Mini PiTFT display is not functional (bricked due to pins?) Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

[octopi2]

I was able to get my Mini PiTFT (135 x 240) connected by following this guide for my Pi Zero W: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-min ... i/overview

However, none of the example scripts appear to be working. The attached pictures show what happens when I run the example button script. The screen appears to be lighting up and responsive to the buttons, but is not displaying the colors as expected. (Maybe only the backlight is working?) Other sample scripts similarly do not render anything correctly to the screen.

I have a software background but totally new to hardware. I'm wondering if I might have accidentally bricked the screen? When I first attached the screen to the GPIO pins, the power to the Pi was on and I misaligned the pins by 1—they attached to the pins one "down" from the top where they should have attached. Would this have caused a permanent problem? I am not sure how to read the hardware schematics myself.

I also wonder if I received a defective unit?

[octopi2]

Digging into this some more: I wonder if there is a faulty SPI connection? According to https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-4-gpio-setup/configuring-spi:

The /dev/spidev0.x will not show up when using the PiTFT screens as it is using the SPI interface.

However when I run

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ls -l /dev/spidev*

both /dev/spidev0.0 and /dev/spidev0.1 show up.

Any other clues what might be going on?

[mikeysklar]

@octopi2,

Are you currently running the latest December release of Pi OS?

https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/

Which way did you try to install the display using the kernel driver or the easy 'pure python3' way?

It is normal to see the backlight come on and the rest not work if there is an OS configuration issue that needs to be resolved. I'm not convinced you have bricked it yet, despite the off-by-1 alignment. I think if you had really cooked the display the backlight would not work or your Pi would be damaged.

https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-min ... le-install

[nrfisher]

The new 5 series Kernels appear to have shifted the older /dev/spidev0.0 to /dev/spidev0.1. [1]

I have a similar issue with the scripts but my screen works on boot if you follow the kernel installation method. [2]

As far as I can tell the problem is Adafruit_PureIO library might need an update so that it's compatible with 5.x kernels that have user mode device mappings.

1 - https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/view ... 3#p1723713
2 - https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-min ... le-install

[octopi2]

Thanks everyone. I’ve reinstalled Pi OS numerous times, coupled with the usual update/upgrade commands, and still no luck. Followed the kernel upgrade to no avail either.

I actually got a similar screen from another supplier and it _does_ function with the sample scripts here—I swapped screens and it magically just worked. I ordered a backup PiTFT from Adafruit which should be arriving soon, so I can test if it was a defective unit I was shipped the first time.

[mikeysklar]

Thank you for purchasing another PiTFT to test with. We would love to hear if you find any issues with the replacement.

[octopi2]

It turns out the newer one worked and I seem to have just received a defective unit. I'll start the return process on the original.

[mikeysklar]

@octopi2,

Glad the replacement resolved this for you.

Go ahead and e-mail support@adafruit.com to replace the original. Please include your original order# and a link to this forum thread.

[kk1l]

Hi. adafruit and RaspPi noob here. Long time old-school electronics tinkerer soft on the software side.

I am not able to get the PiTFT to display a console on the Zero W after at least three tries. Here are my steps:

load RasPi OS Lite and ssh to the Zero
install the 1.14 240x135 kernel "the hard way"
pip3 is not installed, so jump to "Update Pi and Python"


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sudo apt-get install python3-pip
sudo pip3 install --upgrade adafruit-python-shell
sudo apt-get install -y git
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts.git
cd Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts
sudo python3 adafruit-pitft.py --display=st7789_240x135 --rotation=90 --install-type=console

The responses show a single error (a red "PITFT" )

PITFT /boot/overlays/drm-minipitft114.dtbo: Warning (unit_address_vs_reg): /fragment@0/__overlay__/spidev@0: node has a unit name, but no reg property

Otherwise the install is clean finishing with the following messages:

Configuring boot/config.txt for default HDMI
Set up main console turn on
Updating /boot/cmdline.txt
Turning off console blanking
Setting raspi-config to boot to console w/o login...
PITFT Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/default.target → /lib/systemd/system/multi-user.target.

PITFT Success!

Settings take effect on next boot.

Reboot shows a dim backlight (which is pretty much there when the unit is on), but nothing else.
SPI is enabled through raspi-config also...no bueno.

I put a scope on SCLK MOSI GPIO25 and CE0_n and get flat lines...CE0 is high and the rest are low. At least the clock should be wiggling. Must be something on the software side did not take.

I must have gotten something wrong.

Thanks, Ron

[kk1l]

I was monkeying around a bit more and remain unsuccessful. Latest attempt was to try the "python installation of RGB Display Library" after I had completed the PiHole install (which works well by the way).

Seems the issue is spidev0.0 is gone. Was there at one point in the install process (way near the beginning).

pi@PiHole-Server:~ $ sudo python3 rgb_display_minipitfttest.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "rgb_display_minipitfttest.py", line 17, in <module> board.SPI(),
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/dist-packages/board.py", line 227, in SPIreturn busio.SPI(SCLK, MOSI, MISO)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/dist-packages/busio.py", line 186, in __init__self._spi = _SPI(portId)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/dist-packages/adafruit_blinka/microcontroller/generic_linux/spi.py", line 22, in __init__self._spi = spi.SPI(device=(portid, 0))
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/dist-packages/Adafruit_PureIO/spi.py", line 167, in __init__raise IOError("{} does not exist".format(device))
OSError: /dev/spidev0.0 does not exist

Thanks, Ron

[mikeysklar]

Ron,

Let's please start a new post so we can help you with this. There are multiple factors that can cause spidev0,0 to not be available.

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=174591&p=852241&hilit=spidev0%2C0#p852241

[kk1l]

Thanks. I had searched through posts looking for something to help and had run into this one. Thanks for pointing me. There is a similar thread just started today by zicklepop at viewtopic.php?f=47&t=175998&p=857390#p857298