How to replace the B3 (micro) SD card
If your B3 fails to start it can be because the micro SD card is corrupt. If under warranty we will send you a replacement - or you can order here
You can also program an SD card yourself - see below
Here is how you change the SD card.
Remove the power cable and dongle/s (to prevent them being damaged)
Remove the two screws either side of the cover i.e. four in total (these are larger than the other screws so keep them separate) and the four screws along the back edge of the cover.
Slide the cover towards the rear of the unit and remove completely.
The following photo shows the general layout inside the B3 and the SD Card position is ringed in red.
To reduce the risk of static damage try not to touch any components on any of the circuit boards as far as possible.
Refer to the photos below - push the edge of the card, in the direction of the arrow, against the spring pressure and release. It will move a short way out.
Mark the Raspberry Pi circuit board either side of the card to make it easier to locate the new one and then pull the card completely out, making a note of the orientation - the gold contacts are facing upwards and go towards the circuit board.
Position the new card using the marks as a guide (gold contacts uppermost and towards the Raspberry Pi board) and locate into the card socket. Push the card against the spring and release. The card should stay in place.
The SD Card holder is on the underside of the Raspberry Pi circuit board – see photo – which is rotated in this view
Plug the power lead in and switch the B3 on. Check it boots up OK - it should display ‘brennan’ in black on white, briefly, then ‘brennan’ in white on black and then ‘480Gb’ or ‘2000Gb’ (depending on the model).
Press and hold the Play/Stop button until 'OK to turn off' is displayed, release the button, wait for ‘480Gb’ or ‘2000Gb’ to be displayed again and then switch off.
Remove the power lead and replace the cover and screws.
Plug in the WiFi dongle (marked 802.11n) and the Bluetooth one (V5.0 or CSR4.0), if required, power the B3 on and let it boot up. Make sure it displays an IP Address and the clock – to indicate it has reconnected to WiFi and the internet.
After fitting the new card we recommend doing a software update. Use the front control knob to go to Main menu > Settings & Tools > Maintenance > 'Web Upgrade'.
Here is how to program your own micro SD card
You can create our own SD card if you have a PC or Mac.
Install a copy of Etcher
Then download the image file from here
Plug your target SD card into your PC (you can use a USB SD card adaptor)
Then fire up Etcher and point it at the image file you downloaded. Select the SD card and click on Flash.
We recommend buying a branded micro SD card - like SanDisk - with a capacity greater than 8G.
Again we recommend doing a software update after fitting the new card.