The PurpleAir Classic, PurpleAir Classic SD, and the discontinued PA-I Indoor contain an internal adaptor cable that can cause power issues. This guide will walk you through opening up the sensors to test the internal adaptor cable.
If you suspect you might be experiencing a power issue but have not yet gone through our Power Troubleshooting guide, please do before trying these steps.
PurpleAir Classic and PurpleAir Classic SD
The PurpleAir Classic and PurpleAir Classic SD use an internal adaptor cable that requires some disassembly to access (see image below).
Sometimes, this cable can come loose, or lose some functionality, and cause power issues for the device. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot. Please note that the video below shows a PurpleAir Classic SD. The process for the PurpleAir Classic is the same.
Some of the steps below involve using a separate mini-USB cable not supplied by PurpleAir.
- Follow this video showing full disassembly of a device. The video shows how to replace laser counters, which is not needed for power-related issues. Instead, only follow the directions up to 0:34.
- Once you have removed the components from the housing, ensure that the adaptor cable is firmly plugged into the device. Test the connection by plugging in the sensor. If it powers on, flex the cable around in different ways to see if the connection remains stable.
- If the device never powered on, or the connection was intermittent when flexing the cable, move on to step 3.
- If the device powered on and remained stable, reassemble it! You're done.
- Unplug the cable from the board as seen at 0:38 in the video. Then, plug a different mini-USB directly into the board. If the sensor powers on, flex the cable around in different ways to ensure the connection remains stable.
- If the connection remains stable, you have confirmed that the internal adaptor cable itself is the issue. Reach out to contact@purpleair.com to inquire about replacement options
- If problems persist with the new cable, then you have confirmed that the power port itself is the issue. Reach out to contact@purpleair.com to inquire about replacement options.
Please note that cables supplied by PurpleAir come with ferrite bands attached. Other cables that you use for troubleshooting may not include ferrite. The above steps are recommended for troubleshooting only, not extended use.
PA-I Indoor (Discontinued)
The PA-I Indoor’s power cable can come loose where it connects to the device (see image below).
To make sure the cable is properly seated, please follow the steps below.
Some of the steps below involve using a separate mini-USB cable not supplied by PurpleAir.
- Follow this video showing full disassembly of a device. The video shows how to replace laser counters, which is not needed for power-related issues. Instead, only follow the directions up to 0:34.
- Once you have removed the components from the housing, ensure that the power cable is firmly plugged into the device. Test the connection by plugging in the sensor. If it powers on, flex the cable around in different ways to see if the connection remains stable.
- If the device never powered on, or the connection was intermittent when flexing the cable, move on to step 3.
- If the device powered on and remained stable, reassemble it! You're done.
- Unplug the power cable from the board. Then, plug a different mini-USB directly into the board. If the sensor powers on, flex the cable around in different ways to ensure the connection remains stable.
- If the connection remains stable, you have confirmed that the power cable itself is the issue. Reach out to contact@purpleair.com to inquire about replacement options
- If problems persist with the new cable, then you have confirmed that the power port itself is the issue. Reach out to contact@purpleair.com to inquire about replacement options.
Please note that cables supplied by PurpleAir for Classic or Indoor devices come with ferrite bands attached. Any cables you use for troubleshooting may not include ferrite.
Learn More
WiFi Troubleshooting
SD Card Logging and Troubleshooting
PurpleAir Sensors Functional Overview