Nintendo DSL digitizer does not work!!

[Rahatmaini]

I connected the Breakout Board to the Digitzer, connected Y+ to A2, X+ to 9, Y- to pin 8, and X- to A3. Just like in the Github library. Then I plug in my Arduino, upload the sketch, and I am pressing as hard as possible without harming the display but I get no values! Occasionally I get values, but they are wrong and redundant.

For example, once I got X=1023, Y=0, and got Pressure=83. I get this set all the time (the pressure value is different every time). Something is working here, because the pressure is accurate when it works. But im not getting any x or y coordinates.

Please help!

[adafruit_support_rick]

Can you post some pictures of the connections between the screen, digitizer, and arduino?

[Rahatmaini]

WP_000435.jpg (185.85 KiB) Viewed 382 times

[Rahatmaini]

I hope I plugged in the Digitizer the right way lol

[adafruit_support_rick]

I can't really see much in that picture. Did you solder the pin header to the breakout board? It sort of looks like you didn't. It won't work if it's not soldered.

[Rahatmaini]

Ok. Time to order a soldering iron. Will report the results back here

[Rahatmaini]

I soldered the pins. Here is a link to the photos of the breakout board soldered: http://sdrv.ms/X15bfr. It looks bad I know but trust me, the pins and contact pads are all solid and touching. It is not flimsy or anything, the electricity is conducting. I know this because the display only works when you press hard enough, even then the values are not very accurate. I have soldered other things like this and they work perfect. It is a solid joint, albeit not as good as Adafruit's engineers can solder.

Even before soldering I used jumper wires and basically taped them tightly to the contacts and I got similar results, although now they are more consistently inaccurate since I soldered the breakout.

The serial output only returns a value when I am literally on the verge of cracking the display. The coordinates have never been right and have always been the same no matter where i press. Only the pressure has changed, and it changes WILDLY!

Is it safe to say I need a new unit? I know the joints look wrong, but I promise they are right

Thanks for support

[Rahatmaini]

Even if my soldering was 100% wrong, the DSL can not recognize pressure at all accurately. The fluctuations range from 30 to 900 in the Serial monitor. Press super super hard and get around 900. Press super hard and get 40. Then I press super hard on a different area of the screen and get like 87

[adafruit_support_rick]

I hate to have to tell you this, but those solder joints are still not good enough. The touch screen output signals are analog, not digital. So, instead of sending a stream of either 0V or 5V signals, the screen is representing touch position by sending a range of voltages in very small increments. If the electrical connections for these signals introduce any sort of resistance or fluctuations, then your readings will be very erratic.

Digital signals are much more forgiving than analog signals - that's why modern electronics have been moving away from analog signals to digital signals (think digital TV vs. analog TV, CDs vs. vinyl records, cell phones, etc.).

Three of your joints are solder-starved, and the solder has not flowed onto the pads. They look very much like what are called 'cold joints', where the solder has stuck to the pad enough to appear solid, but it is really only acting like glue and not making a solid electrical connection.

The fourth joint has a huge blob of solder, but even there it's obvious that the solder has not flowed onto the pad.

All of these problems occur because you're not heating the pad - you're only heating the pin.

Try holding the tip of the iron on the pad, and lean the tip against the pin. That will allow the iron to heat both the pad and pin.

And please take some time to thoroughly review our Guide to Excellent Soldering.

[adafruit]

Also make sure you are connecting the FLEX connector on the correct side. try flipping the screen over and connect the other side

[Rahatmaini]

Best Soldering I have ever done: http://sdrv.ms/Zrm03f

[Rahatmaini]

If I connect the touch screen the other way nothing happens. I connect it the right way with this soldering job, nearly the same results as before, but this time the results all come as a continuous stream and are all wrong. The serial monitor always ALWAYS has the same coordinates no matter what I have never gotten them to change. The pressure changes occasionally.

Replacement time? Or have a made a mistake with my joints? Thanks!

[Rahatmaini]

An important thing to note is the digitizer is bare and there is none of that black adhesive on it, the stuff included. I am sure that doesn't make a difference, right?

[adafruit_support_bill]

Your headers are installed upside down. To make good contact, the long end of the pins should go into the breadboard. You should have only a little bit sticking up above the breakout board like in the photo below:

[Rahatmaini]

I didn't use the standard headers that came with the breakout, I put in the ones that are long on both sides.