Author Topic: Display Problems  (Read 4335 times)

offthefront

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 26
    • View Profile
    • http://
Display Problems
« on: December 22, 2005, 05:55:21 am »
Oh dear. Not sure things are looking good for my little C700. I dropped it into some water about a week ago. I've been hoping as it dried out, things would start working again. Almost everything does apart from the screen. I've done a complete NAND restore to see if that helped, but my screen problems remain.

I don't think it's the lcd itself that is broken. The diagnostic screen has no problems. It displays fine.

When I try the pdaxrom updater, it's readable, but shows some flaws. I few streaks of pixels on which shouldn't be on.

Starting the console from the pdaxrom updater is almost usable.

From the command line in pdaxrom, it's almost readable (just lots of "pixel snow", not the same ones every time) till I get to the bottom of the screen, then need to do a clear and turn the Zaurus off and on.

If I do startx then the whole display freezes and doesn't update. When I tried to start the default Sharp 'ROM' it just froze at the splash screen.

Can anyone guess from this what's wrong, is it fixable, is there a console mode I could use in any of the 'ROMs' that would mean I could at least use my device in a meaningful way, should I just take it apart and have a prod around?

Remember kids, be careful around water.

Sue (who's just ordered herself a C3100, I was looking for an excuse!)
« Last Edit: December 22, 2005, 05:56:33 am by offthefront »
Sue.

daniel3000

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1003
    • View Profile
    • http://
Display Problems
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2005, 06:45:36 am »
Hi Sue,

sorry to hear about that!
I cannot say for sure what's wrong, but I assume there is still some water which causes current flow where it shouldn't be. Maybe on the RAM chip contacts or the processor contacts.

What I'd try:

Take the unit apart entirely and put the critical parts into an oven at aout 40-50 degree Celsius, preferrable with air circulation. Let it there for some hours, maybe an entire day. That should dry almost every remaining water even under the ICs.

This procedure has helped me to make some kinds of eletronics work again after they met water.

Be careful about the screen, it may not stand much heat. The mainboard should not be a problem. Any in case the screen module comtains some electronics, too, which are seperatable from the screen itself, then put thee into the oven, too.
To make sure the temperature does not go beyond about 50 degrees, you can also put a thermometer into the oven and check it every hour.

Oh, and what you can do additionally, BEFORE using the oven method:
Buy a can of compressed air and try to blow away every drop of remaining water, especially under the ICs. This may help a lot, because the heat / air circulation has less to do then.

Good luck!

daniel
SL-C3200 with weeXpc, based on pdaXrom 1.1.0beta3
HP 200LX with MS-DOS 5.0

Bundabrg

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 183
    • View Profile
Display Problems
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2005, 06:48:27 am »
You've just made me go clutch my C860 a bit closer in horror.

pdaXrom without starting X (or OpenZ bare, without starting QT) would probably be what all you could do with it if graphics don't start. Interesting that it freezes instead of giving garbage or something on the screen... suggests to me there is more wrong than the LCD or the connection to the LCD.

Maybe its time to build a robot ;-) with a headless Z as the brain. Thats what I'd do with a spare Z ;-)


 - Bundabrg
[img]http://www.worldguard.com.au/brendan-ambi.png\" border=\"0\" class=\"linked-sig-image\" /]

pgas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1097
    • View Profile
    • http://
Display Problems
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2005, 06:51:12 am »
see aslo  this thread:
https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8541

maybe some lcd settings have been lost?
SLC-860 cacko / senao wifi

gromituk

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
    • View Profile
Display Problems
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2005, 08:18:53 am »
If you're limited to text mode, someone recently compiled "screen", which at least allows you several virtual consoles.