Dead as a doornail

[gozillah]

What happened?

No response

Your hardware

No response

Tests

• I managed to update/boot previously

[gozillah]

I own and have operated a HackRF one with genuine (Sharebrained) Portapack and Mayhem for years. But today I received my PortaRF. No documentation or link to documentation supplied :-(. No SD card supplied :-(, so I downloaded the SD card contents from https://github.com/OpenSourceSDRLab/PortaRF (first had to discover that there is a PortaRF github separate from https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware, so why?). Upon boot a lady voice says "Please configure the network". Upon every power-up. This drove me crazy. Network? What network? What hellish network? What the hell ...? Does someone have a documentation, P L E A S E ...? In the course of finding a solution I pressed the Reset button for a number of seconds. Upon next power-up the screen remained black. But the lady still says "Please configure the network" upon each power-on. I believe I need a shrink. I consulted "https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki/Won't-boot", to no avail (up, down, left, right). I tried to DFU the device. To no avail: No USB connection (my old Portapack connects without a problem). Putting the device in HackRF mode? How could I do this with a dead device where the HackRF board cannot detached from the PortaRF rest?

[htotoo]

The configure network voice is from the ESP board included. Don't need to do anything about it, portarf would work. But if you wanna get rid of that voice, try to connect to it's wifi ap, and configure it to connect to your wifi via the captive portal.

The DFU should work, just press the DFU button WHILE powering up the device. (and install the drivers). On youtube sn0ren has a good video about reflashing portapack via dfu (it is the same for portarf).

[gozillah]

Thank you for your swift reply.

I reviewed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7Q9IidK2o (chapter 5).

I successfully installed lpc_dfu.inf:

I connected PortaRF to my Windows PC and pressed the DFU and Reset buttons as required.

I opended a cmd.exe window as administrator:

 Verzeichnis von D:\_T\_SDR\_HackRF\_PortaRF\_Mayhem\mayhem_v2.3.1_FIRMWARE

17.02.2026  12:38    <DIR>          .
17.02.2026  12:38    <DIR>          ..
08.11.2025  05:22             1’012 flash_portapack_mayhem.bat
08.11.2025  05:22                98 How to update the firmware.url
20.11.2025  09:29         1’048’576 portapack-mayhem-firmware.bin
08.11.2025  05:22               190 README.txt
08.11.2025  05:22    <DIR>          driver
23.11.2025  22:04    <DIR>          utils
08.11.2025  05:22                86 Check for firmware updates.url
08.11.2025  05:22               566 dfu_hackrf_one.bat
               6 Datei(en),      1’050’528 Bytes
               4 Verzeichnis(se), 2’411’508’793’344 Bytes frei

D:\_T\_SDR\_HackRF\_PortaRF\_Mayhem\mayhem_v2.3.1_FIRMWARE>dfu_hackrf_one.bat
*** Run HackRF firmware in RAM via LPC DFU ***

This is used to "unbrick" your HackRF, if you are no longer able to use
HackRF tools to flash or operate your HackRF.

Connect your HackRF One to a USB port on your computer.

Hold down both the DFU and RESET buttons on the HackRF.
Then release the RESET button (closest to the edge).
Then release the DFU button.

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

dfu-util 0.9

Copyright 2005-2009 Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc.
Copyright 2010-2016 Tormod Volden and Stefan Schmidt
This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
Please report bugs to http://sourceforge.net/p/dfu-util/tickets/

DFU suffix CRC does not match
A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util release!!!
No DFU capable USB device available

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

D:\_T\_SDR\_HackRF\_PortaRF\_Mayhem\mayhem_v2.3.1_FIRMWARE>flash_portapack_mayhem.bat
*** Re-flash the HackRF with PortaPack firmware ***

Connect your HackRF One to a USB port on your computer.

If using a PortaPack, put the PortaPack in HackRF mode by selecting
the "HackRF" option from the main menu.

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

Devices detected: 0 DFU, 0 HackRF
ERROR: HackRF not found.
Please connect a HackRF One to your computer's USB port.
If using a PortaPack, please put it in HackRF mode after connecting it.

If your device never boot after flashing, please refer to won't boot article"

"click-to-open url: https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki/Won%27t-boot"
"or
"copy-and-paste url: https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki/Won't-boot"

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

There is neither a symbol of a DFU device nor any yellow warning tringle in my Windows device manager. Normally Windows sounds a chime when a USB device is being connected. In my case there was no such indication.

The PortaRF still is dead as a doornail.

[htotoo]

have you started it with the dfu button pressed? (like connect to the usb. hold the dfu, press the reset, wait a bit, and release the dfu button).

what happens when you connect it to the pc while turned on, and open hackrf.app (from chrome + windows)? can it connect to it?

[htotoo]

also try with another usb cable and another pc usb port

[gozillah]

I used exactly the sequence you discribed: PortaRF switched off, connect USB (3v3 LED goes on), press reset and DFU at the same time, release reset while still holding DFU, wait a few seconds, release DFU. I tried several variations. No result.

I used the cable I am using every day for chaging and data transfer (USB-C to USB-C). I also tried with another data-cabable cable (USB-A to USB-C) at another port of my PC.

Before killing the PortaRF, if I remember right, I pressed reset for a couple of seconds (maybe 10), then switched the device off and on, whereupon it was already (or just played?) dead (except the lady which seems to have surprising survivals skills). I do not have a second PortaRF at hand, but would be happy to repeat the execise if you sent me one ;-).

[htotoo]

I hold the reset for 10 sec, then switched on, and works like a charm.

Try to turn on with the power switch, and charge it for 10 minutes (not unattended, hw could be damaged!), and see what happens.
During the charging process, check if it is overheating or not!

[gozillah]

It remains ice-cold while charging at about 4 W:

When not switched on it draws about 0.85 W:

[htotoo]

Then it is doing something. You can tweak with it more, maybe you can suceed. Try everything from sn0ren's video, and from the Wiki.

[gozillah]

When switched on, the only LED lit is the green 3v3. According to your wiki
https://github.com/OpenSourceSDRLab/PortaRF/wiki/How-to-flash-the-PortaRF-firmware-in-the-windows-system
this means I have to flash the DFU. However the PortaRF's USB connection to my PC is dead.

I had tried
https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki/Won't-boot
in all four directions, but to no avail.

Taking into account wiki's hint under "H4 users":
https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki/Won't-boot#h4-users
that add-on boards may impede functioning, I opened the device (without damaging the case), unscrewed the lady and disconnected antennas, battery and speakers. Then I tried to DFU the naked board, but still got the message

DFU suffix CRC does not match
A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util release!!!
No DFU capable USB device available

To make sure that the problem is not on my PC's side I tried to DFU my good old HackRF one + Sharebrained Portapack one:

D:\_T\_SDR\_HackRF\_PortaRF\_Mayhem\mayhem_v2.3.1_FIRMWARE>dfu_hackrf_one.bat
*** Run HackRF firmware in RAM via LPC DFU ***

This is used to "unbrick" your HackRF, if you are no longer able to use
HackRF tools to flash or operate your HackRF.

Connect your HackRF One to a USB port on your computer.

Hold down both the DFU and RESET buttons on the HackRF.
Then release the RESET button (closest to the edge).
Then release the DFU button.

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

dfu-util 0.9

Copyright 2005-2009 Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc.
Copyright 2010-2016 Tormod Volden and Stefan Schmidt
This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
Please report bugs to http://sourceforge.net/p/dfu-util/tickets/

DFU suffix CRC does not match
A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util release!!!
Opening DFU capable USB device...
ID 1fc9:000c
Run-time device DFU version 0100
Claiming USB DFU Interface...
Setting Alternate Setting #0 ...
Determining device status: state = dfuIDLE, status = 0
dfuIDLE, continuing
DFU mode device DFU version 0100
Device returned transfer size 2048
Copying data from PC to DFU device
Download        [=========================] 100%        43300 bytes
Download done.
unable to read DFU status after completion
can't detach
Resetting USB to switch back to runtime mode

Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

D:\_T\_SDR\_HackRF\_PortaRF\_Mayhem\mayhem_v2.3.1_FIRMWARE>

which looks quite normal. So the DFU driver on my PC is working.

I'm at my wit's end. What would you suggest?

[gozillah]

Just to give everybody an idea about the intestines:

[OpenSourceSDR]

Hey, about the AI Voice-assisted device control function, please refer to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrx7OxZS-OY

For the introduction of PortaRF, you can see those videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDFtJgR6TcE&t=5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNKeIju5pRY&t=172s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4nqFYA6U9o

About the other details operations, it is similar to the portapack H4M, you can refer to this wiki, and the wiki of PortaRF will be updated recently.

https://github.com/portapack-mayhem/mayhem-firmware/wiki
https://github.com/OpenSourceSDRLab/PortaRF/wiki

[gozillah]

Thanks for your help. But first I need a working PortaRF. I informed the seller in China that I have a bricked device. Hope we find a solution. Until then I will keep using my 10 years old HackRF one with Sharebrained PortaPack H1.

Further I would suggest that OpenSourceSDTLab include some links to instructional technical content about PortaRF on their website.

[gozillah]

Spoiler alert, I have good news!

After unpackaging and only minutes of use, the Porta RF had refused to boot, as explained above. I had tried every which way I could find on the Internet to reactivate it. The USB-C interface had become completely unresponsive, therefore not even DFU was possible. I was facing a replacement process with costly shipment between my location and China.

Today, in a last ditch attempt, I removed the CR2032 battery and connected the bare board one last time to my PC's USB - and miracle !!! - the PortRF board booted up as if nothing had happened.

After reinsertion of the CR2032 I had to recalibrate the screen.

I think my experience could help others to resolve a similar problem. I suggest to change the issue's title to something less dramatic (e.g. "PortaRF refuses to boot, USB interface is unresponsive"). We may even delete some of our conversation here, because I found a shortcut solution. Instead you or I could insert an instruction (with pictures) how to open the device without damaging the enclosure and disconnect / reconnect the CR2032. What do you think?

[gozillah]

Well, rejoiced too soon. It happened again: I switched it off, and when I switched it on again it played dead.

Opening the case, removing the CR2032 battery and switching it on brought it back to life. It is becoming a bit of a routine.

I will now store the settings on the SD card (/Settings/P.Memory Mgmt) and hope for the best.