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Just got my RPI Zero and I suspect it's HDMI connector is dammaged, because when pluggetd to TV or monitor it outputs white noise (like the old TV on empty channel). I started troubleshooting and it appears to be outputting heavilly dammaged picture in left part of the screen when in HDMI Safe mode (display=2 in recovery.config): enter image description here

Messing with the RPi HDMI connector further (moving it around) caused flickering and varoius artifacts, which finally resulted in full screen of fuzzified picture: enter image description here

Has anyone had the issue alike? How can I find faulty solder joint (or connection) and fix it? I'll probably end up trying to return it, I'd like to try fixing it though, if it's only a bad solder. Plase share your suggestions and expirience with troubleshooting hardware failures in RPI, I'll appreciate it.

[EDIT] The connector looks like this:

I was able to take the pictures of the connector under my improvised microscope:enter image description here enter image description hereenter image description here

Though I'm getting the 'Signal Error' on monitor now :(

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    Have you tried different HDMI cables and screens? I suspect it could be the cable. If you are certain its the HDMI connector on the Pi could you please include a clear picture of it in your question.
    – Darth Vader ♦
    May 21, 2017 at 15:01
  • Yes, I tried TV and Eizo monitor with two HDMI high speed, no ethernet cables with results alike. I included the picture in the post.
    – Piotr Falkowski
    May 22, 2017 at 20:05
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    I'll be honest I have never seen an error like the one you are getting. It might be an idea to take the Pi back to where you purchased it and get it checked out. My guess is since the solder joints appear to look ok, the fault lies inside the HDMI connector itself.
    – Darth Vader ♦
    May 22, 2017 at 20:11
  • Please check out my 'microscpe' pictures haha. Especially the middle one, there appears to be a crack in one joint???
    – Piotr Falkowski
    May 22, 2017 at 20:19
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    The joints all look like they could work. The best way to check is to use the continuity function on a multimeter. Although the joints are so small its going to be difficult to do. You said in the question you could wiggle the connector, did you mean the connector or the HDMI cable? If you are able to wiggle the HDMI connector, then it was not soldered properly and you need to return it to where you purchased it. I do not recommend trying to re-solder the joints, you are more likely to cause more damage to the Pi.
    – Darth Vader ♦
    May 23, 2017 at 7:15

1 Answer 1

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Ok so the issue was the adapter from mini HDMI to HDMI. The cables and Raspi are fine. Lesson for future self - buy the cable you need, not the multipurpose one.

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