VOXL 2 Board Bricked - Cause Analysis

[ashwin]

Hello,

I’m currently encountering an issue with my VOXL 2 board. Until yesterday, it was functioning flawlessly, and we were actively using both the board and the integrated PX4 for our application.

However, following a routine reboot, the board became unresponsive and is no longer recognized as an ADB device. Running the lsusb command lists the board to be in QDL mode, which leads me to suspect potential file system corruption.

Before proceeding with the unbricking steps outlined in ModalAI’s documentation — which I’m cautious about due to a previous unsuccessful recovery attempt (here) — I’d like to understand what might have caused this issue.

Here are some relevant details about the setup:

• The board is powered via the VOXL ESC FPV 4-in-1 with Built-in Power Module (MDK-M0138-11-01).
• The ESC is powered by a 6S2P Li-ion battery, which is also connected to 5V and 12V BECs that supply power to other components.
• When powering the VOXL 2 board directly using the standalone power module (MDK-M0041-1-01), the board’s LEDs do turn on—similar to when powered via the ESC.
• Previously, the blue LED on the ESC would blink when powering the VOXL 2 board. After the issue occurred, the blue LED no longer turns on. Note that, the LEDs do start blinking when connected to another VOXL 2 board.

I’ve thoroughly inspected the setup and confirmed there are no shorts or obvious power issues. I would sincerely appreciate any insights into what might have caused this corruption and how to prevent it in the future.

Regards,
Ashwin