Pironman 5 Skill

Use this skill whenever a task touches the SunFounder Pironman 5 case, its bundled services, or hardware add-ons.

References

• Hardware overview & specifications: references/features.md
• Full CLI syntax & examples: references/cli-cheatsheet.md
• Source manual: https://docs.sunfounder.com/projects/pironman5/en/latest/pironman5/intro_pironman5.html

Quick Start Workflow

1. Install the software (if not already done):

   curl -sSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sunfounder/sunfounder-installer-scripts/main/pironman5/install.sh" | sudo bash
   

   Select 1) Pironman 5 when prompted. Reboot when finished.

   For PiPower 5 users: curl -sSL "..." | sudo bash -s -- --pipower5

2. Verify service health: systemctl status pironman5.service

3. Tail logs for a specific addon (e.g., OLED): journalctl -u pironman5.service -f or cat /var/log/pironman5/pironman5.log

4. Inspect/adjust config: sudo pironman5 -c or edit /opt/pironman5/config.json

5. Apply changes: Always sudo systemctl restart pironman5.service after any CLI or config update.

6. Validate hardware response (RGB glow, OLED page, fan spin, etc.)

7. Document deviations (custom OLED pages, added LED strips, changed fan pins) for future-you.

Common Operations

RGB Lighting (4× WS2812-5050)

• Enable/disable, color, brightness, mode, speed, and LED count via the -re/-rc/-rb/-rs/-rp/-rl flags.
• Built-in modes: solid, breathing, flow, flow_reverse, rainbow, rainbow_reverse, hue_cycle.
• Rainbow/hue-cycle modes override manual color settings.
• External WS2812 strips can be chained via the RGB OUT pins — update the LED count with -rl to match.

OLED Display (0.96" 128×64 I2C @0x3C)

• -oe toggles power, -or sets 0°/180° rotation, -op lists active pages (e.g., mix,performance,ips,disk), -os sets sleep timeout (0 = never).
• Wake behavior (v1.3.6+): OLED wake-up uses the power button. Remove the vibration switch jumper to avoid GPIO conflicts.
• Pre-v1.3.6: Vibration switch (onboard) wakes the OLED.
• Troubleshoot: check FPC cable → verify I2C (i2cdetect -y 1 → should see 0x3C) → inspect logs.

Dashboard

• Accessible at http://<device-ip>:34001.
• Required for Home Assistant images (CLI control limited there).
• pironman5 launch-browser auto-opens the UI if the package is present.
• -rd removes dashboard components.
• Use --disable-dashboard flag during install to skip the dashboard.

Power Button

• Single press: Power on / wake OLED / switch OLED page forward.
• Double press: Switch OLED page backward.
• Hold 2 sec: Safe shutdown (requires "Full Power Off" set in raspi-config → Advanced Options → A12 Shutdown Behaviour).
• Hold 5 sec: Force hard shutdown.

GPIO Fans (2× 40×40×10mm)

• Both fans share a single control pin (default GPIO6) and are controlled together.
• Fan modes: 0 Always On, 1 Performance (50°C), 2 Cool (60°C), 3 Balanced (67.5°C), 4 Quiet (70°C).
• Change control pin: -gp <pin>.

CPU Fan (Tower Cooler, 4-pin PWM)

• Controlled by the Raspberry Pi 5 firmware, not the pironman5 service.
• Default fan curve (automatic): < 50°C off, 50°C+ 30%, 60°C+ 50%, 67.5°C+ 70%, 75°C+ 100%.
• Manual override: pinctrl FAN_PWM op dl (on), pinctrl FAN_PWM op dh (off), pinctrl FAN_PWM a0 (auto).
• Customize thresholds via /boot/firmware/config.txt → dtparam=fan_temp0=...
• Verify temperature: vcgencmd measure_temp

Infrared Receiver

• Model: IRM-56384, 38 kHz, connected to GPIO13.
• Install lirc: sudo apt-get install lirc -y
• Raw capture: mode2 -d /dev/lirc0
• Map buttons in /etc/lirc/lircd.conf
• Disable by removing the J8 jumper cap to free GPIO13.

Single NVMe & AI Expansion

• One M.2 M-key slot (2230/2242/2260/2280) connected directly to the Pi 5's PCIe Gen2 x1 lane.
• Supports NVMe SSDs or a Hailo-8/8L AI accelerator (one at a time).
• Power warning: Use a quality 27W USB-C supply, especially with power-hungry NVMe drives.
• Not compatible with Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ — use the separate Hailo module directly in the M.2 slot.

Service & Config

• Service subcommands: pironman5 start|stop|launch-browser
• Always restart after config changes: sudo systemctl restart pironman5.service
• Data logging: retention (-drd), history enable (-eh), debug level (-dl), temp unit (-u).

Hardware & Expansion Checklist

Consult references/features.md for full specs when planning builds:

• Single NVMe slot uses the Pi 5's direct PCIe Gen2 lane — choose between storage or AI, not both simultaneously.
• Power matters: A clean 27W USB-C supply is strongly recommended, especially with NVMe drives or AI cards.
• RGB expansion: 4 onboard WS2812 LEDs. Chain external strips via RGB OUT — update LED count with -rl.
• GPIO awareness: IR receiver (GPIO13), RGB (GPIO10/SPI), GPIO fan (GPIO6), OLED (I2C SDA/SCL) — remove jumpers to free pins for other uses.
• RTC: 1220 battery for real-time clock.
• Spring-loaded microSD slot: Easy card access without tools.

Troubleshooting Tips

OLED Blank or Garbage Display

• Ensure FPC cable is fully seated; reseat and reboot.
• Check I2C: i2cdetect -y 1 should show 0x3C.
• Enable I2C: add dtparam=i2c_arm=on to /boot/firmware/config.txt.
• Inspect logs: cat /var/log/pironman5/pironman5.log
• Restart service: sudo systemctl restart pironman5.service

RGB Unresponsive

• Verify RGB jumper on IO board (J9 area, connects GPIO10) is installed.
• Enable SPI: sudo raspi-config → 3 Interfacing Options → I3 SPI → YES, then reboot.
• Ensure rgb_enable is true in config.
• Restart service.

GPIO Fans Not Spinning

• Check FAN jumper caps (J4/J5 area) are installed on the IO board.
• Test: sudo pironman5 -gm 0 (Always On mode).
• Direct test: connect fan to 5V/GND on Pi GPIO.
• Check logs in Dashboard or /var/log/pironman5/pironman5.log.

CPU Fan Not Spinning

• Check the 4-pin PWM cable is connected to the Pi 5's CPU fan header.
• Check current temp: vcgencmd measure_temp — fan starts ~50°C by default.
• Manual override: pinctrl FAN_PWM op dl
• If completely dead, check the FAQ for custom fan curve config.

Dashboard Shows No Data

• Clear browser cache / use incognito mode.
• Verify services: sudo systemctl status pironman5 and sudo systemctl status influxdb.
• Check database: influx → SHOW DATABASES; — should see pironman5.
• Use Dashboard "Settings → Clear All Data" if corrupted.
• Reinstall as last resort.

NVMe Not Detected

• Verify SSD is fully seated in the M.2 slot.
• Check FFC/FPC cable connection from the PCIe breakout to the Pi 5.
• List PCIe devices: lspci | grep -i nvme or lspci | grep -i "Non-Volatile"
• Check dmesg: dmesg | grep -i nvme
• Try forcing PCIe to Gen2: add dtparam=pciex1_gen=2 to /boot/firmware/config.txt.
• Ensure adequate power — brownouts cause NVMe dropouts.

Power / Boot Issues

• Random reboots → check power supply (needs 27W / 5V 5A).
• Red LED, no boot → reseat USB-HDMI adapter, test Pi 5 outside the case, or restore bootloader.
• For "Full Power Off" on shutdown: sudo raspi-config → Advanced Options → A12 Shutdown Behaviour → B1 Full Power Off.

Workflow Pointers

• Script repeatable tasks (e.g., custom OLED page installers) separately; keep this skill focused on vendor-supported controls.
• When modifying packaged Python code under /opt/pironman5/venv/, document changes so future updates don't silently overwrite them.
• When asked "what can Pironman 5 do," lead with the headline features from references/features.md and tie them to actionable controls.