Troubleshooting

This guide covers common issues encountered with the Interceptor Carrier Board and their solutions.

Power Issues

System won’t power on

Symptoms: Power LED doesn’t illuminate, no activity.

Solutions:

1. Verify ATX PSU is switched on (check rear switch)
2. Check that 24-pin ATX connector is fully seated
3. Verify PSU is functional (test with another system or PSU tester)
4. Check front panel power button wiring on J2

System powers off randomly / crashes

Symptoms: System runs for a while then shuts down or freezes.

Likely Cause: Unstable +3.3V rail from PSU.

Solutions:

1. Replace PSU - This is the most common cause. Low-quality PSUs cannot maintain 3.3V under low load conditions typical of Pi-based systems
2. Use a quality brand PSU (Corsair, EVGA, Seasonic)
3. Check voltage with multimeter (should be 3.3V ±5%)

System unstable under load

Symptoms: Crashes when accessing SATA drives or using PoE.

Solutions:

1. Verify PSU wattage is adequate for your configuration
2. Check 12V rail capacity (especially with PoE boards)
3. Ensure all power connections are secure

Boot Issues

CM5: “GPT no bootable partition” error

Cause: CM5 cannot boot from USB 2.0, and the Interceptor board only has USB 2.0.

Solutions:

1. Use SD card boot - If CM5 has blank eMMC, it will boot from SD
2. Flash eMMC - Use a separate CM5 IO board with rpiboot to flash the OS to eMMC, then install CM5 on the Interceptor

See FAQ for detailed CM5 guidance.

No video output

Symptoms: HDMI displays show no signal.

Solutions:

1. Try the other HDMI port (J4 or J5)
2. Banana Pi CM4: Only HDMI0 (J4) works - this is a known limitation
3. Check config.txt for HDMI configuration issues
4. Try a different HDMI cable or monitor
5. Connect via SSH to verify system is booting

SD card not detected

Solutions:

1. Try a different SD card
2. Reformat card as FAT32 (for boot partition)
3. Re-flash the OS image
4. Check SD card slot for debris or damage

Network Issues

No network connectivity

Symptoms: Cannot ping or SSH to the device.

Solutions:

1. Check Ethernet cable connections
2. Verify link LEDs on the RJ-45 ports are illuminated
3. Try a different port on J8
4. Check IP configuration:

   ip addr show
   

Only some ports working

Solutions:

1. Check individual port LEDs
2. Try different cables
3. Check switch driver is loaded:

   sudo dmesg | grep rtl
   

Storage Issues

SATA drives not detected

Symptoms: Drives not showing in lsblk.

Solutions:

1. Check SATA and power cables are connected
2. Verify drives work in another system
3. Check controller status:

   sudo dmesg | grep -i "sata\|jmb\|ahci"
   lspci | grep -i sata
   

Poor SATA performance

Symptoms: Slow transfer speeds.

Solutions:

1. Check for SATA errors:

   sudo dmesg | grep -i error
   

2. Verify AHCI mode is enabled
3. Check cable quality (use quality SATA III cables)

PoE Issues

PoE board not detected

Solutions:

1. Check FFC cable is properly seated and locked
2. Verify 48V power from VOITA converter
3. Check OS version (needs 2025-05-01 or newer)
4. Check /proc/pse exists:

   cat /proc/pse
   

PoE port not powering device

Solutions:

1. Verify port is enabled:

   cat /proc/pse
   

2. Check device is PoE capable
3. Try a different port
4. Check total power budget isn’t exceeded

Intermittent PoE failures

Solutions:

1. Reseat FFC cables
2. Check terminal block connections on PoE board
3. Verify PSU 12V rail stability

Fan Issues

Fans running at full speed

Expected Behavior: The fan headers (M1-M4) do not support PWM speed control. Fans will always run at full speed when connected.

Workaround: Use low-noise fans or external fan controllers if noise is a concern.

Fans not spinning

Solutions:

1. Verify fans are 12V DC (not PWM-only)
2. Check fan connections
3. Test fans on another 12V source

Serial Console Issues

Cannot connect via UART

Solutions:

1. Use a 3.3V USB-to-Serial adapter (not 5V!)
2. Check TX/RX are not swapped:
   • Adapter TX → Board RX (J2 Pin 6)
   • Adapter RX → Board TX (J2 Pin 5)
   • Connect GND
3. Use correct serial settings: 115200 8N1

Video Issues

No display on HDMI1 (Banana Pi)

Expected: This is a known limitation. Only HDMI0 (J4) works with Banana Pi CM4.

4K resolution issues

Solutions:

1. Verify monitor and cable support HDMI 2.0
2. Check config.txt settings:

   hdmi_enable_4kp60=1
   

Getting More Help

If you’ve tried these solutions and still have issues:

1. Gather Information:

   # System info
   uname -a
   cat /etc/os-release
   
   # Hardware detection
   lsusb
   lspci
   lsblk
   
   # Recent errors
   sudo dmesg | tail -100
   

2. Contact Support:

   • Email: info@exaviz.com
   • Include system information and error messages

Last modified December 30, 2025