Damage to the SD Card after firmware update.

cmontalvo

Some days ago when I started the Asi Air Pro (AAP) app it forced to update the firmware. I think it updated correctly and the session of that day went complete, presumably normally except that during the session I noticed that the images where saving to the SD card and not to the USB stick as is usual for me. After completing the session I wanted to pass the images to the computer but there were no new images in the USB stick and the SD card did not work. There was a message telling that I should format the card. I tried to look for a way to pass the images from the SD card to the USB in the AAP but the AAP does not beep and never started, the reset did not work. I did not find a way to see the images in the card and finally I had to format the SD, however I could not format, the SD card seemed to be damaged. I had to purchase a new SD card, install the OS downloaded from the ZWO web and tried again the next barely clear night. The AAP started normally with the SD card as default. I changed to the USB and the test images saved on the USB and in the tablet. I hope you can review this problem and the similar other users had to check your firmware update and software to avoid problems for the future. The only other thing that you should know is that I purchased a 64Gb SD card thinking that I would like to have more room in case it is needed but after passing the OS as you instructed in the web the available space is only below 32Gb, so it is a waste of money you have to advise your customers to purchase only 32Gb in case a new fried SD! Also, you shoul include a way in the APP to pass the images from SD to USB to avoid problems.
Celso.

wizzlebippi

The ASIAIR Pro is a Raspberry Pi 4b, and like any other Raspberry Pi can be hard on micro SD cards simply because the average micro SD card can't handle the IO load of an OS. The only way to prevent this in the future is to buy a high endurance micro SD card, something designed for dash or security cams, or preferably if you can find one an industrial micro SD card. I use 16GB SanDisk industrial micro SD cards in my Pi projects and have yet to kill one after 4+@ years of use and 2 major OS upgrades.

For loosing half the space on the card, unless you have a way to ssh into the ASIAIR to expand the volume after re-imaging, then you're not going to be able to claim the extra space. On the upside, you've greatly over-provisioned the card so you probably won't kill this one by the number of writes alone.

Finally, I agree that there needs to be a way to dump all images from internal storage to a flash drive with one button.

cmontalvo

Thanks. I received my new ASI AIr Pro on ist of July 2021, so I have it less than six months but due to the incredible bad weather I only had the chance to use it in a dark sky only three times, two of them a learning experience, and maybe a dozen times from my polluted and cloudy Bortle 8-9 balcony. And then this frustrating experience. I am begging to have a better time in the next months.