3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

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MoeFwacky
 
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3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

This is my second adafruit tft screen. The last time I did install for a screen, it was still with the custom images. I still have one running that hasn't been updated yet.

This one is on a Raspberry Pi zero, and while it will boot and display the console without issue, any attempts to start the lightdm service give me a black screen, sometimes with a blinking cursor and trying to boot to X (either through the script settings as HDMI mirror, or raspi-config) gives a completely blank, black screen (but noticeably receiving power).

My config.txt has

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# --- added by adafruit-pitft-helper Sat 18 Aug 00:09:21 PDT 2018 ---
dtparam=spi=on
dtparam=i2c1=on
dtparam=i2c_arm=on
dtoverlay=pitft35-resistive,rotate=90,speed=20000000,fps=20
# --- end adafruit-pitft-helper Sat 18 Aug 00:09:21 PDT 2018 ---
and to force resolution, I've tried using (both with 320x240 and 480x320 resolutions)

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hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_cvt=320 240 60 1 0 0 0
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
and

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framebuffer_width=320
framebuffer_height=240
When the screen is blank, it looks like X is running, but not displaying

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pi@controller2:~ $ ps -ef | grep X
root       348   318  0 17:21 tty7     00:00:02 /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg :0 -seat seat0 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0 -nolisten tcp vt7 -novtswitch
pi         525   512  0 17:21 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/lxsession -s LXDE-pi -e LXDE
pi         610   525  1 17:21 ?        00:00:12 lxpanel --profile LXDE-pi
pi         613   525  0 17:21 ?        00:00:03 pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE-pi
pi        1103   874  0 17:40 pts/0    00:00:00 grep --color=auto X
Any help would be appreciated. My goal is, like with my other one, to run chromium in kiosk mode on the tft screen.

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

On a whim, I tried one of the old unsupported images, and the screen works, but now it doesn't detect my wifi. So I know the screen works and is capable of showing the desktop, but I'm either stuck with an unsupported image and no wifi, or recent drivers, but nothing shows up.

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

So is there no resolution for this?

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

(either through the script settings as HDMI mirror, or raspi-config)
You were running this script?
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pit ... script-3-5

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

Yes, I ran that script and set to HDMI mirror and got a black screen (lit up, so I can tell it's on). If I set to display console instead of HDMI mirror, and that works, but any attempts to display anything but console don't work. This includes trying to force the display resolution to 480x320 and 320x240

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

For the case where you were running the script, what version of Raspbian were you starting with?

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

Raspbian 9.3 (stretch), which I believe was the latest supported version, the last I looked.

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

We've tested with stretch, but only up to the March 13, 2018 release:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pit ... d-card-3-4
Try again with that specific release.

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

Did a fresh install with that release, and installed with the installer script. Set it to HDMI mirror in the setup. Still the same issue. Screen is noticeably on, but black.

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MoeFwacky
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by MoeFwacky »

I managed to get it up and running using this driver instead. https://github.com/juj/fbcp-ili9341

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

I just ran through the guide setup again to make sure nothing has changed. I started with this OS image of Raspbian:
https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspb ... tretch.zip
and installed it using Etcher to an 8GB SD card. I wanted to do the setup over SSH, so I followed the headless install steps from here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi ... le-editing
After doing the text file edits, I put the SD card in the Pi, powered it up, and SSH'd in. I then ran through the install process:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafr ... t-pitft.sh
--2018-10-01 00:49:36-- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafr ... t-pitft.sh
Resolving raw.githubusercontent.com (raw.githubusercontent.com)... 151.101.52.133
Connecting to raw.githubusercontent.com (raw.githubusercontent.com)|151.101.52.133|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 19319 (19K) [text/plain]
Saving to: ‘adafruit-pitft.sh’

adafruit-pitft.sh 100%[=============================================================================>] 18.87K --.-KB/s in 0.05s

2018-10-01 00:49:37 (369 KB/s) - ‘adafruit-pitft.sh’ saved [19319/19319]

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ chmod +x adafruit-pitft.sh
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo ./adafruit-pitft.sh

This script downloads and installs
PiTFT Support using userspace touch
controls and a DTO for display drawing.
one of several configuration files.
Run time of up to 5 minutes. Reboot required!

Select configuration:
1. PiTFT 2.4", 2.8" or 3.2" resistive (240x320)
2. PiTFT 2.2" no touch (240x320)
3. PiTFT 2.8" capacitive touch (240x320)
4. PiTFT 3.5" resistive touch (320x480)
5. Quit without installing

SELECT 1-5: 4
Select rotation:
1. 90 degrees (landscape)
2. 180 degrees (portait)
3. 270 degrees (landscape)
4. 0 degrees (portait)

SELECT 1-4: 1
[PITFT] Checking init system...
Found systemd
/boot is mounted
[PITFT] System update
Updating apt indexes...
.........
Reading package lists...
.........
[PITFT] Installing Python libraries & Software...
Installing Pre-requisite Software...This may take a few minutes!
[PITFT] Updating /boot/config.txt...
[PITFT] Updating SysFS rules for Touchscreen...
[PITFT] Updating TSLib default calibration...
Would you like the console to appear on the PiTFT display? [y/n] n
[PITFT] Making sure console doesn't use PiTFT
Removing console fbcon map from /boot/cmdline.txt
Screen blanking time reset to 10 minutes
Would you like the HDMI display to mirror to the PiTFT display? [y/n] y
[PITFT] Adding FBCP support...
Installing cmake...
W: --force-yes is deprecated, use one of the options starting with --allow instead.
Downloading rpi-fbcp...
Uncompressing rpi-fbcp...
Building rpi-fbcp...
Installing rpi-fbcp...
Remove fbcp from /etc/rc.local, if it's there...
We have systemd, so install fbcp systemd unit...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/fbcp.service → /etc/systemd/system/fbcp.service.
Setting raspi-config to boot to desktop w/o login...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/default.target → /lib/systemd/system/graphical.target.
Configuring boot/config.txt for forced HDMI
Using x1.5 resolution
[PITFT] Updating X11 default calibration...
[PITFT] Success!

Settings take effect on next boot.

REBOOT NOW? [y/N] n
Exiting without reboot.
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo shutdown -h now
I then removed power, plugged in the TFT, and reapplied power, and got the Pi Desktop screen.

Since you were able to get the console text to display, the screen is at least functional. So it seems like something isn't working with the software. Compare my screen output to what you get when you run through the install process and see if you see any differences, like any error messages.

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santorcuato
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by santorcuato »

Hi,

I'm having the same issue as MoeFwacky. I try it twice, with the last Raspian and again with the 2018-03-13-raspbian-stretch advised by Carter. Same result: If I choose console, perfect, but if I choose mirroring: black screen.

Going further I plugged a HDMI display and Voila! there is my Desktop, but no mirror at all. Even the touchscreen is working and I can move de cursor over the Desktop (HDMI) with my finger on the 2.8" display.

Going further again, with the HDMI plugged and choosing console I can startx and the desktop goes to HDMI, then I can see running Xorg. Return back and I choose mirror, no HDMI connected and black screen over the TFT, but I also can see Xorg running.

For the moment I have no more ideas to check...

Yours,

BANNED

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adafruit_support_carter
 
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Re: 3.5" TFT with raspberry pi, displays console but not X

Post by adafruit_support_carter »

@santorcuato Please start a new thread for your issue.

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