Which frequencies to use?

[w7efs]

Instead of making remarks about what is already done (which i cant do anything about at this point), What would you suggest i do at this point?

Your post:
"I think it's very unfortunate that a new topic wasn't started when the thread turned from the Subject: "Which frequencies to use?" It makes it that much more difficult for others to find solutions."

One can simply consider starting a new topic when a distinct departure from the Subject: occurs. We've been encouraging this since the 1980s on Usenet.

My comment was simple feedback to your request for comments, which all of you are welcome to ignore, just as I ignore many other user's comments here.

[k9ohv]

Within the MMDVM host section, right?

Yeah, sorry wasn't all that clear, I kinda thought it was obvious because thats the only place that has all of those subsections.

So yeah, configuration then Expert area then MMDVMHost.
No worries, figured it out...
If you are not getting data populated on the screen, like the time ETC.
No, im not.
First what setting do you have for Nextion layout on the very first configuration page?
ON7LDS LE HS keep in mind that this is a restored confiuration. I read that it should be the non-HS
Second, we need to look at the logs for NextionDriver and figure out what its doing and if its working correctly.
That is accomplished by running:

Code: Select all

cat /var/log/syslog | grep NextionDriver

post the output of that command.
See below. Scratch that file too big to attach. Anything special your looking for? Or show me how to attach.
Also, has the screen ever populated data? like before you installed the Nextion Driver? Because its possible someone programmed it for a baud rate that is not 9600, and thats why its not communicating.
I have not run the display without the driver installed. Also read that if i want to use the model 8, i must install that driver. But you are the boss now...

[k9ohv]

My comment was simple feedback to your request for comments, which all of you are welcome to ignore, just as I ignore many other user's comments here.

You really expect me to believe that?
When i asked "What do you all think" Did you really think i was asking if everyone thought i was posting in the right thread? And/or practicing proper forum etiquette??

Tony, let it go.

[k9ohv]

See below. Scratch that file too big to attach. Anything special your looking for? Or show me how to attach.

Try setting it on ON7LDS L3
Done


Maybe you didn't type the entire line as just one command? The | (thats a shift \ key) takes the output of the first command and pipes it to the second command, which strips out everything that doesn't have the exact word NextionDriver in it. There should only be 15 or 20 lines with that word in it. But you could always just reboot the node, and it'll clear up the logs.

What I'm looking for is something like this.

Code: Select all

pi-star@pi-star2(ro):~$ cat /var/log/syslog | grep NextionDriver
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 systemd[1]: Starting NextionDriver service...
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver: NextionDriver version 1.12
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Copyright (C) 2017...2019 ON7LDS. All rights reserved.
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Starting with verbose level 0
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Warning: NextionDriver with PID 640 already running !
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Data files directory: /usr/local/etc/
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver:   Reading groups from /usr/local/etc/groups.txt
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver:   Read 1292 groups.
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 NextionDriver:   Reading users from /usr/local/etc/stripped.csv
Jun 13 17:17:10 pi-star2 systemd[1]: Started NextionDriver service.
Jun 13 17:17:11 pi-star2 NextionDriver:   Read 133482 users.
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver:   Sorted CALL table.
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Disk size : 29952 MB (26336 free)
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Started with screenLayout 4
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Started with verbose level 2
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Display will sleep when no data received for 180 seconds
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Opening ports
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver:  /dev/ttyNextionDriver (=/dev/pts/0) <=> modem
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Opening sockets ...
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Transparent Connection: talking socket open, fd=2
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Try to bind 0.0.0.0 ...
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Transparent Connection: listening socket open, fd=3
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Transparent data sockets active
Jun 13 17:17:12 pi-star2 NextionDriver: I can not (yet) check or update modem connected displays
Jun 13 17:17:13 pi-star2 NextionDriver: Starting with network interface eth0:

Word for word match! Only differences are:
My screen will go to sleep after 600 sec.
The last line my interface is a wireless LAN, and is displaying an address that i can access!
I think this is more proof of the wires not right on the board

Do you have a FT232 or TTL board by chance?
Yes
I'm trying to think of a way to set the baud rate just to eliminate that as a potential conflict. I'm pretty sure you could load one of ON7LDS's tft files and click a button to make it set the default baud rate to 9600, but if you have one of those boards I'm talking about you could plug the Nextion into a computer and use the Nextion Editor to configure it.
But doesn't a TTL load take forever?I dont think that is an issue. I can load a TFT file to the screen just fine (via mini SD). And when i hit it with power, it comes up ok, but just sits there waiting for data. Thats where i think the wires (TX RX) are crossed.

It feels funny to be called an Elmer, I'm just a person with many many years of computer experience that had similar issues when I tried to get all of the things working when I started messing with it a few months ago.
If it makes you feel better, i can call you "Just an Elmer". Your description above is the definition of an Elmer. Someone who once didn't know, learned, and now passes the knowledge.

Maybe if its easier we can setup a time to use Teamviewer and screenshare so I can see what you see on your screen and guide you that way.
Or show me how you posted that above. I just dont know how to post it. When i said file was too big, i was trying to post a pic i took of the screen.

[k9ohv]

I just looked at that image you shared and everything looks like its wired correctly.
Good News. What about the possibility of a mis print on the board. Ever heard of that?
The blue wire in the connector should go to RX port on the hat, and yellow to TX, power to power and ground to ground.

But I did notice one thing that looks kinda suspicious, the soldering pad on the RX port still shows a bunch of copper, so it might not be a good solder joint. If you have an iron and some flux handy reflow that guy.
Will do
On my installs I use pin headers.
Can't, i run a case.

This will work, good old drag and drop...

pi-star@pi-star(ro):~$ cat /var/log/syslog | grep NextionDriver
Jun 12 23:17:15 pi-star systemd[1]: Starting NextionDriver service...
Jun 12 23:17:15 pi-star NextionDriver: NextionDriver version 1.12
Jun 12 23:17:15 pi-star NextionDriver: Copyright (C) 2017...2019 ON7LDS. All rights reserved.
Jun 12 23:17:15 pi-star NextionDriver: Starting with verbose level 0
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Warning: NextionDriver with PID 660 already running !
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Data files directory: /usr/local/etc/
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Reading groups from /usr/local/etc/groups.txt
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star systemd[1]: Started NextionDriver service.
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Read 1292 groups.
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Reading users from /usr/local/etc/stripped.csv
Jun 12 23:17:16 pi-star NextionDriver: Read 121718 users.
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Sorted CALL table.
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Disk size : 14856 MB (12668 free)
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Started with screenLayout 4
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Started with verbose level 2
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Display will sleep when no data received for 600 seconds
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Opening ports
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: /dev/ttyNextionDriver (=/dev/pts/0) <=> modem
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Opening sockets ...
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Transparent Connection: talking socket open, fd=2
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Try to bind 0.0.0.0 ...
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Transparent Connection: listening socket open, fd=3
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: Transparent data sockets active
Jun 12 23:17:17 pi-star NextionDriver: I can not (yet) check or update modem connected displays
Jun 12 23:17:24 pi-star NextionDriver: Starting with network interface wlan0:

[k9ohv]

There is also one other thing that could be causing the issue and thats the firmware thats loaded into the modem board. What does the dashboard show on the left of the main page? V 1.4.17

[k9ohv]

you could plug the screen into your PC and connect to it and send the same commands that should populate the data fields to make sure everything works.
I could probably figure out how to do that eventually, but if you wanted to help me along a bit...

What I'd like to try is to run a command on the display that would set the default baud rate to 9600. If for some reason someone had their hands on the screen before you got it and its NOT set on 9600, it won't work at all. So we are at the point where it could be the baudrate or the lines are mixed up and silkscreened incorrectly. Both are entirely possible, I've even seen boards with missing traces too, one of them I was playing with didn't even have 5 volts connected to the pin for the Nextion.
I would have to think that if it didnt have voltage, the screen wouldn't even come on, yes?

How about just Jason, or my callsign.
Fair enough

Thats easy, anything you highlight while in putty (I assume thats what ssh client you are using)
What ever one comes with the pi-star dashboard

will get shoved into the clipboard, and then all you have to do is use crtl+v to paste it in another window.
That didn't work, but highlight, then drag and drop works...

Also middle click while in putty (or if you only have 2 buttons right click) will paste whats in the clipboard into putty, so that makes it easier to run commands that are posted.
That did work, and is pretty slick!

We are almost there. If you want go ahead and flip the two TX and RX wires around. Just don't put power on either of those terminals or you'll let the smoke out. I would just take the extra step and power it all off while doing it just in case.
I'll try to get on that Friday, almost m'nite here now.

I've made 2 .tft files for what I think one is your screen (you said earlier 2.4 but theres a basic and enhanced version), somewhere on your screen is the model number, just load the file that matches it. Then you can click on a button and it will set the default baud rate (theres no confirmation or anything, just when you touch the button it turns green). Then you can just power the screen off and load the other tft file from PD0DIB, and lets see what happens then.
I have the enhanced

[k9ohv]

I've made 2 .tft files for what I think one is your screen (you said earlier 2.4 but theres a basic and enhanced version), somewhere on your screen is the model number, just load the file that matches it. Then you can click on a button and it will set the default baud rate (theres no confirmation or anything, just when you touch the button it turns green). Then you can just power the screen off and load the other tft file from PD0DIB, and lets see what happens then.

That did it! Wasn't sure the baud rate changed because the button only went green while i was pushing it, guess that was what you were talking about. But when i reloaded the Model 8 file, it populated! It is a bit clunky though after i un-key, Reload is a bit sporadic. Thats probably just the way it is.
Thanks for all the help!
Rob

[k9ohv]

I would of pointed you to ON7LDS's screens with the same functionality, but his screens are for 3.5's and won't load on your 2.4.
He has a 2.4 duplex screen file. Thats what i put back on after your baud screen.

As far as it being clunky, thats pretty much the way it is. It is possible to speed up the serial communications, but that requires a custom firmware and loading firmware on that board is annoyingly unfriendly. I had never had any problems on the two other boards I've tinkered with, but that board requires at least 3 hands.
Ok, thats fine. If its clunky, its clunky. I was just letting you know that in case it was a symptom of another issue.

Let me know if you want to mess around with it some more. Its not any more difficult than what you've already been through and I'm sure there are others that might want to do the same.
Ok, if you want to put the time into it, I'd be happy to be a tester.

[k9ohv]

Wow, that's a lot...
I had to go out of town on Sat, and today is Fathers day. I will try to get started on this tonight.

Thanks for all the work!
Rob

Quick question:You mentioned shorting one pin to a pad? Pin=Pad?