Unresponsive screen

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2024-11-24 by user136808

Following my previous issues with battery life, I now have an issue that the screen is totally unresponsive.

Pushing the button will toggle between the clock and settings but I cannot select any setting or scroll up/down.

I've re-installed the default apps but still no joy.

Does anyone have any suggestions please?

[espruino-discuss2]

Posted at 2024-11-25 by @gfwilliams

Did you do anything with the watch between it working and not working? And does the screen look ok, or does it have different coloured patches on it? I guess it could be that if the battery had problems from being left those 3 years uncharged and then it swelled up, that might affect the touchscreen performance.

Please can you try long-pressing the button (~15 seconds) so it reboots, goes through the bootloader and boots back up into the recovery screen (you need to release the button as soon as you see the screen).

And does it scroll when you do that? That would help to discount the effect that any software might have.

You could also try going to Settings -> Utils -> Flatten Battery and leaving the battery to go completely flat, which would cause the touchscreen to have a full hardware reset, just in case it was something related to that.

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Posted at 2024-11-25 by user136808

Hello Gordon, thank you for your reply.
No, didn't do anything except wore it all week and it was working perfectly, notifications coming through, alarm working etc.
BTW sorry if I wasn't clear on the previous post, but although I didn't really use it, it was charged intermittently.
Rebooting through bootloader, it shows the start screen (the one with "Bangle" and a picture of a watch) and then "uncaught error I2C", which fills the screen.
Pressing the button again takes it back to the clock.
I can press the button again to get the apps menu but can't scroll or touch anything so can'r access the flatten battery option.

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Posted at 2024-11-26 by @gfwilliams

and then "uncaught error I2C", which fills the screen

Ok, thanks - that's interesting. So that means that the Bangle can't communicate with the Touchscreen IC, so either the chip has locked up, or the physical connection to it has become disconnected.

It's pretty rare that happens, but in the past I'm pretty sure someone reported this several years back and power cycling the watch did fix it...

but can't scroll or touch anything so can'r access the flatten battery option.

Ahh, sorry - yes, of course. Please can you connect with the Web IDE and paste the following into the left-hand side, that should have the same effect:

      Bangle.setLCDTimeout(0);
      Bangle.setLCDPower(1);
      Bangle.setLCDBrightness(1);
      if (Bangle.setGPSPower) Bangle.setGPSPower(1,"flat");
      if (Bangle.setHRMPower) Bangle.setHRMPower(1,"flat");
      if (Bangle.setCompassPower) Bangle.setCompassPower(1,"flat");
      if (Bangle.setBarometerPower) Bangle.setBarometerPower(1,"flat");
      setInterval(function() {
        var i=1000;while (i--);
      }, 1);

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Posted at 2024-11-26 by user136808

Thanks again Gordon, I've ran Web IDE and attached is the response
">Bangle.setLCDTimeout(0);
=undefined

Bangle.setLCDPower(1);
=undefined
Bangle.setLCDBrightness(1);
=undefined
if (Bangle.setGPSPower) Bangle.setGPSPower(1,"flat");
=true
if (Bangle.setHRMPower) Bangle.setHRMPower(1,"flat");
=true
if (Bangle.setCompassPower) Bangle.setCompassPower(1,"flat");
=true
if (Bangle.setBarometerPower) Bangle.setBarometerPower(1,"flat");
=true
setInterval(function() {
:var i=1000;while (i--);
:}, 1);
=18
Uncaught Error: I2C Error: Arbitration (start)
at line 1 col 12
var i=1000;while(i--);
^
in function called from system
Uncaught Error: I2C Error: Arbitration (start)
at line 1 col 12
var i=1000;while(i--);
^
in function called from system
at line 1 col 12
var i=1000;while(i--);
^
in function called from system
Uncaught Error: I2C Error: Arbitration (start)
at line 1 col 12
var i=1000;while(i--);"

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Posted at 2024-11-26 by @gfwilliams

Huh, that's interesting in itself. It almost seems like the I2C error isn't coming from the touchscreen but the accelerometer.

Either way, with all that running (even though the while loop failed) it should run your battery down in ~5 hours or so.

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Posted at 2024-11-27 by user136808

Hi Gordon, thanks again for the support.
The watch ran flat and I charged overnight but it's still the same.
Connected via bluetooth and reset all settings and uploaded default apps just in case but screen touchscreen still not responding.

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Posted at 2024-11-28 by @gfwilliams

That's a real shame - I'm afraid I don't think there's much we can do from software. If you're up for a bit of a challenge you could try and remove the screen and take off/reseat the connector (and we have new screen + touchscreen assemblies) but the fact the battery was behaving strangely and then you had this seems like it's probably not a coincidence.

Of course it could be there was a problem with the touchscreen all along, and it was that which was draining the battery quickly...

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Posted at 2024-11-28 by user136808

Thanks Gordon.

Unfortunately I think attempting disassembly/re-assemble is definitely not something I'd be capable of doing 😔

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Posted at 2024-11-28 by user159200

i have the same issue...

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Posted at 2024-11-28 by user159200

the screen is totally unresponsive. I t only works very rarely. But after it just does not work. I did get a little water on the screen... If that would break it...

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Posted at 2024-11-28 by user159200

but i put it in a bag of rice( to get the water out) and prayed a little and works now

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Posted at 2024-11-30 by @gfwilliams

i have the same issue...

You mean the screen works but you can't use the touchscreen? And you tried it in recovery mode and you still can't scroll, even after flattening and recharging the battery?

Glad it's working again, but 'a little water on the touchscreen' shouldn't have that effect - generally where we see water getting in it's because of complete submersion, or repeated, multi-day exposure to water splashing on it (like showering with it)

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Posted at 2024-12-05 by user136808

Hi Gordon, I've replied to your message.