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Topic starter
23/11/2025 9:37 pm
Hello,
A few days ago I purchased a UPS PIco HV4.0B Stack with Lead Acid backup battery, fw version 0150, from a Greek vendor. Intended usage is to prevent SD card corruption of my Raspberry Pi4B (with Moode Audio installed on it), when AC mains voltage is switched off. Pi is powered from the USB-C connection, via the original AC/DC power pack. So I expect my Pi+HV04 to automatically shut down when AC is off for more than 1 min and to automatically return to operation when power input is on again.
First, I soldered the two pogo pins at the correct locations for the Pi 4 (i.e. at the holes near the SYS LED).
Then I proceeded with setting up the sw environment on my Pi. Here I faced some difficulties during the software setup (I will make another post about that) but finally I managed to install the daemons on my Pi machine and the script for decreasing the I2C Raspberry Pi I2C rate. However, HV4.0 was quite unstable during the transition from normal operation to LPR, so I decided to update the firmware to the latest publicly available version (0179). After this update, the unit is operational but it does not behave as expected. Here is what it happens:
1. When power to Pi is normal, SYS LED blinks every 750 msec.
2. After turning of the DC power to the Pi, SYS LED blinks every 2 sec.
3. After ~30 sec, and while power to the Pi is off, BAT LED turns on and off quite erratically, in orange color. SYS LED keeps blinking at 2 sec intervals.
4. After 4 min : 45 sec, both SYS and BAT LEDs turn off and Pi is turned off as well.
My main problem is the long time needed for shutting down (4min:45sec). It should be ~ 1 min. And the operation of the BAT LED implies that something worrisome happens here.
If I press the F button:
1. SYS LED is blinking at 2 sec intervals
2. After ~ 5 min, SYS LED turns off but Pi still operates (i.e., it does not turn off)
Here is the status information:
**********************************************
UPS PIco HV4.0 Status
Version 1.4 Relase Date 13.03.2024
Compatible with Firmware 0x0168 and up
**********************************************System Clock read from Date................: 2025-11-23 22:51:39
System Clock read from HWCLOCK.............: Error: {error_message}
UPS PIco RTC Registers direct read.........: 2025-11-23 20:51:39UPS PIco Firmware..........................: 0179
UPS PIco Bootloader........................: 41
UPS PIco PCB Version.......................: 54
UPS PIco PCB Defaut Battery................: Battery LiPO 'L' 0x4C
UPS PIco Set Battery.......................: Battery SAL 'A' 0x41Raspberry Pi Core Temprature...............: 42 C
Raspberry Pi Core Temprature read by PICo..: 44 C
Embedded Fan Temp. Threshold...............: 45 C
Embedded Fan Speed.........................: OFF % of Total RPMPowering Mode..............................: Cable POWERED
Power Backup Set Mode......................: Battery BackupBattery Level..............................: 4.3 V
Super Capacitor Level......................: 3.8 V
EPR/PPoE Powering Level....................: 0.0 V
RPi(USB) Powering Level....................: 5.2 VRunning Time on Battery....................: 1 min
Battery Charger Status.....................: ON
Max Allowed Battery charging curent........: 0.44 A
Max Allowed On Board SCAP charging curent..: 0.0 APower Source(s) Cable checking timeout.....: 0.3 Seconds
Restart on Hold time.......................: 00 Seconds
FSSD Durtion...............................: 30 Seconds
Firmware loop..............................: Healthy - Running Properly
Still Alive Timer..........................: Timer Disabled
Raspberry Pi OFF waiting time..............: 5 Minutes
Magic Switch Funtionality..................: de-ActivatedUPS PIco HV4.0 RS232(s) Setup..............: RPI_RS232_OFF PICO_RS232_OFF
-12/+12 V RS232 Driver Connection..........: none
RS232 PIco routing.........................: not implemented yet
RS232(s) PIco sleep/wakeup data setup......: not implemented yet
RS232(s) PIco sleep/wakeup data received...: not implemented yetInternal Relay State.......................: OFF
User LED Green Activity....................: OFF
User LED Blue Activity.....................: OFF
Green LED mapping setup....................: none
Blue LED mapping setup.....................: noneA/D Converters Correction Factor...........: 00
A/D Converter 0 ...........................: 0.0
A/D Converter 1 ...........................: 0.0
Opto Coupler/Digital Input Level...........: 0.0
This topic was modified 2 months ago 2 times by Dimitris
23/11/2025 9:46 pm
Hi,
1. When power to Pi is normal, SYS LED blinks every 750 msec.
2. After turning of the DC power to the Pi, SYS LED blinks every 2 sec.
3. After ~30 sec, and while power to the Pi is off, BAT LED turns on and off quite erratically, in orange color. SYS LED keeps blinking at 2 sec intervals.
4. After 4 min : 45 sec, both SYS and BAT LEDs turn off and Pi is turned off as well.
My main problem is the long time needed for shutting down (4min:45sec). It should be ~ 1 min. And the operation of the BAT LED implies that something worrisome happens here.
1. It is OK as far is cable powered
2. It is OK as far is battery powered
Please answer to the following questions:
1. What is your battery (Voltage) ?
2. Please upload a shot video of your situation.
ΜΦΧ PiM
Topic starter
28/11/2025 11:09 pm
Hello again,
To answer your question, my battery is a 3.7V/450mAh (LiIon?). I had mistakenly set the battery type to Lead Acid but now I have reverted the related register to 0x4C. However, the behaviour of HV4.0 did not change for the better. I also reverted the board to the default settings using the UR + B button combination (I saw the "walking LEDs" but I didn't notice any improvement.
I performed the following troubleshooting test: I loaded your OS_24_11_19_Debian_Bookworm_64bit.img on my Rasberry 4B + HV4.0 B Stack. Here is what I noticed:
a. Power up is normal (fast SYS LED blinking). Debian OS boots normally.
b. When I disconnect the USB power from the Raspberry, the SYS LED starts blinking slowly and it keeps blinking for the next 6 minutes and 20 seconds.Then the system abruptly shuts down (it's definitely not a safe shutdown because the shutdown duration lasts only 1-2 seconds).
c. Now the SYS LED is permanently ON and the system does not reboot if I reconnect the USB power. It only reboots if I press the UR button.
Another abnormal behaviour is that, when I press the FSSD button when USB power is on, the system turns off the display but, again, SYS LED remains permanently on and the system does not boot unless I press the UR button. It seems that somehow the shutting down procedure makes the HV4.0 board freezing.
I have attached two videos related to the tests above. The "power off" video contains only the last seconds before and after the 6min:20sec point. The fssd video is complete.
I am frustrated. You seem to have a very good knowledge of electronics (I am an electronics design engineer), the price of the board is nice as well as its features and its modularity but somehow the documentation (perhaps I could help you a bit on that) and the firmware are a bit behind. Hoping you will soon sort out these issues.
ΜΦΧ
Dimitris
28/11/2025 11:12 pm
Hi,
Thank you for your descriptions
We will solve your problem by tomorrow,
Battery is LiPO (not Li-Ion)
BR PiM
30/11/2025 4:20 pm
Hi,
I checked it here and working well.
I will analyze your email in very details and answer tomorrow evening.
Just releasing new firmware so overloaded with testing
BR PiM
Topic starter
29/12/2025 8:58 pm
Hello,
One month has already passed since the supposedly upcoming firmware release and there is still no firmware update. Actually, there are no updates for at least 1 year or more. Newer Raspberry OS versions seem to have broken the compatibility with this board, hence the need for updates.
I want to be as polite as possible but, as a customer who have paid for this board, I have to ask you this: Are you really able to support this product? Is there a chance that it you can make it compatible with new OS releases or better I should seek a way to return it to the seller??
Thank you in advance,
Dimitris
29/12/2025 9:13 pm
Hi Dimitri,
Χρονιά Πολλά !
The functionality you mentioned is working well on the official version of the firmware you have already.
Regarding the newer firmware release, yes it is fact delayed, as I'm adding more and more functionalities to it, It should be released next days (hopefully.
Regarding your comment, the firmware you have on your hands already is working well, so before we release newer one, are very carefully testing it, as many customers have their devices located remotely, and possible bug can cause a strong problem for them.
You paid for a board that is working properly.
Firmware update is about additional features of the product (i.e. real time power calculation of the system, real time current measure, some improvements etc)
Firmware release has nothing to do with your system, they are additional features, and one very deep bug corrected for one customer using with 2 dedicated PCB on the same one I2C.
No, updates usually does not mean wrong firmware.
Kind Regards
PiM
PS. As I mentioned before your firmware tested here is working well. If you have problem with the new OS, I can prepare new OS SD card and release it tomorrow. However that last one is running well here. Send exact what OS are you looking for to make a SD card for you
29/12/2025 9:34 pm
Hi,
Right now I m preparing SD with the latest OS UPD and UPG. So available in next hour.
BR PiM
This post was modified 4 weeks ago by PiAdmin
29/12/2025 10:45 pm
UPD and UPG takes so long so release it for you tomorrow
BR PiM
30/12/2025 2:04 pm
Hi,
Dear All and Dimitri,
Just updated the new fresh made image of the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS, with everything installed as also the MC installed. We also updated the scripts to a newer versions. the SD card is 16 GB image.
The user is pi and password is 1
OS with scripts can be downloaded on a single file from here:
https://pimodules.com/download/61/public/5113/img_rpi_4_pico4_sdc16gb_30122015_link.txt
Only scripts can be downloaded from here:
I listed a wrong link for scripts, here is corrected one
https://pimodules.com/download/61/public/5109/scripts_rpi_4_pico4_sdc16gb_30122015.zip
NOTE: We are doing the ready OS for our customers, however they are only for a reference. If you need you can to adopt the 16 GB SD card to other sizes
Next days I expect to release the newer version of firmware, still under testing.
Please always be tuned to our updates page
https://pimodules.com/firmware-updates
I wish you all
Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Peacefully New Year 2026 !!!
My Best Regards
PiM
