# Error with Skywriter Hat

**URL:** <https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [June 22, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549 "2016-06-22T17:08:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@johnny](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/johnny)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/1 "2016-06-22T17:08:21Z")

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With completlety new hat i got this error:

> ```
> pi@raspberrypi:~/Pimoroni/skywriter $ sudo python test.py
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "test.py", line 2, in <module>
> import skywriter
> File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/skywriter.py", line 488, in <module>
> i2c.write_i2c_block_data(SW_ADDR, 0xa1, [0b00000000, 0b00011111, 0b00000000, 0b00011111])
> IOError: [Errno 5] Input/output error
> Error in atexit._run_exitfuncs:
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "/usr/lib/python2.7/atexit.py", line 24, in _run_exitfuncs
> func(*targs, **kargs)
> File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/skywriter.py", line 479, in _exit
> stop_poll()
> TypeError: 'NoneType' object is not callable
> Error in sys.exitfunc:
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "/usr/lib/python2.7/atexit.py", line 24, in _run_exitfuncs
> func(*targs, **kargs)
> File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/skywriter.py", line 479, in _exit
> stop_poll()
> TypeError: 'NoneType' object is not callable
> 
> ```

Tested with few different sd cards with various raspbian image on two pi’s (pi zero and version b). Every time the same error. Installer throws no exceptions, everything went smoothly. Moreover:

> pi@raspberrypi:~/Pimoroni/skywriter $ sudo i2cdetect -y 1  
> 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f  
> 00: – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 10: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 20: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 30: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 40: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 50: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 60: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  
> 70: – – – – – – – –

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**Author:** ![gadgetoid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/gadgetoid/32/13_2.png) [@gadgetoid](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/gadgetoid)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/2 "2016-06-22T18:36:23Z")

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This is curious, the output of “i2cdetect” would suggest that i2c is set up and working correctly, but you should be seeing Skywriter HAT’s i2c address in that response. Do you have any other i2c devices which work? Although given you’ve tried it with two different Pi’s, it’s more likely than not a problem with the HAT.

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**Author:** ![RogueM](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/roguem/32/311_2.png) [@RogueM](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/RogueM)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/3 "2016-06-22T19:46:23Z")

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hold on, are you using Jessie Lite by any chance? something is not right there!

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**Author:** ![johnny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@johnny](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/johnny)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/4 "2016-06-23T18:23:00Z")

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> [@gadgetoid](#):
>
> Do you have any other i2c devices which work?

Unfortunetelly not.

> [@RogueM](#):
>
> hold on, are you using Jessie Lite by any chance?

Currently not. Only difference with Lite, was much longer installation. Error output was the same.

UPDATE :  
Tested with Pi2. Not working either. Always the same error.  
I’m doing sth wrong or just out of luck and my hat is DOA?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@johnny](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/johnny)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/5 "2016-07-01T10:20:34Z")

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So nobody has any idea how to solve my problem?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RogueM](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/roguem/32/311_2.png) [@RogueM](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/RogueM)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/error-with-skywriter-hat/2549/6 "2016-07-04T14:23:52Z")

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I am not entirely sure where we are at with this rash of DOA. A particular theory is that it is related to the EEPROM…

We’re still looking into it, but my best advise right now is to contact [support@pimoroni.com](mailto:support@pimoroni.com) and ask for a RMA and board swap.