The device may simply be turned off, or the battery could be too depleted to power it on. In some cases, a firmware bug can also cause the unit to be unresponsive. Follow the steps below to diagnose and resolve the problem.
The Device is Turned Off
The device may just be turned off. Be sure to press the power button for the sufficient time required to turn it on.
Solution:
- Hold down the blue button for three seconds.
- If the unit powers up and then turns itself off, it needs charging. Charge the device to an ample battery level (25–30%) and it should resume functionality.
The Battery is Dead
The battery of your Power Station may be so discharged that it fails to do anything when the power button is pressed.
Solution:
- Charge the unit through the rear port.
- Be sure that the power source, charging brick, and cable are providing a sufficient charge.
- You should see the battery charging indicator come on on the display.
- Let the unit charge to at least 25–30%.
If there is no charging indicator when you plug it in, it may indicate deeper issues with your device. We still recommend attempting to charge your device with a known-functional charging setup for at least 30 minutes to rule out deep discharge. If charging has no effect, you’ll need to address possible hardware issues.
Further Troubleshooting for Unresponsive Unit
Devices that are unresponsive have a bug in our firmware that we’ve since resolved, but getting the devices onto the new firmware can be a bit tricky.
You will need a USB-A to USB-C Cable (not the cable that came with the power station).*
If you don’t have a USB-A port on your computer, you can still use a USB-C to USB-A adapter, as these little converters remove all the USB-PD functionality and force the connection to be over USB 2.0:
Solution:
- Unplug anything from the rear port of the power station.
- Press and hold the knob button, and, keeping the knob pressed down, plug the power station into the computer using the USB-A to USB-C cable. This should put the device into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode, and you should hear a chime that a USB device has connected to the computer. Release the knob button. The screen on the Power Station will stay blank.
- Go to www.ifixit.com/fixhub/console and follow the prompts to connect to your Power Station. Select “upload firmware” and select “upgrade now.” The device should follow the firmware update process and boot properly afterwards.
- The battery is still very low, and it will need to charge for a little while before it will display anything other than “0%.” You should leave it plugged into the computer (or other USB-A power source) until it is showing >0% charge, and then move it to a fast charger for speedier charging. The device should operate normally now, but you might get some warnings about charge levels for a few charge cycles as the internal battery re-calibrates.
*USB-C to USB-C cables, including the one that came with your power station, support a wide variety of connection protocols (including USB 2.0), but they always prioritize the “better” or more capable connection if it’s available, such as USB Power Delivery (USB PD). Because our supplied cable (and most USB-C to USB-C cables) support USB PD, the computer and smart hub will attempt to establish a USB PD connection before trying other USB protocols.
However, the power station’s firmware has a bug where it can negotiate a USB PD connection but cannot fully boot using USB PD power alone. Normally, the internal battery would supplement the power needed for the system to boot while the PD controller sorts itself out. Unfortunately, in this specific low-battery scenario, there’s another bug: the quiescent power draw (power consumed by the device even when it’s in an OFF or Hibernate state) is too high. This can cause the battery pack to drain below the critical charge level where it can power the system on its own.
Therefore, you face a situation where:
- The battery is too low to power the system.
- The preferred USB-C to USB-C connection attempts USB PD, but the firmware bug prevents the system from booting solely on USB PD power.
In contrast, USB-A to USB-C cables typically only support USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 data and power standards, and critically, do not support USB PD. When the power station is connected to the computer via a USB-A to USB-C cable, it will automatically connect using the best available protocol it can handle with that cable, which is USB 2.0. This USB 2.0 connection provides sufficient and stable power for the power station to properly reboot from DFU mode into its normal operating mode during the firmware update process. Once the firmware update is complete and the power station has taken enough charge via the USB-A connection to operate off its battery power, it can then be safely connected to a USB-C to USB-C cable and fast charger for speedier charging up to full capacity.
The Battery has Been Disconnected
The battery of your Power Station may have become disconnected from the main board. This is particularly pertinent if your FixHub suffered any major impacts or drops before the problem arose.
Solution:
Follow this guide for guidance on opening the device, as well as how to reconnect the battery connector.
The Power Station has Failed or There is a Battery Fault
If the battery was in place and connected, but there is no charging indicator when you try to charge the unit, then either:
- The main board of the Power Station has become damaged.
- The battery itself has failed.
If either of these are the case, and you continue to have issues with your Power Station not turning on, contact Support for further assistance.
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