Raspberry Pi3 rainbow box

archie456 · January 6, 2017 at 9:10 PM

Hi,

I've have Kodi / LibreELEC running on a Raspberry Pi3.

The system has been working really well, but all of a sudden I how get a rainbow square appear in the top right corner.

I understand that this represents power issues. Though Kodi / LibreElec seems to work fine.

I bought an approved 2Amp power supply. I don't turn the system off, its been permanently on for a years or more.

Could it be that my power supply has suddenly gone bad? Do they have a life span?

I'd appreciate some advice.

Thanks

**popcornmix** · January 7, 2017 at 3:12 PM

Yes, power supplies can gradually degrade with time.
You are more likely to observe this if the supply was close to borderline to begin with.

2.5A is normally recommended for a Pi3, but that allows for some USB peripherals - do you have anything connected?

Ideally measure the voltage with a voltmeter, or try with a different supply to confirm the problem.

**Iridium** · January 7, 2017 at 6:39 PM Official Post

When I first got my RPi3 I had no end of problems with power. Eventually I had to settle for a 2.5amp power supply.

The RPi3 is notorious for power issues, so much so that some people have deactivated the onboard wifi and BT. (Not recommended unless you are damn good at de-soldering!)

As suggested by popcornmix have you added more USB devices? If you have USB devices attached, you could try using a USB powered hub to get around the problem.

archie456 · January 8, 2017 at 5:51 PM

Thanks for the info.

I only have a USB memory stick plugged in which I use for mass storage. Its been working fine for ages, the rainbow box has appeared in the last week.

I bought a raspberry pi recommended power supply - but its 2 amps.

I've decided to order a new power pack - a 2.5A version this time...

trent · January 8, 2017 at 6:21 PM

Most USB 5V power supplies are not designed to be used as 24/7 power supplies.

That doesn't mean you cannot use them, it just means the component quality - particularly the electrolytic capacitors - was chosen based on an expected usage of maybe 2-3hrs per day (to charge a phone etc). And you are using it 24hrs per day. So of course the life will be shorter. The designer of an intended power supply expects it to be used 24/7, therefore he chooses better components.

I would expect the official RPi power supply to use better components than your typical generic charger but I have never opened one up to verify that.

Raspberry Pi3 rainbow box

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