T-Echo display not working after update

[Ryan Dewsbury]

Just wondering if anyone else has seen behavior like this. 

I updated a bunch of Club T-Echos to MB173 and one of them doesn't seem to work as expected afterwards. 

It flashes the screen and shows the usual display with SoftRF and Lilygo along with the correct version number. After that the leds look normal. It appears that it is transmitting RF data as the detected aircraft on the other T-echo's goes up when it is running. 

If I delete the settings file it recreates it as expected after a reboot. 

I have tried writing older versions as well as versions of the original branch and it behaves the same. I also tried the meshtastic erase firmware.  

If I write some meshtastic firmware it seems to boot and run as expected. But it goes back to this odd display hang with any SoftRF firmware. 

[Moshe Braner]

One T-Echo has this problem and the others do not?  Are the settings the same in them?  Or did the display not work in that one even after deleting the settings file, i.e., it used the default settings?

"I have tried writing older versions as well as versions of the original branch and it behaves the same."

- meaning the problem arose after loading MB173 on it, but reverting to older versions does not fix it?

Try attaching a PC via USB, running a "terminal" program, to capture the USB-serial output while booting?

[Ryan Dewsbury]

It is odd that they all were working fine but could just be a random hardware failure after seeing the Display: Fail on the power on self test. 

Here is a dump of what it shows on start up. 

If anything looks off in the config file let me know. But I think I'll tear into it and disconnect/reconnect the display cable. 

SoftRF nRF52 FW.REV: MB173 DEV.ID: 89A717
Copyright (C) 2015-2021 Linar Yusupov. All rights reserved.
This fork by Moshe Braner, 2024

Reset reason: 5
DEEP_SLEEP_AWAKE
Free heap size: 166324
No reset information available



Loading settings from file...

# originator: model 15 fw MB166 ID 89A717

SoftRF,1

mode,0             # 0=Normal ...

protocol,7         # 7=Latest 1=OGNTP 2=P3I 5=FANET

altprotocol,8    # 255=none 1=OGNTP 8=ADSL

band,2             # 1=EU 2=US ...

acft_type,1        # 1=GL 2=TOWPL 6=HG 7=PG 0=landed out

id_method,1        # 1=ICAO 2=device

aircraft_id,C0413F

ignore_id,000000

follow_id,000000

alarm,3            # 3=Latest 2=Vector 1=Dist

hrange,27          # km

vrange,20          # x100m

tx_power,2         # 0=off 1=low 2=full

volume,0           # 0=off 1=low 2=full 3=ext

pointer,2

bluetooth,2        # 0=off 1=classic 2=BLE

baud_rate,0        # 0=default(38) 2=9600 3=19200 4=38400 ...

nmea_out,5         # 0=off 1=serial 2=UDP 3=TCP 4=USB 5=BT ...

nmea_g,01          # 0=off 1=basic 3=GSA ...

nmea_s,01          # 0=off 1=basic 3=LK8EX1

nmea_t,01          # 0=off 1=basic

nmea_e,00          # 0=off 1=tunnel 2=output 3=both

nmea_d,00          # 1=yes 0=no

nmea_p,00

nmea_out2,4        # 0=off 1=serial 2=UDP 3=TCP 4=USB 5=BT ...

nmea2_g,01         # 0=off 1=basic 3=GSA ...

nmea2_s,01         # 0=off 1=basic 3=LK8EX1

nmea2_t,01         # 0=off 1=basic

nmea2_e,00         # 0=off 1=tunnel 2=output 3=both

nmea2_d,00         # 1=yes 0=no

nmea2_p,00

hrange1090,27      # km

vrange1090,20      # x100m

gdl90,0

d1090,0

relay,1            # 0=off 1=landed 2=ADS-B 3=only

expire,5           # secs no-rx report 1-30

pflaa_cs,1         # 1=yes 0=no

stealth,0          # 1=yes 0=no

no_track,0         # 1=yes 0=no

power_save,0       # 1=turn off wifi after 10min

power_ext,0        # 1=allow dual-power boot, shutdown long after USB off

rfc,0              # freq correction +-30

alarmlog,0         # 1=yes 0=no

logflight,0        # 0=off 1=always 2=airborne 3=traffic

loginterval,4      # seconds, 1-255

compflash,0        # 0=log uncompressed, 1=compress

igc_pilot,Chuck Yeager

igc_type,ASW20

igc_reg,N1234

igc_cs,XXX

gn_to_gp,0

geoid,0

leapsecs,18        # leap seconds - automatic

units,0            # 0=metric 1=imperial 2=mixed

zoom,2

rotate,0

orientation,0

adb,0

epdidpref,3        # 0=reg 1=tail 2=model 3=type

viewmode,0         # 0=status 1=radar 2=text ...

antighost,1        # 0=off 1=auto 2=2min 3=5min

team,000000

debug_flags,000000

Loaded 64 user settings from file on boot



ID_method: 1, settings_ID: C0413F, used_ID: C0413F



Invalid CDB: /Aircrafts/ogn.cdb

calling Baro_setup()...

baro setting up

BMP found

BMP280 barometric pressure sensor is detected.

Temperature = 27.97 *C

Pressure = 98152.42 Pa

Altitude using library = 267.55 m

Altitude using our code = 267.55

... Baro_setup() returned

SX126x RFIC is detected.

set up FLR_ADSL dual protocol reception

GNSS type found: AT65

INFO: AT65 GNSS module FW version: URANUS5,V5.3.0.0

range.txt does not exist

$PFLAE,A,0,0*33

$PFLAV,A,2.4,7.24,SoftRF-MB173*16



LilyGO T-Echo (v2:2021-3-26) Power-on Self Test



Built-in components:

RADIO   : PASS

GNSS    : PASS

DISPLAY : FAIL

RTC     : PASS

FLASH   : PASS

BMx280  : PASS



External components:

IMU     : N/A



Power-on Self Test is complete.



FATFS freeClusterCount: 859

FATFS.blocksPerCluster(): 1

FATFS mounted, free space: 429 kB


Data output device(s):

NMEA   - Bluetooth LE

NMEA2  - USB CDC

GDL90  - NULL

D1090  - NULL



reset.reason=5

reset_reason=DEEP_SLEEP_AWAKE

reset_info=No reset information available

settings_used=2

Looking for .IGX files...

/settings.txt
... setup() done

Current settings:

mode,0             # 0=Normal ...
protocol,7         # 7=Latest 1=OGNTP 2=P3I 5=FANET
altprotocol,8      # 255=none 1=OGNTP 8=ADSL
band,2             # 1=EU 2=US ...
acft_type,1        # 1=GL 2=TOWPL 6=HG 7=PG 0=landed out
id_method,1        # 1=ICAO 2=device
aircraft_id,C0413F
ignore_id,000000
follow_id,000000
alarm,3            # 3=Latest 2=Vector 1=Dist
hrange,27          # km
vrange,20          # x100m
tx_power,2         # 0=off 1=low 2=full
volume,0           # 0=off 1=low 2=full 3=ext
pointer,2
bluetooth,2        # 0=off 1=classic 2=BLE
baud_rate,0        # 0=default(38) 2=9600 3=19200 4=38400 ...
nmea_out,5         # 0=off 1=serial 2=UDP 3=TCP 4=USB 5=BT ...
nmea_g,01          # 0=off 1=basic 3=GSA ...
nmea_s,01          # 0=off 1=basic 3=LK8EX1
nmea_t,01          # 0=off 1=basic
nmea_e,00          # 0=off 1=tunnel 2=output 3=both
nmea_d,00          # 1=yes 0=no
nmea_p,00
nmea_out2,4        # 0=off 1=serial 2=UDP 3=TCP 4=USB 5=BT ...
nmea2_g,01         # 0=off 1=basic 3=GSA ...
nmea2_s,01         # 0=off 1=basic 3=LK8EX1
nmea2_t,01         # 0=off 1=basic
nmea2_e,00         # 0=off 1=tunnel 2=output 3=both
nmea2_d,00         # 1=yes 0=no
nmea2_p,00
hrange1090,27      # km
vrange1090,20      # x100m
gdl90,0
d1090,0
relay,1            # 0=off 1=landed 2=all 3=only
expire,5           # secs no-rx report 1-30
pflaa_cs,1         # 1=yes 0=no
stealth,0          # 1=yes 0=no
no_track,0         # 1=yes 0=no
power_save,0       # 1=turn off wifi after 10min
power_ext,0        # 1=allow dual-power boot, shutdown long after USB off
rfc,0              # freq correction +-30
alarmlog,0         # 1=yes 0=no
logflight,0        # 0=off 1=always 2=airborne 3=traffic
loginterval,4      # seconds, 1-255
compflash,0        # 0=log uncompressed, 1=compress
igc_pilot,Chuck Yeager
igc_type,ASW20
igc_reg,N1234
igc_cs,XXX
gn_to_gp,0
geoid,0
leapsecs,18        # leap seconds - automatic
units,0            # 0=metric 1=imperial 2=mixed
zoom,2
rotate,0
orientation,0
adb,0
epdidpref,3        # 0=reg 1=tail 2=model 3=type
viewmode,0         # 0=status 1=radar 2=text ...
antighost,1        # 0=off 1=auto 2=2min 3=5min
team,000000
debug_flags,000000

$PFLAU,0,0,0,1,0,,0,,,*4F

[Ryan Dewsbury]

Kind of odd that this worked fine with meshtastic firmware. 

In case anyone runs into this the fix was to unplug the battery and then unplug the two connectors for the display. 

Perhaps it just needed to be fully powered down perhaps something wonky with the ribbon cables. It's a mystery.