Micro:bit arrived with power stability issues. Unable to consistently power....

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asaynick
 
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Micro:bit arrived with power stability issues. Unable to consistently power....

Post by asaynick »

Thank you for your support- I have been in contact with Adafruit support via email since my order arrived Jan. 20th. They asked twice that I funnel this issue via the forum rather than create a "contact form" for a return. I'm not sure if a replace or return is more applicable, but here is my original email to Adafruit. If the follow-up instructions from Adafruit via email are helpful, I can post them also.

Original email from Jan. 20th, 2023
Good afternoon! I was hoping Adafruit might help with a recent order of a Micro:bit I received last night. Here is my order information, and like I said, it arrived last night.

Screen Shot 2023-01-20 at 2.48.01 PM.png

Order Confirmation No. 2997152-9425951144
Micro:bit v2 Go Bundle - Batteries and USB Cable Included
$26.20
Screen Shot 2023-01-20 at 2.48.01 PM.png
Screen Shot 2023-01-20 at 2.48.01 PM.png (30.69 KiB) Viewed 31 times
I brought the new micro:bit to my classroom, hoping to test it out and maybe get an extensive set to help augment our middle school STEM coding unit. Only the circuit box terminal connection on my device is flawed, losing connection so inconsistently that I haven't been able to pass the shake stage of the initial introduction program that comes pre-loaded. I tried different batteries than the stock set, tried without and without the card stock battery holder, and even tried a different jumper battery box from a similar electronics project kit, all with similar results. My multimeter shows a continuous 3.0 volts from the battery junction, so I can confidently rule out the power supply component. I'm hoping you might have a clue and an easy solution.

I'm not sure what the returns expectations are for a received order, but I'm very interested in this product and hope you might offer a solution, and hopefully an assurance that this is not a common occurrence. I can only imagine the nightmare of having this happen often to an extensive class set ....

Thank you for your time and any suggestions-

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mikeysklar
 
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Re: Micro:bit arrived with power stability issues. Unable to consistently power....

Post by mikeysklar »

Is the problem you are experiencing with the JST battery connector being loose (not mounted well to the PCB)?

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asaynick
 
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Re: Micro:bit arrived with power stability issues. Unable to consistently power....

Post by asaynick »

Yes- the issue seems to be with the board power input mount. I've tried two completely unrelated DC battery power packs and the issue with the board spontaneously losing power remains. The power interrupt is so troublesome that I cannot even complete (or even get to) the "Tilt" portion of the demo program. The power input from the battery supply is consistent and stable when monitored. It the entire setup remains absolutely stable and untouched the demo program can progress minutely farther, but there is definitely something loos that disengages power when tilted, shook or even when buttons are pressed.

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mikeysklar
 
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Re: Micro:bit arrived with power stability issues. Unable to consistently power....

Post by mikeysklar »

Let's try a replacement as this micro:bit does appear to have a power connection issue.

Please e-mail [email protected] to request a replacement. They will need a link to this forum thread as authorization and your order#.

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