your Raspberry Pi for most applications, though you may want to get a 2.5A (2500mA) power supply if you want to use all 4 USB ports on the Models B+/2B/3B without using an external powered USB hub. The table below outlines the power requirements of each model.

Have a look at the Raspberry Pi FAQ about power requirements.

I've found that If you're using the RetroPie SD-Card Images, it doesn't look like you have to expand the file system. If you do so anyway it doesn't seem to hurt anything. It's good practice to check. I speculate that at the time of making the videos, the installer didn't auto expand the file system.

briankross

@jay81uk said in Setup on Pi Zero Problems:

@backstander yeah seems to be the hub... keyboard and controller work fine when plugged directly in.

The Pi reboots when you plug the hub in or take it out? Any idea why?

It sounds like the power draw from your power supply may be too great with the unpowerd USB hub and whatever is connected to it. You may be running in to a situation where the draw reduces the voltage so much that it effectively turns off the devices and reboots when the proper voltage returns to the unit. This isn't good for your file system.

It seems that it's hit and miss with USB hubs and the Pi?

Again, sounds like a power issue. You need to stay within the power requirements of the device and what's hooked up to it and find a power supply to handle it.

jay81uk

Well I used a different charger - my tablet charger, and that now gives the USB hub power, but it's odd... the keyboard will only work in a certain port, as will the controller. No idea why, but it all works.

Same voltage as the other plug I used. I did note that the other plug that didn't work, also took ages to charge the mobile it came with...

briankross

@jay81uk

I'm looking for specific numbers on your power supply in order to help you further...

edmaul69

@jay81uk i use the unpowered rockband hubs on the pi zero. Only issue i have is if you are setting up wifi unplug everything except the keyboard. This is a pi zero problem not a hub problem. It happens on powered hubs as well for me.