If you’re dealing with dead DJI Spark batteries, this guide shows you how to bring them back to life using a 9V battery, a CP2112 board, and the DJI Battery Killer app. This method can potentially work for other DJI batteries too.
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Bit late to the party, but I just use a good drone battery as the power supply. Works flawlessly every time.
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I managed to revive all three of my batteries! Soldering took the most time, but it was necessary because the header pins wobble. Glad I got it done though!
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I managed to revive all three of my batteries! Soldering took the most time, but it was necessary because the header pins wobble. Glad I got it done though!
That’s great to hear! It feels awesome to get those batteries working again. Big thanks to the original poster for bringing this method back to light.
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Did you manage to get them working? I got my parts tonight but I’m stuck at the 0x00 error.
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Did you manage to get them working? I got my parts tonight but I’m stuck at the 0x00 error.
Yep, got all three batteries working and charging normally. I hit the 0x00 error too, but following Step 2/Option 2 from the article above with a 9V battery jumpstart helped me get past it.
Rylan said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Did you manage to get them working? I got my parts tonight but I’m stuck at the 0x00 error.
Yep, got all three batteries working and charging normally. I hit the 0x00 error too, but following Step 2/Option 2 from the article above with a 9V battery jumpstart helped me get past it.
Tried the 9V jumpstart, but still can’t get any life out of the battery. Did your lights come on before or after you got past the 0x00 error?
Blake said:
Rylan said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Did you manage to get them working? I got my parts tonight but I’m stuck at the 0x00 error.
Yep, got all three batteries working and charging normally. I hit the 0x00 error too, but following Step 2/Option 2 from the article above with a 9V battery jumpstart helped me get past it.
Tried the 9V jumpstart, but still can’t get any life out of the battery. Did your lights come on before or after you got past the 0x00 error?
I don’t remember the exact order, but it took a while to get it going. If you haven’t soldered the header pins, that could be affecting your connection and causing the read failures.
Rylan said:
Blake said:
Rylan said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Blake said:
Zenith said:
Great post, I’m in the same boat. The 9V battery seems to power the batteries as the LEDs light up normally, but when I try to read the battery, I get an error: ‘Could not perform SMBus read 0x00’. Other forums suggest it’s a power issue, but like the original poster, I want to avoid buying a variable power supply. Any other ideas?
Did you ever figure this out?
Yes, I just kept trying and eventually it worked. I think the CP2112 board was picky about different USB cables. Sometimes it would start working and then fail later in the DJI Battery Killer app. But after enough tries, it finally worked. The batteries are now fully functional and charge up to the ‘4 lights’.
Awesome! Did you solder the header pins onto the CP2112, or did you just stick them in and it worked?
I just stuck them in. Maybe that was my issue? I’ve seen others just tape them on to keep it secure.
I read that the header pins aren’t a snug fit and can wobble, so I ordered a soldering iron just in case. I have three dead batteries and will try it tonight when the parts arrive.
Did you manage to get them working? I got my parts tonight but I’m stuck at the 0x00 error.
Yep, got all three batteries working and charging normally. I hit the 0x00 error too, but following Step 2/Option 2 from the article above with a 9V battery jumpstart helped me get past it.
Tried the 9V jumpstart, but still can’t get any life out of the battery. Did your lights come on before or after you got past the 0x00 error?
I don’t remember the exact order, but it took a while to get it going. If you haven’t soldered the header pins, that could be affecting your connection and causing the read failures.
If you’re still having issues, try double-checking the solder connections and make sure the pins are firmly in place. I found that making sure everything was secure made a big difference in getting consistent results.
I’m getting an error in the Battery Killer app saying ‘ERROR: Could not open device’. Tried with and without a 9V battery attached. Anyone else encounter this, and how did you fix it?
Kelly said:
I’m getting an error in the Battery Killer app saying ‘ERROR: Could not open device’. Tried with and without a 9V battery attached. Anyone else encounter this, and how did you fix it?
Same issue here. If you figure it out, please let me know.
Kelly said:
I’m getting an error in the Battery Killer app saying ‘ERROR: Could not open device’. Tried with and without a 9V battery attached. Anyone else encounter this, and how did you fix it?
I tried on a different computer, and that error went away, but now I’m stuck on the next step.
Kelly said:
I’m getting an error in the Battery Killer app saying ‘ERROR: Could not open device’. Tried with and without a 9V battery attached. Anyone else encounter this, and how did you fix it?
I tried on a different computer, and that error went away, but now I’m stuck on the next step.
Were you able to solve it? I’m stuck on the same error. Did you try downloading the software again or get a new board?
Teo said:
Kelly said:
I’m getting an error in the Battery Killer app saying ‘ERROR: Could not open device’. Tried with and without a 9V battery attached. Anyone else encounter this, and how did you fix it?
I tried on a different computer, and that error went away, but now I’m stuck on the next step.
Were you able to solve it? I’m stuck on the same error. Did you try downloading the software again or get a new board?
No luck with the DJI Killer app, and DJI support wasn’t much help either. Had to buy new batteries in the end. If you find a solution, let me know!