Olimex Support Forum

Others => TERES DIY Laptop => Topic started by: diegor on November 08, 2017, 11:23:35 PM

Title: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 08, 2017, 11:23:35 PM
Hi,

a couple of day ago, I've received the Teres, and I've already assembled. It worked well, and suddenly today, it started to behave strangly. At the beginning it get random "right click". Now it's like the right button is always pressed, but it's not.

  I've opened and double checked the ribbon cable, and removed the pcb touch button, and checked with a tester the right button, and it worked fine (short circuit, when pressed, open otherwise).

  Do you suggest any other check?

Thanks in advance,
  Diego.

 
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: JFP74 on November 09, 2017, 01:00:35 AM
We assembled the Teres yesterday with 4 children (12,12,12 and 10). It was a great shared day.
Laptop works fine but we have also seen that right click append sometime when we use touchpad.
Usually, touchpad can be setup to make a right clic when you hit one time the surface whitout slide.
Maybe it comes from a touchpad failure ?
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: LubOlimex on November 09, 2017, 08:12:59 AM
Hey guys,

Thanks for the input.

This is a known issue that can be fixed by software means. You need to update the softawre of the AVR board that controls the keyboard and touch-pad (and its buttons). This is done on the laptop itself, using the command line interface. Step-by-step instructions are located here: https://github.com/d3v1c3nv11/TERES-KBD-RELEASE/tree/master/upgrade - refer to the README.md

Best regards,
Lub/OLIMEX
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: albertux on November 11, 2017, 05:18:08 PM
Same problem here, ad also the same problem after update touchpad firmware...what can I do? I re-open teres and check two flat cables from touch pad connector, and seems OK.... what can I do?  :(

Thanks in advance

albertux
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 11, 2017, 10:22:20 PM
Hi,

  I've updated the firmware today. It's more usable, but there's still problem. To analyze the problem, I've used evtest.

  $ evtest | tee test.log

Then I've tapped on a touch pad, pressed left button and then right button. The output was this:

Input driver version is 1.0.1
Input device ID: bus 0x3 vendor 0x15ba product 0x3c version 0x111
Input device name: "Olimex Ltd. TERES Keyboard+Touchpad"
Supported events:
  Event type 0 (EV_SYN)
  Event type 1 (EV_KEY)
    Event code 272 (BTN_LEFT)
    Event code 273 (BTN_RIGHT)
    Event code 274 (BTN_MIDDLE)
  Event type 2 (EV_REL)
    Event code 0 (REL_X)
    Event code 1 (REL_Y)
    Event code 8 (REL_WHEEL)
    Event code 9 (REL_MISC)
  Event type 4 (EV_MSC)
    Event code 4 (MSC_SCAN)
Properties:
Testing ... (interrupt to exit)


A tap on touchpad ->


Event: time 1510430472.660385, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90001
Event: time 1510430472.660385, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 272 (BTN_LEFT), value 1
Event: time 1510430472.660385, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1510430472.668411, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90001
Event: time 1510430472.668411, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 272 (BTN_LEFT), value 0
Event: time 1510430472.668411, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------


Press left button ->

Event: time 1510430475.109700, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90001
Event: time 1510430475.109700, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 272 (BTN_LEFT), value 1
Event: time 1510430475.109700, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90002
Event: time 1510430475.109700, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 273 (BTN_RIGHT), value 0
Event: time 1510430475.109700, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------


Release left button ->

Event: time 1510430475.277780, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90001
Event: time 1510430475.277780, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 272 (BTN_LEFT), value 0
Event: time 1510430475.277780, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 90002
Event: time 1510430475.277780, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 273 (BTN_RIGHT), value 1


Nothing happen when I press the right button.

Thanks in advance,
  Diego.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: ibu on November 12, 2017, 02:45:15 PM
Hi,

after assembling my TERES-I everything seemed to work (except for part of the desktop sounds) with the original ubuntu - congrats @olimex!

One day later, however, the touchpad stopped working (while the case was closed). (The same happened to a friend of mine.) I managed to fix this through readjusting the cable between the touchpad and PCB3-TOUCH. (Maybe it had changed position due to dilatation while the battery was loading and warming up?)

At the same time that the above error appeared I also found the right touchpad button to be stuck. For quite some time I tried to the following (with many shutdowns and some battery disconnects inbetween):


Directly after exchanging cables, everthing worked for a few minutes. However the problem reappeared. The current situation is this:


It seems that either there is a short-curcuit between the left and right touchpad button, or the AVR keyboard software cannot discern both.

Of course, before doing all that, I've updated the AVR keyboard software as suggested previously in this thread.

Could it still be a software issue?

Best,
ibu
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 12, 2017, 09:19:52 PM
Hello,

  during the weekend I've made some more tests. And I've found out that:

1) vcc on the avr processor is 5v (ok)
2) avcc on the avr processor is around 3.4v (weird)
3) abut0 with no button pressed is 3.4v (wrong but consistent with previous point)
4) abut0 with left button pressed is 2.65v
5) abut0 with right button pressed is 3v

  I tried to disconnect the cable to pcb touchpad, and abut0 is 5v as expected.

  I removed the pcb touchpad, and while disconnected from everything, I misured the resistance at C1 and C2, and it gived me 8K and 15K, even if the button were not pressed. When pressed the resistance were 0 as expected. I don't know if it is a problem with the capacitor or the switches, but this parassite resistance would explain the low voltage of abut0, and low level of abut0 would explain the apparent right button stuck.

  I tried to solve the problem changing the level value in the firmware souce code, but it's not easy, because when I've measured abut0 another time, voltage level are slightly different:

  no button -> 3.10v
  L button pressed -> 2.64v
  R button pressed -> 2.9v

  Last test was to detach the touchpad cable, but there was not difference. So I think that should be a problem with the PCB3-TOUCH-BTN.

Thanks,
  Diego.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: zinoviev on November 13, 2017, 02:19:13 PM
If this is not too difficult, would it be possible for you to open the laptop and make photos of TERES-PCB3-TOUCH and TERES-PCB5-KEYBOARD? I'd like to check something.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: LubOlimex on November 13, 2017, 04:37:25 PM
As you guessed correctly the values here look different. Here is a median between a couple of boards:

AVCC=4.9V
L=2.74V
R=3.5V
M (middle button, both buttons pressed) = 2.24V

Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 13, 2017, 11:20:50 PM
@zinoview: Here's a photo of the two pcb:

http://n1nux.mooo.com/photo/211124-img_5132-1.jpg
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: LubOlimex on November 14, 2017, 09:42:29 AM
Some of the connections seem loose. For example, the smallest ribbon cable between TERES-PCB5-KEYBOARD and the main board seems to be partially out and the lock seems to be disengaged. The locks are a movable part at the top of the connectors for the ribbon cable. You need to disengage the plastic lock (pull them out of the connector), then insert the cable and then close the lock (push the movable part towards the base of the connector). Also the smaller ribbon cable between TERES-PB5-KEYBOARD and TERES-PCB3-TOUCH-BTN seems out.

Best regards,
Lub/OLIMEX
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 14, 2017, 05:42:21 PM
Hi,

  the problem is not the cable, I've already check the cables, and even detaching and retaching the cable don't fix the problem.

  Also, the resistance measured over the capacitor of the button pcb, is low (8K and 15K ohm), even if the pcb is completly disconnected. In the next few day I'll make some more test (with new photo if you need).

Thanks,
  Diego.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: ibu on November 14, 2017, 08:27:32 PM
Here are my photos:

Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: nix on November 17, 2017, 05:47:35 PM
I am having a similar problem:

the touchpad works fine, but the buttons don't respond at all anymore (tested with evtest). Earlier, the left button was acting as if it was the right button, and the right button didn't work.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: nix on November 18, 2017, 12:35:27 AM
Swapping the PCB3-TOUCH between two laptops also transfers the problem, so it really appears to be the PCB3-TOUCH that is faulty.

Also, on the faulty PCB3-TOUCH, the voltages on SWL1 and SWR1 are strange:
SWL1: 0.04V
SWR1: 3.52V

On the working PCB3-TOUCH, the voltages are 4.9V.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on November 19, 2017, 06:02:24 PM
Hi,

  no news on the hardware side. I've tried to reconnect a couple of time the pcb button, but it's still not working.

  So I've started to study the firmware, to implement some workaround (for example it would be nice to implement button key using the keyboard :) ).

  I've started a fork, and at the moment, it have almost exactly the same features, but the code is reworked for clarity and for being more easy to customize.

  If someone is interested you can find here:

    http://git.trueelena.org/cgit.cgi/firmware/TERES-KBD/

  As I said, atm it's almost identical to original firmware, with only button disabled. I'm modifing the code on the teres with this firmware loaded all the time, so it's usable most of the time (if you don't need the right click).

  It's still need more polishing, but it should be clear where is headed. And of course it's still distributed with gpl license.

  As a last note, thanks for giving access to the firmware! There are not many device where you can actually fix the firmware :) And I hope my work can be useful to others...

Regards,
  Diego.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: khumarahn on November 20, 2017, 07:03:25 PM
I had a problem with touchpad buttons after the laptop spent some time in humid environment. It helped to re-solder the capacitors underneath the button pcb, and to thoroughly clean everything with alcohol.

There was a resistance on terminals of one of the buttons of approx 11.1K (there should be infinity). It was probably caused by some flux residue/corrosion.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: khumarahn on November 20, 2017, 08:50:47 PM
@nix, can you unplug the PCB3-TOUCH board from everything and test the resistance on both buttons terminals? While I was working on it, I realized that even if there is a stray resistance of megaohms, the buttons do not work properly. So the board has to be very very clean. I would expect problems on/near the buttons or the capacitors on the other side. In my case, the connectors were OK and luckily I did not have to replace them.

Looking for the answer in my case, I replaced both buttons with similar buttons, which turned out to be a bit more quiet. I would recommend this to everybody. Though I am not sure what the best replacement is, I just bought what was in stock locally.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: ibu on November 21, 2017, 06:45:14 AM
Quote from: nix on November 17, 2017, 05:47:35 PM
Earlier, the left button was acting as if it was the right button, and the right button didn't work.
This phenomenological behaviour could result from the right button being always pressed and the left button (when pressed) interrupting this, which leads to a new right-button-pressed event.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: diegor on December 01, 2017, 09:50:48 PM
Hi,

  some news hardware side. I've desoldered one of the two button, and the resistance measured on the other button was ok (open circuit). The funny things is that the resistance measured on the pad of the removed button was around 5k, even if the pcb was disconnected from everything.

  I've resoldered the two capacitors, and for some reason this fixed temporarily the problem. So I resoldered the button and the buttons now work fine... some time. Ok, most of the time they work, sometimes the phantom resistance reappeares, and the right button get stuck again.

  Have someone an idea of what is going on? Is there a more permanent fix?

Thanks in advance,
  Diego.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: khumarahn on December 01, 2017, 11:50:50 PM
@diegor, this is the same as my experience, only the resistance was 5K vs 11K.

That is a very simple circuit... Probably the phantom resistance is caused by the board not being entirely clean. After I cleaned it very thoroughly, I had no problems so far. I have a phantom F11 keyboard press occasionally though, but so rarely that I can't reliably reproduce or diagnose.
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: zinoviev on July 26, 2018, 09:16:39 PM
Ok, guys. This thing happened to my laptop too, more than 6 months after I assembled it. :( Is there a spare part I can buy in order to fix my laptop? Maybe TERES-PCB3-TOUCH?
Title: Re: touchpad right button seems stuck
Post by: albertux on January 11, 2019, 12:13:25 PM
I've order a new PCB3-TOUCH six months ago, for the same problem accour to Diegor, and the problem seemed solved. Now, after 6 months the same problems appears again, touchpad and buttons does not work correctly or stuck. The PC is unusable, please solve the problem in another way, the PCB3 substitution does not solve the problem!!!