Particle Photon Setup

Troubleshooting
1

Within the last month I purchased a Particle Core Photon. I have powered it on through a USB-to-microUSB cable attached to the laptop and I find the blue light blinks (indicating it is in listening mode). Next I downloaded the app on the phone and followed the instructions to connect the Core Photon to the WiFi network.

The process completed successfully by placing a check as it completed each section of connection process to the network. It then mentions the Core Photon is updating the firmware and continues to blink on the LED with a Blue and Red light (at the same time). Is this firmware update expected to take more than 30 minutes?

After thirty minutes I held the setup button for 3 seconds and started the process over again. However, I am finding the same problem again. The blink blue and red LED is still flashing for a long time. Can you provide any guidance?

2

@jkhan001 the device should be breathing cyan like here: https://docs.particle.io/guide/getting-started/modes/core/#connected

Are you seeing blinking cyan with occasional red flashes?

3

@kennethlimcp Thank you for the reply. Since my initial post I waited for the blinking (blue/red) lights to stop flashing for close to an hour. The Particle dashboard showed the device live and was in auto-update mode. Yet, it never stopped so I unplugged it completely.

Now that I turned it back on the LED is not breathing Cyan. The LED is a contact Green.

4

Do you have particle-cli installed?

5

I am not able to install particle-cli since I have node.js version 4. This is anther part of my diagnostic issues.

6

Can you perform a factory reset then? and setup wifi again

7

I just did the factory reset based on the link you sent. My white light did not flash as quickly as the example. However, once I preformed a reset I then held the setup button for 3 seconds for the blinking blue mode. Then I preformed anther WiFi setup.

The dashboard shows the Core Photon connected online and is in auto-update mode. I attached two images here. One of the flashing LED in auto-update mode and a screen capture of what I am seeing on the dashboard.

8

Erm… @jkhan001. That’s a Photon

9

My bad. Is the link (https://docs.particle.io/guide/getting-started/modes/core/#connected) still valid for the photon?

10

You can toggle the device selection at the top right: https://docs.particle.io/guide/getting-started/modes/photon/

Anyway back to your issue, the Photon should blink magenta and eventually blink magenta rapidly. Are you seeing it?

11

It never gets to the rapid magenta blinking. I am only seeing a slow blinking magenta.

12

You might have to be patient as it takes a while. If you have DFU-util installed, we can do it via USB

13

I can get into the DFU mode. I achieved that mode once. Do you think I can get this system update quicker this way?

14

Definitely. We will flash it via USB which does not have latency etc. Are you on windows? Do you have the DFU-util downloaded and installed?

15

I am on a Mac.

16

DFU-util is installed now.

17

umm if it is in the breadboard in that fashion then i doubt it would ever work as you have one complete side of the photon shorted. it should be placed with each side in its own bank of cells (across the groove).

5 Likes
18

It’s on top of the breadboard in the foam.

19

@jkhan001 even so in that case you have ALL pins shorted, as it is CONDUCTIVE foam

20

i stand corrected, contrary to basic antistatic protection of integrated circuits it is an insulator. just checked mine here.lol