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FAQ

Below are some of the most common questions users may encounter while using the AI Fusion Lab Kit. If your issue is not listed here, please refer to the troubleshooting notes in each chapter or contact support.

General Questions

Where can I download the system image?

You can find the recommended Raspberry Pi system image and setup instructions in the Getting Started (Important) section. The documentation also provides step-by-step installation guidance for beginners.

Do I need an internet connection to use the kit?

Basic Python and hardware examples do not require internet access. However, cloud-based LLMs and some AI features do require an active internet connection.

Which Raspberry Pi models are supported?

The kit officially supports Raspberry Pi 4B and Raspberry Pi 5. Other models may work but are not guaranteed due to performance or compatibility limitations.

Do I need to power the FusionHAT separately?

Yes. The FusionHAT requires its own power supply. The Raspberry Pi power input does not supply power to the FusionHAT. If the FusionHAT is not powered, certain functions — such as the speaker or other onboard modules — may not work properly.

Software / Installation

RuntimeError: Failed to add edge detection / RuntimeError: Cannot determine SOC peripheral base address

This issue is usually caused by a conflict between the system-installed RPi.GPIO library and the GPIO library used by Fusion HAT. To solve it, please manually remove the system RPi.GPIO package files and then run the program again.
Remove the system RPi.GPIO files:
sudo pip3 uninstall RPi.GPIO --break
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/RPi.GPIO*
Reboot the Raspberry Pi:
sudo reboot
Run the example again (do not use sudo unless required):

After removing the conflicting RPi.GPIO files, the interrupt-based button example should work normally.

OSError: Fusion HAT not connected, check if Fusion Hat is powered on

If you encounter this error when running some examples (e.g., when calling PWM pins), the possible causes are:

The Fusion HAT is not properly connected;
Incorrect power supply method;
The Fusion HAT driver is missing after a Raspberry Pi system update.

Follow the steps below to check and resolve the issue:

Run the following command to check the status of the Fusion HAT:

i2cdetect -y 1

Under normal conditions, you should see output similar to the following (with UU at address 0x1e):

pi@ai-fusion:~ $ i2cdetect -y 1
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  a  b  c  d  e  f
                        -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- UU -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

If you do not see UU but see 17 instead, the Fusion HAT driver is missing. Please reinstall the driver by running the following commands:
```
cd ~/fusion-hat/driver/
make
sudo make install
```
If you see neither UU nor 17, it means the Fusion HAT is not connected to the Raspberry Pi or there is a power issue. Please ensure that your Raspberry Pi is properly connected to the Fusion HAT and that the Raspberry Pi is powered by the Fusion HAT (not powered independently).

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, please run the following commands and send us the output:

uname -a
cat /etc/os-release
i2cdetect -y 1
dmesg | grep fusion_hat
lsmod | grep fusion_hat
ls /sys/class/fusion_hat/fusion_hat
cat ~/.ai-fusion

The installation script failed. What should I do?

Ensure that your Raspberry Pi OS is up-to-date and that you have a stable network connection during installation. Try running the setup script again. If the issue persists, reboot the system and recheck your Python version.

Python examples cannot run. What might be the cause?

This is usually related to missing Python libraries or incorrect environment setup. Verify that the dependencies were installed through the setup guide in Getting Started (Important).

The camera is not detected.

Make sure the ribbon cable is firmly connected and not inserted backwards. Also confirm that the camera interface is enabled in the Raspberry Pi configuration settings.

AI Features

LLM responses are slow or not returning.

This often indicates poor internet connectivity or API-rate limits from the selected model provider. Try switching networks or testing with a different model.

Speech-to-Text (STT) is inaccurate.

Check your microphone connection and reduce background noise. Some models may require additional language packs or configuration adjustments.

Show ‘Error querying device -1’ in the Vosk STT module.

stt = STT(language="en-us")
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/sunfounder_voice_assistant/stt/vosk.py", line 52, in __init__
    device_info = sd.query_devices(self._device, "input")
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/sounddevice.py", line 572, in query_devices
    raise PortAudioError(f'Error querying device {device}')
sounddevice.PortAudioError: Error querying device -1

Please execute sudo /opt/setup_fusion_hat_audio.sh to re-setup audio

Permission denied when usibg TTS/STT

When running TTS (Text-to-Speech) or STT (Speech-to-Text) commands, you encounter a permission error like:

Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/home/pi/ai-lab-kit/llm/tts_piper.py", line 3, in <module>
        tts = Piper()
            ^^^^^^^
    File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/fusion_hat/tts.py", line 125, in _piper_init_with_speaker
        _original_piper_init(self, *args, **kwargs)
    File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/sunfounder_voice_assistant/tts/piper.py", line 30, in __init__
        os.makedirs(PIPER_MODEL_DIR, 0o777)
    File "<frozen os>", line 225, in makedirs
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/opt/piper_models'

This issue occurs in AI Fusion Lab Kit OS version 0.0.1. The system attempts to create a directory (/opt/piper_models) that requires root privileges, but the current user lacks sufficient permissions. Update the AI Fusion Lab Kit OS from version 0.0.1 to 0.1.0 by running the following command:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sunfounder/sunfounder-installer-scripts/main/ai-fusion-lab-kit-upgrade-0.0.1-to-0.1.0.sh | sudo bash

Computer Vision / MediaPipe

OpenCV examples show errors when accessing the camera.

Only one process can access the camera at a time. Ensure that no other camera applications are running in the background.

MediaPipe examples run slowly.

Real-time computer vision requires significant processing power. Consider reducing the input resolution or closing other processes to free system resources.

MediaPipe projects do not work on the latest Raspberry Pi OS.

MediaPipe currently does not support the newest (Trixie version) Raspberry Pi system releases due to dependency and architecture changes. Please use the legecy version (Bookworm version) that supports all MediaPipe-based examples.

Hardware Issues

A component does not respond.

Recheck your wiring connections and ensure proper orientation. Refer to the Components section for pin descriptions and sample diagrams.

The device suddenly stops working.

This may be caused by power instability. Please ensure your power supply meets the recommended specifications for the Raspberry Pi model in use.

Contact and Support

How can I get additional help?

You may consult the documentation for detailed troubleshooting steps. If you have any questions, just reach out to us at service@sunfounder.com —we’re here to help.