NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

All things relating to the Nextion Screen(s)
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Help, please. I am trying to figure out an issue involving my Zumspot, Nextion 3.5 screen, NextionDriver, and Pi-Star.

My problem is that whenever I start the hotspot or reboot it either from the Nextion screen or from the pi-star interface on my laptop the MMDVM screen (PD0DIB M8) appears initially until the initialization process is completed and connection to my Wi-Fi is complete and then it goes to a screen that only shows “Started” at the top, “NextionDriver” in the middle and its IP address at the bottom. The only way to get it to move on is to use the apply changes button for the MMDVMHost configuration section of the configuration menu in the Pi-Star interface on my laptop. All is then working fine, and I can communicate on DMR which is all I have it enabled for. ON7LDS seems to indicate if this happens something else is wrong with the configuration but I cannot figure out what it might be. I have reinstalled Pi-Star fresh and then re-installed NextionDriver three times all with the same result. Any suggestions on what I need to change would be greatly appreciated. Details of my setup follow.

I am running a Zumspot Pi-Hat on a Pi Zero 1.1 under Pi-Star 3.4.17. The Zumspot has the latest firmware 1.4.17. It is attached to a 3.5" basic Nextion with the PD0DIB Model 8 Simplex Globe. The Nextion is attached to the Pi Zero USB port through a functioning USB to TTL Converter. I can program the Nextion and has proper communication with the Nextion through this converter. The ON7LDS NextionDriver is installed and I used the installation program and followed the procedure on GitHub for the installation program. The installation check program says it is working and there is a new NextionDriver section in the MMDVMHost section of Pi-Star. The Nextion section of MMDVMHost shows the port /dev/ttyNextionDriver and the NextionDriver section shows the port /dev/ttyUSB0. This is as it should be per my understanding. In the MMDVMHost configuration the display type is Nextion. The port is now /dev/ttyNextionDriver and the Nextion Layout is ON7LDS L3.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Thanks for your response. Here is the result of the inquiry: (after this point if I 'Apply Changes' on the MMDVMHost Configuration section I will have a fully functioning hot spot with NextionDriver items such as the screen push buttons.) 73, Jerry WU1U
Jan 20 12:17:23 pi-star systemd[1]: Starting NextionDriver service...
Jan 20 12:17:23 pi-star NextionDriver: NextionDriver version 1.14
Jan 20 12:17:23 pi-star NextionDriver: Copyright (C) 2017...2019 ON7LDS. All rights reserved.
Jan 20 12:17:23 pi-star NextionDriver: Starting with verbose level 0
Jan 20 12:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Warning: NextionDriver with PID 843 already running !
Jan 20 12:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Data files directory: /usr/local/etc/
Jan 20 12:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Reading groups from /usr/local/etc/groups.txt
Jan 20 12:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Read 1292 groups.
Jan 20 12:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Reading users from /usr/local/etc/stripped.csv
Jan 20 12:17:26 pi-star systemd[1]: Started NextionDriver service.
Jan 20 12:17:31 pi-star NextionDriver: Read 121718 users.
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Sorted CALL table.
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Disk size : 1720 MB (308 free)
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Started with screenLayout 3
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Started with verbose level 2
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Display will sleep when no data received for 600 seconds
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Opening ports
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: /dev/ttyNextionDriver (=/dev/pts/0) <=> /dev/ttyUSB0
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Found Nextion display
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Touch display model NX4832T035_011R
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: FW 2049, MCU 61488
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Serial E467B0D7E3411131
Aug 11 14:10:45 pi-star NextionDriver: Flash size 16777216
Aug 11 14:10:46 pi-star NextionDriver: Starting with network interface wlan0:192.168.1.64
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Thank you very much for helping with this. I am totally lost on how to proceed.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Thanks again. I had not tried waiting as patience is not in my DNA but it did not make a difference when I tried at this time. The red LED flashes when data is initially being sent and the green LED briefly flashes just as the NextionDriver starting screen appears after the wifi connection is made. No further flashing of either LED happens until I apply the apply changes button in the MMDVMHost configuration screen of the pi-star interface. Even though I cannot see them when the NextionDriver screen is present I know there are two on-screen push buttons in the MMDVM screen - one for reboot and one for shut down. This area of the screen does respond and the green LED briefly flashes as if these buttons were visible when I touch those areas but the screen does not leave the NextionDriver screen but turns to 'stopped' as expected. Touching other areas does not make any difference. Nothing further happens until I apply changes. At that point, the red LED flashes continually and I have not observed further flashing of the green LED.

I did not design the TFT. My screen was loaded from a Rob van Rheenen (PD0DIB) HMI which is his simplex Model 8 Globe Version 1.2 for the 3.5-inch basic Nextion screens. It is designed to work with the NextionDriver installed. I also tried using the very recently released Kasem Sirisuwan simplex 3.5 inch screen which I did load from a TFT file but the results were exactly the same. The screen stopped at the NextionDriver started screen until I applied the apply changes button in the interface. I used Nextion LTS to load these files. I have also tried the new v0.58 and there is no difference in results but it does mess up the Nextion screen fonts in the HMI I use.

I have an RPi 2B around someplace. I will try putting the Zumspot on it later to see if there is any difference. 73, Jerry
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Oops I forgot the 2 B does not have onboard wifi. More looking to see if I have a later RPi. Or if I can use a dongle and pi-star. Anyway learning opportunities for a true OM.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Well I downloaded the new Pi-Star V4.1.0 RC2 and installed it on a brand new out of the box RPi 4B. It all seems to be working fine with no human intervention at the NextionDriver starting screen. So obviously my problem is with the Pi Zero or possibly the adapter connecting the Pi Zero USB port to the full size usb male on my USB/TTY converter. The last I doubt because 2 way communication works fine after I do the apply changes to get the Pi Zero to move on. Thanks for all your help and advice.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

I will certainly give each idea a try. I would like to figure out what is happening with the Pi Zero as I certainly do not want to tie up the new 4B for a hotspot. I like to experiment so hopefully tomorrow I can make the changes. I have avoided using the modem pins on the Pi Zero because on my older model there is only 3.3V and not 5V and I was too lazy to route 5V from the main pins.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

Update at this point. Removing the blue wire did not impact the action with the Pi Zero. I still had to apply changes. However, the buttons for reboot and shutdown were no longer active. Moving to V4.1.0 RC2 on the Pi Zero also did not change the action and I still had to apply changes to obtain functionality after the NextionDriver started window appeared. What is noticeable about working under V4.1.0 RC2 is that all actions are much slower. Initial start-up to connect to wifi is very slow and all responses to actions such as apply changes are also much slower when it is on the Pi Zero. Tomorrow I will try setting up to work with the Zumspot onboard modem pins.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

I did not have any success here. Probably I do not understand the setup and what I should be looking for.

I have the changes made to Transparent Data. I did have to add SendFrameType=1 in the mmdvmhost file. I changed the port on Nextion to modem. This left NextionDriver as dev/ttyUSB0 which did not seem right but anyway I proceeded. Modem then shows as the port for Nextion on the mmdvmhost configuration page. My Nextion does not show my TX frequency and does not move past the MMDVM connecting screen to the NextionDriver start screen.
Applying Changes adds my TX frequency but still does not go to the NextionDriver screen.

I then changed the NextionDriver port to modem and set the Nextion port to /dev/ttyNextiondriver. This resulted in a port for the Nextion on the MMDVMHost configuration section as none. NextionDriver is not a listed option for either of the above attempts.

Finally I tried setting the NextionDriver port to /dev/ttyAMA0 but still none for the Nextion on the MMDVMHost configuration.

By now I am sure you know I do not know what I am doing but am successfully failing at it. I think my Nextion is set at the default rate of 9600. I did change it to 115000 using bauds= in debut mode based on another suggestion about this at one time but I have reset it using both bauds and bauds=9600. My Nextion is not the correct one to use the tft file you suggested to make sure.
WU1U
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: NextionDriver requires configuration apply changes after every shutdown or reboot

Post by WU1U »

I am sure I followed all steps exactly to get hooked up to the modem pins on the Zumspot. However, results were the same The Nextion starts on the MMDVM screen during initialization and connection and then goes to a NextionDriver starting screen where it waits until I apply changes on the MMDVMHost config section. The Zumspot works we know because it was fine on the RPi 4. Plus it is fully functional after apply changes. I even tried a brand new Nextion screen as I mention below. So unless there is something wrong with my Pi Zero I am lost. I have detailed my work below.
1:
SDFormatter full format
Etcher install Pi-Star_RPi_V3.4.17_20-Jan-2019
Booted and logged into pi-star setup
Restored Archive holding only my basic configuration options and wifi info
Changed remote password
Changed Nextion port in MMDVMHost Config to Modem and left ON7LDS L3
Shut down Zumspot
Restarted Zumspot and double checked settings
Installed NextionDriver from Putty using Installation Program and only
rpi-rw
git clone https://github.com/on7lds/NextionDriverInstaller.git
sudo NextionDriverInstaller/install.sh

This resulted in NextionDriver being installed with port of “modem”
Opened pi-star interface on my laptop and checked that Nextion Port in MMDVMHost config was now /dev/ttyNextionDriver which it was.
Opened Expert and checked MMDVMHost Page. In Transparent Data ‘Enable=1’ had been set and ‘SendFrameType=1’ had been added to the page.
TFT Serial section port was ‘modem’. Changed it to /dev/ttyNextionDriver
In Nextion section port was /dev/ttyNextionDriver
In NextionDriver section port was ‘modem’.
Rebooted and Nextion screen went to NextionDriver started screen after wifi connection was established.
Apply Changes had to be used from the MMDVMHost configuration section to proceed. Zumspot hotspot is functional and two way contact between DMR parrot is fine. NextionDriver controlled buttons such as reboot and shut down work correctly. This is the same result as when I was using the USB/TTL adapter from the Pi Zero USB port.
Changed TFT Serial section port back to ‘modem’. No change in action.

2:
Nextion connected to directly to Zumspot modem pins. A brand new connection cable was used.
SDFormatter full format
Etcher install Pi-Star_RPi_V4.1.0-RC2_08-Jul-2019
Ran Update
Manually loaded all configuration information. No previous configuration archive was used.
All else as above with same results. Everything stops at NextionDriver starting screen after connection is established. Apply Changes has to be run from the MMDVMHost Config section. (Really about anywhere as long as changes are applied.)
3:
In final desperation, I pulled out a brand new basic 3.5 Nextion screen being saved for another project and flashed it with the Model 8-3.5inch_GLOBE-SIMPLEX_v1.2 by PD0DIB. Same result. Loads MMDVM screen during initialization and connection and then goes to NextionDriver starting screen where it patiently waits for me to apply changes.
As I reported in an earlier post V4.1.0 RC2 is far slower to initialize, connect or respond to changes than V3.1.17 on my Pi Zero. Additionally, the CPU temp is about 5 degrees Celsius higher.
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