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Almost finished with LXR build but OLED display doesn't work

dComposerdComposer
edited March 2017 in Troubleshooting
Hi -- I'm almost done with my LXR build but I'm unable to get the OLED display to work. All my power tests were perfect, all the LEDs light up, and I get the running pattern of LEDs at the bottom of my board when I press "Start". Everything is great except for the OLED display.

When I first turn on the LXR, I'm able to see one line of the display on the very top if I twist my encoder knob but there isn't anything below it.

I tried resoldering the obvious stuff: I reflowed the solder from the header to the board, the header to the OLED, and the bracket for the ATMEGA (I removed the chip first). Any other obvious things I can try? Any tests I can perform with my multimeter?

Thanks so much!



Comments

  • julianjulian
    edited March 2017
    these are the data lines from the AVR to the OLED
    image

    additionally you should have GND ond pin 1, 5 and 16
    and +5V on pin 2
    3,7,8,9,10 are not connected.

    by one line do you mean the whole upper row of the display is a solid line or is there just a small line a few pixels wide?
  • dComposerdComposer
    Thanks so much! That gives me a bunch to work off of and to try to re-solder. How would I hook up my multimeter to 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 14 so that I can see if data is being transmitted? Do I just set that to DC, put the ground on 1 or 16, and red on the various pins?

    By "one line", I mean that the top of my display looks like this sometimes (sorry for the ascii reply, I'm at work and don't have a picture of what I'm talking about):

    . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
    |                                    --                  ------           --       ----       |
    |                                                                                                |
    |                                                                                                |
    `--------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
  • dComposerdComposer
    sorry, that ascii reply didn't work out quite as intended!
  • julianjulian
    you can just use the continuity (*BEEP* when the probes touch) tester on the multimeter and measure if the pins of the avr are connected to the corresponding pins on the LCD. and if the 5V and GND pins are connected to the marked pins on the avr isp header. That is with the unit turned off.
  • dComposerdComposer
    Ok great! I'll try this when I get home from work this evening and report back. Thanks so much!!
  • dComposerdComposer
    Ok, everything listed above had continuity. What should I check next?
  • dComposerdComposer
    PS: Here's a video of what I'm seeing when I plug it in (including the random line at the top of the display). [Apologies for the Guns N Roses pajamas!]

  • julianjulian
    Hmmm I think I have bad news for you.
    My guess is that the OLED is broken :(

    As it is not a graphical display it normally can only show a predefined set of characters and I know of no character thats just a few pixels wide line.

    To be sure you could send me a detailed picture of your soldering side, but I don't think a short between some display pins would result in these lines.

    I'll send you a replacement free of charge.
    Can you contact me via email?

    Bad news is you have to cut off/desolder the old display.
  • dComposerdComposer
    Thanks Julian -- I'll take this to email. Cheers!
  • dComposerdComposer
    Hi Julian -- not sure if my emails are coming through because I haven't heard from you since March 10th. Is there anything else you'd like me to test regarding this OLED issue? Thanks.
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