With sbitx, it is worth booting from an external USB 3 because there is a speed difference.
Here, the RPi4 also boots from the uSD card on the pcb, while the uSD has a speed of 30 MB/s, while the external USB 3 speed (depending on the quality of the stick) reaches a 10x increase.
I recommend replacing the internal uSD card because I think there is not that much gain with the external USB.
--
Gyula HA3HZ
|
Congratulations on solving the problem and I wish you many nice DXs. If you don't like to solder, I recommend using a power supply with current limitation.
It's likely that the previous owner forgot to put the RPi screws back in. If I remember correctly, they are M2.4x 8 mm or something similar.
I have a cooling fan, so I have an intermediate panel to hold it in place and for extra spacing I have M2.4x 10 mm screws.
--
Gyula HA3HZ
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I follow what you are saying.? However the sdcard in the zbitx is? internal. I was hoping that a sdcard in a card reader in the USB port can be booted instead of booting from the internal card.
?
Leo, AI5II
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Re: Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
?Since the rig is pre-soldered, he can't be smoking flux!
|
If you want a quick answer, copy the uSD card from the working system (you can do it with an SD card reader) and then swap the two cards.
Due to the small size, booting from an external USB increases the portability. As far as I know, this was also the goal of zbitx, to be small and portable.
By the way, if you want to experiment with this external USB boot, you can read the solution on the JJ wiki how it was implemented at sbitx.
The microUSB is probably usb 2, so I think you can't achieve a speed increase with this.
--
Gyula HA3HZ
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Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
Anyway, having a "shutdown" button in GUI that does power off, could be a good idea to minimize the risk of filesystem corruption...
73, Wojtek
?r., 2 kwi 2025, 08:08 u?ytkownik WZab - SP5DAA via <wzab01= [email protected]> napisa?:
Hi Tilman,
What are the properties of the /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx ?
Can you execute: 'ls -l /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx' and send the result?
Maybe you have done something via sudo and changed the ownership of that file?
73, Wojtek SP5DAA
?r., 2 kwi 2025, 07:45 u?ytkownik Tilman, SM0JZT via <sm0jzt= [email protected]> napisa?: Deard Ashhar
Yet another try. I must admit that my patience is at its limits now with the zbitx....?
Anyway, tried and followed your instructions.?
Here the results:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git checkout main
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
? ? sbitx
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update sbitx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:13 MST 2025
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:15 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
?
Still a nogo apparently :-(
So I kindly ask you to make a fresh image available that I can flash onto my SD-card.
It is very obvious that the system is to fragile for even a person like myself that has been dealing with RPI:s for years. The supportload can get out of hands Im afraid.?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
Just for the sake of argument, let's say I do something stupid and my zbitx will no longer boot. But I have done a SD card copy to an external usb with new UUID.
How do I boot from the USB so that I can copy the system back to the internal SD card thereby restoring my zbitx and making it bootable again?
?
Leo, AI5II
?
|
Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
Hi Tilman,
What are the properties of the /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx ?
Can you execute: 'ls -l /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx' and send the result?
Maybe you have done something via sudo and changed the ownership of that file?
73, Wojtek SP5DAA
?r., 2 kwi 2025, 07:45 u?ytkownik Tilman, SM0JZT via <sm0jzt= [email protected]> napisa?:
Deard Ashhar
Yet another try. I must admit that my patience is at its limits now with the zbitx....?
Anyway, tried and followed your instructions.?
Here the results:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git checkout main
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
? ? sbitx
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update sbitx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:13 MST 2025
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:15 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
?
Still a nogo apparently :-(
So I kindly ask you to make a fresh image available that I can flash onto my SD-card.
It is very obvious that the system is to fragile for even a person like myself that has been dealing with RPI:s for years. The supportload can get out of hands Im afraid.?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
Deard Ashhar
Yet another try. I must admit that my patience is at its limits now with the zbitx....?
Anyway, tried and followed your instructions.?
Here the results:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git checkout main
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
? ? sbitx
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update sbitx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:13 MST 2025
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:15 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
?
Still a nogo apparently :-(
So I kindly ask you to make a fresh image available that I can flash onto my SD-card.
It is very obvious that the system is to fragile for even a person like myself that has been dealing with RPI:s for years. The supportload can get out of hands Im afraid.?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
I have fixed the two issues of zbitx on CW. The new update has good keying with Iambic keyer and the cw decode noise is now gone as well. To get this update, you have to: 1. Flash the new firmware (the firmware version is now 1.06). The firmware is available from? 2. Update the new software on the raspberry pi, the latest version with the CW keyng fixed is 3.051 (or later). Here is Jose, VU2JOS sending CW with the new firmware update.
With this, I hope we have moved on with CW issues. - f ?
|
Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Interesting
?
would it be possible to get a correct instruction on how to Build a ¡±fresh image¡± for a zbitx?
?
My radio defenitly is unusable now. Im having trouble to recomend bying one to fellow OM.s
?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
Zbitx orders might close soon
We are close to our capacity now. We need to prep for Dayton as well. The response has been overwhelming and we may have to put brakes yet again. I guess by the end of the day we will stop taking more orders. - f
|
Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
Try deleting everything /var/logs.
On Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 8:41 AM Vince d'Eon VE6LK/AI7LK via <vincedeon= [email protected]> wrote: I was able to locate the pi user password and got in via SSH.?
?
I ran your command but it returned an error.
?
I ran ./update and the radio is now working again.
?
Still, no keyboard and mouse.
|
Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
I was able to locate the pi user password and got in via SSH.?
?
I ran your command but it returned an error.
?
I ran ./update and the radio is now working again.
?
Still, no keyboard and mouse.
|
Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
can you run ./build sbit to rebuild the software?? pi@sbitx:/~sbitx$./build sbitx That should build it - f On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 8:04?AM Vince d'Eon VE6LK/AI7LK via <vincedeon= [email protected]> wrote:
Well I'm stuck. I applied latest firmware v1.05 per page 24 of the manual, and latest software v3.051 (I think?) per page 22 of the manual. The radio then started doing all of the CW things better. I noticed that sometimes I could not get RF output despite DRIVE being at 100. In chasing that issue down to log it as a bug, I decided to re-download firmware and software - - and now I'm stuck.
?
Upon power-up, screen says the zBitx firmware v1.05 is waiting to start. I hear a small noise from the speaker about 10 seconds after boot that lasts about one second (sounds like screen writing or i2c noise).
?
Firmware re-application seems to happen *very* quickly with the reboot taking just a second or two.
?
The internal and external displays work fine. When I plug in the external mouse and keyboard, where they were previously working they now do not; power applies to the mouse as the LED lights up, but neither it nor the keyboard is recognized. On the external display I see the tubes background and one terminal window, but I no longer see the zBitx window similar to what is on the built-in display. I am unable to run the software update procedure on page 22 as the keyboard and mouse are not recognized. The terminal window shows 4 lines of text and ends in a prompt "pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $"
Wifi is working; I attempted to SSH into the device but do not know where to locate the password for the default user pi.
?
Please direct me towards the next steps, and thank you.
73 de VE6LK/AI7LK
|
Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
Well I'm stuck. I applied latest firmware v1.05 per page 24 of the manual, and latest software v3.051 (I think?) per page 22 of the manual. The radio then started doing all of the CW things better. I noticed that sometimes I could not get RF output despite DRIVE being at 100. In chasing that issue down to log it as a bug, I decided to re-download firmware and software - - and now I'm stuck.
?
Upon power-up, screen says the zBitx firmware v1.05 is waiting to start. I hear a small noise from the speaker about 10 seconds after boot that lasts about one second (sounds like screen writing or i2c noise).
?
Firmware re-application seems to happen *very* quickly with the reboot taking just a second or two.
?
The internal and external displays work fine. When I plug in the external mouse and keyboard, where they were previously working they now do not; power applies to the mouse as the LED lights up, but neither it nor the keyboard is recognized. On the external display I see the tubes background and one terminal window, but I no longer see the zBitx window similar to what is on the built-in display. I am unable to run the software update procedure on page 22 as the keyboard and mouse are not recognized. The terminal window shows 4 lines of text and ends in a prompt "pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $"
Wifi is working; I attempted to SSH into the device but do not know where to locate the password for the default user pi.
?
Please direct me towards the next steps, and thank you.
73 de VE6LK/AI7LK
|
Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Nothing will fully brick it. ?Even if you ruin your sd card you could always install a fresh img. ?I apt update and apt upgrade all the time. ?A few have had problems doing sudo apt full-upgrade.?
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Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
I am so sorry. Too much brain fog. It is git checkout main i wrongly gave you git checkout master - f
Ashhar
?
Just for giggles I did try the ./update thingy. Here is the output. Might ring a bell for you that understand far more then myself:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 09:32:27 MST 2025
remote: Enumerating objects: 11, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (11/11), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (1/1), done.
remote: Total 6 (delta 5), reused 6 (delta 5), pack-reused 0 (from 0)
Unpacking objects: 100% (6/6), done.
From
? ?8da6d22..b9cabb4 ?main ? ? ? -> origin/main
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 09:32:29 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Leo, We don't foresee?why anything will brick the sbitx. I upgrade all the time. - f
On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 1:43?AM Leo Aniol, AI5II via <leomaniolone= [email protected]> wrote: Just curious.
If after running ./update, if I run sudo apt update/upgrade will the zbit be bricked?
I'd be interested in compiling hamlib 4.5.4 and wsjt-z on the zbitx. I do have wsjt-z running on my laptop using a raspian image but need to install all the dependencies to fo the compile on the sbitx.
?
Leo, AI5II
|
Re: zBitx upgrading the firmware.
The zBitx displays the sbitx and firmware versions on startup.
How do you know if you have the latest versions? Is there a version name or tag in github or the firmware file?
--
73
??? Bob? KD8CGH
|
HA3HZ
Tilman, SM0JZT
Bob Benedict, KD8CGH