Database Users

**IMPORTANT** Please Test. G-Sensor = Cause of 'Random' freezes + Bad Screen response

I Think I May have found the cause of the otherwise apparently 'random' freezes/hangs and total lack of touch sensitivity.
Basically, In my case at least, It Is the G-sensor/accelerometer.
I have been noticing increasing numbers of these freezes on Mattc 1.5 Froyo, Mainly in Landscape, Mainly in games.
TEST:
I installed 'Iron Sight' Game. (If theory is right then you should be able to use any landscape game, but please try Iron sight if possible.)
I Ran the game and it switched to landscape,
SO I PHYSICALLY TURNED MY HD2 TO LANDSCAPE.
THIS IS WHERE THE FREEZING AND LAGGING BEGAN!
On the Main menu found it difficult to press any options.
When I did manage to start a Game The control buttons were hard to press and the game was unplayable because screen sensitivity was just not there most of the game.
I Then Physically turned the HD2 around and Back to Portrait orientation, AND ALTHOUGH THE SCREEN ORIENTATION STAYED IN LANDSCAPE I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ONE SINGLE LAG OR FREEZE.
BUTTON PRESSES WERE RESPONSIVE TO TOUCH AT ALL TIMES FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES!
HERES WHERE IT GETS MORE INTERESTING....
I Then Turned the HD2 back around to landscape again and the Problems IMMEDIATELY RETURNED.
I THEN HELD THE PHONE VERY STILL IN LANDSCAPE AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE PROBLEMS/LAG/FREEZES DISSAPEARED AGAIN!!!
TESTED REPEATEDLY!
IN LANDSCAPE AS SOON AS THERE IS ANY PHYSICAL MOVEMENT, THE GAME FREEZES, BUT IF I KEEP IT STILL THE GAME RESPONDS PERFECTLY WITHOUT HESITATION.
Can some of you please test this theory?
A cradle/Dock would be handy for testing but it is possible to keep the phone still enough in-hand in my tests.
Use the game "Iron Sight" where possible, but use other games/apps too if you have time or inclination
Post the results below ( with logs where possible ?) Please.
Note:
After discovering the above, I did a search on XDA and found that a member called 'Hinky' and touched on this but I think I have narrowed it down.... I think
Please test and confirm (or debunk lol).
Thanks.

thesweeney said:
I Think I May have found the cause of the otherwise apparently 'random' freezes/hangs and total lack of touch sensitivity.
Basically, In my case at least, It Is the G-sensor/accelerometer.
I have been noticing increasing numbers of these freezes on Mattc 1.5 Froyo, Mainly in Landscape, Mainly in games.
TEST:
I installed 'Iron Sight' Game. (If theory is right then you should be able to use any landscape game, but please try Iron sight if possible.)
I Ran the game and it switched to landscape, SO I PHYSICALLY TURNED MY HD2 TO LANDSCAPE.
THIS IS WHERE THE FREEZES BEGAN!
On the Main menu found it difficult to press any options.
When I did manage to start a Game The control buttons were hard to press and the game was unplayable because screen sensitivity was just not there most of the game.
I Then turned the HD2 Back to Portrait mode AND ALTHOUGH THE SCREEN ORIENTATION STAYED IN LANDSCAPE I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ONE SINGLE LAG.
BUTTON PRESSES WERE RESPONSIVE TO TOUCH AT ALL TIMES FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES!
HERES WHERE IT GETS MORE INTERESTING....
I Then Turned the HD2 around to landscape again and the Problems IMMEDIATELY RETURNED.
I THEN HELD THE PHONE VERY STILL IN LANDSCAPE AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE PROBLEMS/LAG/FREEZES DISSAPEARED AGAIN!!!
TESTED REPEATEDLY!
IN LANDSCAPE AS SOON AS THERE IS ANY PHYSICAL MOVEMENT, THE GAME FREEZES, BUT IF I KEEP IT STILL THE GAME RESPONDS PERFECTLY WITHOUT HESITATION.
Can some of you please test this theory?
A cradle/Dock would be handy for testing but it is possible to keep the phone still enough in-hand in my tests.
Use the game "Iron Sight" where possible, but use other games/apps too if you have time or inclination
Post the results below ( with logs where possible ?) Please.
Note:
After discovering the above, I did a search on XDA and found that a member called 'Hinky' and touched on this but I think I have narrowed it down.... I think
Please test and confirm (or debunk lol).
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this is something that the devs have been discussing. It does seem that the freeze issue is in fact related to the g sensor. I don't know if anyone is working on it at this time but I believe Cotulla will try to sort it out for his September release

ala380 said:
Yes this is something that the devs have been discussing. It does seem that the freeze issue is in fact related to the g sensor. I don't know if anyone is working on it at this time but I believe Cotulla will try to sort it out for his September release
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DOH! Didnt know it was already a known issue LMAO
I'll get my coat....

thesweeney said:
DOH! Didnt know it was already a known issue LMAO
I'll get my coat....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol keep with the testing though I didn't figure that much out

Hmmm this is def the prob for my touch screen issues. I tested a bit using the latest mattc Leo + Froyo w/Sense 1.5 version, with latest FULLRAM. I found that while on the sense home screen if I hold the phone out in front of me either landscape and portrait it's ok, and I can do whatever I want at full speed no lag at all. THEN if I lay the phone flat, It freezes. I did this like 20+ times and every time It would freeze whether I was playing a game or reading an email.

This also happen to me. Using Mattc 1.5 Froyo, it happens when using internet browser. The screen will freeze or not response right after i turn from Portrait to Landscape or sometimes have to wait for few seconds. I have to turn my device from Landscape to Portrait, and back to Landscape again, then the screen responses back to normal. This also happens in Copilot app when using in Landscape mode.

I turned off the screen rotation
What I did since i installed my ROM with 380mb ram is to turn off all screen rotation settings, so far so good, I haven't notice any freeze or lag so far in any application or while waking the device up, I used to have it and I hate it, I almost went back to Winmo!!.

robrob777 said:
What I did since i installed my ROM with 380mb ram is to turn off all screen rotation settings, so far so good, I haven't notice any freeze or lag so far in any application or while waking the device up, I used to have it and I hate it, I almost went back to Winmo!!.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was the first thing i tried but strangely it made no difference.
anyone know how to totally disable the g-sensor?

doesnt have any of the mentioned problems...
iron sight lite runs the same for me when i hold the phone portrait or LS...
have no bad screen sens while holding LS...
running mattc 1.5 with the default zimage...

thesweeney said:
This was the first thing i tried but strangely it made no difference.
anyone know how to totally disable the g-sensor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to know too! disabling auto rotation doesnt mean completely stop the g-sensor running.

Bimme said:
doesnt have any of the mentioned problems...
iron sight lite runs the same for me when i hold the phone portrait or LS...
have no bad screen sens while holding LS...
running mattc 1.5 with the default zimage...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please tell me....
Did you fresh install 1.5 or upgrade 1.4>1.5?
I had quite a few freezes on 1.4.
Then I upgraded to 1.5 and kept my apps etc from 1.4.
I HARDLY HAD ANY FREEZES AT ALL
Then I did a fresh install of 1.5 and started getting LOTS of freezes.

i did a fresh install.
i deleted all android files on my sd card and extracted the new build to a new made "Android" folder...
i use xanny roms, and i still have the robovoice problem, so i can´t use android daily...
i noticed on all android builds ive tried sofar, that the polling interval of the gsensor is very bad/small. U can see it when u go to calibrate the gsensor, the bubbles move very slowly...
this is not a big thing when u only use the gsenor to turn screen to LS, but it is essential to play games using the sensor...

thesweeney said:
DOH! Didnt know it was already a known issue LMAO
I'll get my coat....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, no worries I'm glad that you pointed it out. This was actually one of those really useful threads and the kind of thing that the developers are looking for. I am not a dev but I speak with them pretty regularly when the same issue are pointed out time and time again by those who do not read the threads. This was something that has not been talk about here so I appreciate your well thought post and the information that you provided

I was just a step before creating a new thread about it when I saw this one.
This is definitely one of the things that are really pissing me off using Android.
Furthermore, I did tests on this issue for quite long to doubt that it's an autorotation related issue. Maybe it has something to do with the g-sensor, but it still would happen randomly even trying not to move the phone at all. I noticed that the problem wouldnt appear that often when decreasing the polling interval of set cpu and same time increasing the min. freq. to 380, but still, it DOES happen.
I'd really appreciate any statement on this, developer side of course.

I have the occasional screen freeze on landscape, but not very often using froyostone.

Bimme said:
i did a fresh install.
i deleted all android files on my sd card and extracted the new build to a new made "Android" folder...
i use xanny roms, and i still have the robovoice problem, so i can´t use android daily...
i noticed on all android builds ive tried sofar, that the polling interval of the gsensor is very bad/small. U can see it when u go to calibrate the gsensor, the bubbles move very slowly...
this is not a big thing when u only use the gsenor to turn screen to LS, but it is essential to play games using the sensor...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers for that ^
+1 for the Gsensor polling intervals seeming very slow.
THIS CAN BE SEEN VERY CLEARLY USING THE 'VR TUNNEL' LIVE WALLPAPER.
Here the cubes move smoothly at a good fps while the tunnel moves around at what appears to be 4/5 fps.
ala380 said:
Lol, no worries I'm glad that you pointed it out. This was actually one of those really useful threads and the kind of thing that the developers are looking for. I am not a dev but I speak with them pretty regularly when the same issue are pointed out time and time again by those who do not read the threads. This was something that has not been talk about here so I appreciate your well thought post and the information that you provided
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe, Thanks for that ^.
I dont feel quite so stupid now
For a moment there, before I found out it was a known issue... I thought I had discovered the Androids very own penicilin or something equally as important... but as usual I was behind the times lol.
Jealousy said:
I was just a step before creating a new thread about it when I saw this one.
This is definitely one of the things that are really pissing me off using Android.
Furthermore, I did tests on this issue for quite long to doubt that it's an autorotation related issue. Maybe it has something to do with the g-sensor, but it still would happen randomly even trying not to move the phone at all. I noticed that the problem wouldnt appear that often when decreasing the polling interval of set cpu and same time increasing the min. freq. to 380, but still, it DOES happen.
I'd really appreciate any statement on this, developer side of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly not related to autorotation per-se, but...
With Autorotation disabled... If I turn my phone on its side (with volume buttons pointing towards floor) I still experience freezes on my home screen or anywhere else for that matter.
Plus I have found that holding the phone VERY still in any position seems to eliminate 'ALL' freezing and lagging problems.
Do the G-sensor and the Dgital compass 'interlink' or communicate in any way? Is it possible that the screwed up compass output is screwing with the g-sensor output?
I ask this because the game 'hungry shark' thought that my phone was flat whent the usb port was pointed down towards the floor.
Dont know if that makes sense but for me it seems like the g-sensor is fubar as well as the digital compass.

trilbyfish said:
I then used even bigger and bolder letters to emphasize my points!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[SARCASM]Very helpful buddy[/SARCASM]
I did the font size thing for people who just wanted to skim through the long post.

thesweeney said:
Possibly not related to autorotation per-se, but...
With Autorotation disabled... If I turn my phone on its side (with volume buttons pointing towards floor) I still experience freezes on my home screen or anywhere else for that matter.
Plus I have found that holding the phone VERY still in any position seems to eliminate 'ALL' freezing and lagging problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well ofc, it wouldn't freeze when it's COMPLETELY hold still, but I guess that shouldn't be the point of daily usage.
Now when it comes to spontaneous outside actions, you are trying to pick up a call using touchscreen cuz ur used to it or trying to shoot out a text in hurry, and your device will just go sleep for some time. I mean, how'd you hold still if you're moving (fast)?
If you ask me thats pretty much a major bug, not to forget the 3g data thing. I'm not moaning around, just want to attain more focus on this. I notice people losing themselves in some benchmark trolling - just time waste.

There is already a thread for that (walking dead)
Just found a possible solution, please repport if it is better for you too :
- boot windows mobile, calibrate the g-sensor in settings (i did it 2 or 3 times, but i don't think its important)
- do a proper shutdown of wm
- restart wm + android
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

After disabling "Auto-rotate screen" I haven't had a freeze yet, so good so far.

[DISCUSS] Trackpad problems!!

Is anyone else having this. In nova 2 the left trackpad work brilliantly for the move and strafe but with the right one it doesnt keep turning for the aim it just moves like a laptop trackpad and i have to keep swiping the pad to get it to move. also in star battalion it very spazmodic on if it work or not, sometimes it will turn the ship in all directions sometimes it will forget how to turn uphill etc etc. just wondering if this is game implimentation issues or if i have a faulty handset.

yh for me too in start battalion its pretty horrible and sometimes the sensitivity seems just plain random. however playing spiderman HD, Asphalt or Gun Bros the track pads work flawlessly!
im guessing it comes down to how the devs code the apps to use the trackpads.

Im having the same issues with star battalion.
Its odd that devs are having trouble getting used to real controls again.
Optimizing for touch screens must have been a huge step backwards for them as well as the gamers who used it

do you get this problem with crash bandicoot too? i noticed i had that problem with nova and another gameloft game dont think ill buy another fps from them anytime soon try a different game.

Analogue Touch Stick messes up after awhile

So i'm playing Dungeon Defenders for about 45 minutes ... and the analogue touch stick stops working and my character keeps trying to run forward. When I restart the game, the Analogue touch stick just doesn't work. Happens all the time after I play on it for a bit, with other games as well. Is my phone overheating? Is there the hotfix for it. I"m on the latest version from SEUS.

Deoxlar said:
So i'm playing Dungeon Defenders for about 45 minutes ... and the analogue touch stick stops working and my character keeps trying to run forward. When I restart the game, the Analogue touch stick just doesn't work. Happens all the time after I play on it for a bit, with other games as well. Is my phone overheating? Is there the hotfix for it. I"m on the latest version from SEUS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, the touch stick things are a joke, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes they go loopy, I never use them and just stick to the dpad.
Shame as it would be good being able to use them without issue

my thumbpads work fine even after extended use

AndroHero said:
my thumbpads work fine even after extended use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, mine work fine, I notice the odd glitch, but I know how to work around it and thus never really experience any problems with them

You can test them with this app here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045374
My touchpad works perfectly (it's actually 1 touchpad, not 2) but I did notice the problem in dungeon defenders, probably a bug.

mine work great. so do my friends. we play mc2 for over an hour for sure...

Gyroscope issue on nexus 7

Has anyone had any issues with the gyroscope? Is there anyway to recalibrate it?
When playing games I notice it veers to the left, for example temple run on a flat surface, character is running along left wall. I guess this could be an app issue.
Anyone else experience this?
Thanks

Does it use the accelerometer at all? If so, completely close the app, hold the tablet in the perfect "Centered" position, and re-launch. This will re-calibrate the app to the accelerometer.

I get an issue in Modern Combat 3 were within about a minute of play the character ends up looking at the ceiling very annoying. Tried recalibrating in app etc. but to no avail. Anybody else experiencing this?

Similar issue, I have to hold my device completely straight up before the screen rotates. Problem with the gyroscope maybe? But when I play games like Rip Tide GP, it works perfectly, senses every single movement, no matter how slight. I'd hate to have to return it, since this unit has no other issues .

flexwong said:
Similar issue, I have to hold my device completely straight up before the screen rotates. Problem with the gyroscope maybe? But when I play games like Rip Tide GP, it works perfectly, senses every single movement, no matter how slight. I'd hate to have to return it, since this unit has no other issues .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same issue!
Everything works fine except the screen rotation, which I have to hold the device completely vertical (or toward me) to make it rotates.
In games, it seems to work fine though.
I have no other issues, and would hate to return it back too.
Is there anything we can do to calibrate this?

satanicsurferz said:
I'm having the same issue!
Everything works fine except the screen rotation, which I have to hold the device completely vertical (or toward me) to make it rotates.
In games, it seems to work fine though.
I have no other issues, and would hate to return it back too.
Is there anything we can do to calibrate this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto here.
My case with stand sits at angle of 15-20 and when a new app is launched it fails to detect that it should be in Landscape mode?
Here's a demo of the issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIYzn54uN9Y

I had to recalibrate my compass to make it work right. There are instructions on youtube -- open an app that uses compass, etc. and spin it three times around on three different axes.
Don't know why, but some apps seem to have compass issues when others do not.

BaronInkjet said:
I had to recalibrate my compass to make it work right. There are instructions on youtube -- open an app that uses compass, etc. and spin it three times around on three different axes.
Don't know why, but some apps seem to have compass issues when others do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it's not a compass issue. I downloaded a compass app for my N7, it works perfectly. Just can't get the screen to rotate unless it's held at a perfectly vertical angle.

I don't know if this is just me, but I'm so used to just kinda giving the device a little shake to point the gyro in the right direction (for landscape or portrait), so I haven't noticed anything weird.

flexwong said:
Similar issue, I have to hold my device completely straight up before the screen rotates. Problem with the gyroscope maybe? But when I play games like Rip Tide GP, it works perfectly, senses every single movement, no matter how slight. I'd hate to have to return it, since this unit has no other issues .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have this. I've gotten used to the fact that I need to just quickly hold ot vertical. On a positive, I find my phone is too sensitive, and when I lay it flat on the table it sometimes switches orientation when I don't want it to, but obviously my Nexus 7 does not have this 'issue'.

I'd say mine rotates automatically at anything beyond say 30-40' from horizontal and while very slowly tilting it to that angle. I definitely do not have to bring it to anything near 90' for this to happen. I am not sure that I'd call it not rotating at 15-20' an issue other than one of sensitivity, and if it becomes overly sensitive it has a tendency to flip at the smallest movement/vibration, which occurs in a number of phones on different roms.

if anyone else is still having this problem I figured out how to fix it. Close the app/ game, then restart with tablet flat on a table or surface. That should reset it at center.

I have been having this problem since day 1. In temple run if i hold my nexus straight he runs down the right wall, i have to hold it about 25-30 degrees to the left to center it. Other games and apps exhibit the same problem. I have yet to find a solution. I have tried all the tips suggested here and even flashed back to stock. No luck yet.

I had an issue where the gyroscope endlessly turns towards one direction. Going to erase the tablet and see if that fixes the issue. Will report soon.
--update
erase and reset resolved the issue for me

I got my new one today (already have one with bad screen) and it has this problem.
Have to hold the tab directly facing me to rotate, games veering off to the right etc.
Calibrating with compass makes everything work until I remove it, then all screwed up again.
Been on to Google for a replacement

i'm developing a 3d augmented reality app and i tried it on my nexus 7 and after a few other apps that i tried that use the gyro it looks like google swapped the x and y axis or something. so it's not really a hardware error, but more on the software side...
edit: or maybe not. but there's definitely something going on with the gyro.
edit2: on further research it seems that the timestamp of the gyroscope sensor is broken, somehow i end up always getting the same timestamp. on my other android devices (galaxy nexus and galaxy s 2) this is not the case. if this is true (and my findings are correct) then this is definitely a bug that needs to be filed to google. can some other developer confirm this?

Hi,
I just started having this problem :crying: :crying: very sad with it.
It worked perfect since I received it a few days ago, then I locked (on the top bar) to use in an app and after I unlocked it it stopped working.
The behavior/test goes as follows:
- on the home screen, click on Chrome (or any other app that is supposed to rotate freely)
- turn landscape CCW, the app turns
- turn it back to portrait, the app does not turn
- back to home screen, open the app again
- opens in portrait
- turn landscape CW, the app goes landscape but upside-down (to be viewed as if it was turned CCW)
- tries rotating the app, it doesn't ever rotate again.
I would hate having to return it, but if it stays like that, I don't have other option.
------
edit:
I've just checked for games that uses the gyro:
Temple Run: the character is always on the right-hand side of the screen.
Highway Rider: although it's possible to turn the moto left, if I center the screen it will go to the right hand side

that's it,
just gave back to Carphone Warehouse (UK) and now I have to patiently wait for them to receive a new one so I can go pick it up.
I installed this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=imoblife.androidsensorbox app that left me without any questions that the accelerometer was not working horizontally on the screen (if you holding in portrait) :crying:
let's just hope that the replacement doesn't have any of the faults that we've been reading around the forum.

I found a "workaround". I installed the "Compass" application from Google Play and use the "Calibrate" option... and it solved the problem.
However, I need to re-do the same steps when I shut down and start my tablet again.
That's the best I found so far...

There is an app called GPS Status & Toolbox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2&feature=search_result
It has a calibration tool and I had to run it a few times but once it got things working, it did stay that way even after shutting down the Nexus 7.
It even stayed that way after removing the app altogether but after altering the DPI to try tablet mode, it knocked the gyro off again so had to reinstall the app.
Such things really are just workarounds though and I certainly wouldn't consider keeping the device and having to keep messing like that.
Fortunately, my replacement has a perfectly working gyro.

Accelerometer

When I play games like gta 3 with accelerometer it doesn't detect that its in landscape mode so it keeps veering off to one side. How can I fix it?

I thought gta 3 doesnt use the accelerometer since it has the on screen controls for you to play with?

sometimes riptide gp does this to me. The solution i found was fully exit the app, lay nexus on flat surface, restart the app, then pick up nexus and play. Corrects issue in riptide when i do that
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

Is the problem with the Accelerometer a problem though??

My Accelerometer is wonky as well. Please can you other Nexus 7 owners test your Accelerometer by playing a racing game that utilises it.
I would like to determine if this is a fault or not.
Thanks in Advance.

Depending on how you're holding it when you start the game it does seem to cause some issues.
Like in a racing game, constantly veering to one side. If you exit and start it back up with the tablet laying flat it corrects it.

regalpimpin said:
Depending on how you're holding it when you start the game it does seem to cause some issues.
Like in a racing game, constantly veering to one side. If you exit and start it back up with the tablet laying flat it corrects it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, when I start a game, lets take Asphalt 7: Heat, I press the app, immediately I hold the tablet in landscape mode and navigate to a race that way. Then upon starting a race i hold the tab in both hands completely vertically almost.
Is this a software issue I wonder?

C64c said:
OK, when I start a game, lets take Asphalt 7: Heat, I press the app, immediately I hold the tablet in landscape mode and navigate to a race that way. Then upon starting a race i hold the tab in both hands completely vertically almost.
Is this a software issue I wonder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am convinced now this is a software issue. Having various things I can get it to work and also make the problem occur.

C64c said:
I am convinced now this is a software issue. Having various things I can get it to work and also make the problem occur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I replaced the Nexus 7 today and it works better now.

Using androsensor app, my accelerometer seems to always be going several meters per second. Not playing a racing games so it doesn't really matter
Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 via xda-developers app.