Unable to image new SD Card (RPI 3B+). **solved**

[monymony]

I am trying to setup a new RPI unit (a 3B+) but whenever I try to image the SD card (a recommended SDSDQED-008G-XI) the RPI will not load. I have tried a separate SD card with same results. I have also imaged the card with other Raspberry PI images and those all will successfully load, so only when I try to image with the 'meteobridge-rpi3-v1.3.bin' file that the process fails. I typically work on MacOS and have tried both the Etcher and Raspberry Pi Imager and both have the same unsuccessful results. I even tried to use a Win11 machine to create the image and it too fails to load. I have also tried the suggestion in other posts to do a FAT32 format first but no change.

I am aware from older posts that there was past compatibility issues with the 3B+, but the current requirements (https://www.meteobridge.com/wiki/index. ... g_Hardware) clearly show this is a supported configuration. I am at a loss as to what to try next. Does anyone have any suggestions on what options I can try.

Thanks!

[admin]

I use the RPI Imager to bring "meteobridge-rpi3-v1.3.bin" to the microSD card. Booting from there on my Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Plus Rev 1.3 works fine.
Did you watch the boot process via serial port? Or how do you come to the conclusion that "it does not load"?

[monymony]

I don't have a cable to monitor via serial (not yet... just ordered one). I get nothing when trying to monitor the HDMI connection, through I am not convinced the boot is getting far enough to even activate the HDMI port. I just immediately get that blinking green light sequence, 4-long, 7 short, that repeats forever. If I reimagine the SD card using the RPI imager to another OS option, things boot normally. I can see when I view the contents of the card on with MacOS that the image did get created when I use the Meteobridge file but the RPI does not like it.

Unless someone has a eureka-moment, I will circle back next week after I can monitor the boot via serial.

[admin]

Meteobridge does not take care of any HDMI ports etc. It is a headless device. You need to know the IP (wiki explains how to find out) and browse to this IP.

[monymony]

To update this post, I did get the serial cable to monitor the boot and with the Meteobridge image I get nothing. Any other image I try works fine, just not the image I downloaded for my 3B+. So at this point I have given up and converted this 3B+ into my new Homebridge device which is working just fine. I will soon try again, but this time with a RPI 4.

[Further Update] I purchased a RPI 4B and had no issues imaging the device. Not sure why the 3B+ was so problematic for me.