Database Users

NST rooted touchscreen problem

I spent several hours over the weekend rooting, unrooting, and re-rooting my new NST. Each time I rooted it, I ended up with a touchscreen problem where touches registered with the wrong column.
For example: when trying to use the backspace key, 'h' would also register. When trying to use 'p', 'e', or 'r', 'y' would also register. Both the key that I wanted and the central key would indicate a keypress (turn black) but only one of them would register in the text box. This is entirely dependent on software, but it's something that is cleared with the 8x failed boot restore and not with the two bottom buttons restore.
I have tried both TouchNooter and MinimalTouch twice. My latest attempt was MinimalTouch:
Start with a clean NST with software 1.0.1
Install 1.1 update (keyboard still works)
Follow MinimalTouch procedure
NST is rooted and android home screen is accessible, however, the keyboard no longer functions properly
Perform reset (hold bottom two buttons on startup)
Button Saver is gone, android home screen is not accessible, keyboard still does not function properly
Perform 8x reboot restore
Keyboard functions perfectly
Has anyone dealt with this before? I couldn't find anything with the search function.

Though this thread appears to be doing nothing, I will at least let you guys know of the current idea:
I have gone back and checked the touchscreen after each step in the procedure, and appears like the 1.1.2 update causes the problem.
Without any rooting or funky installs:
Perform 8-reboot reset
Touchscreen works fine, SW 1.0.1
Install 1.1.2
Touchscreen is impaired, SW 1.1.2
Perform 8-reboot reset
Touchscreen works fine, SW 1.0.1
Did the 1.1 update include a change in the touchscreen sensitivity?
How do I ensure that the IR sensors are clean? A shot of compressed air?
Should I just call B&N/sears and try to get a replacement that functions properly with the update?

I believe that I have determined the cause of my touchscreen difficulty:
The front bezel of my NST is not entirely glued down. I noticed that the spacing was irregular between the eink display, the black (really dark) plastic layer, and the top matte gray layer.
Squeezing my NST temporarily blocks the issue (until the glue re-expands)
The software updates must change the touchscreen sensitivity to some extent, causing the poor tolerance in my particular NST to result in inaccurate touchscreen response.
I'll be talking to the manufacturer or the seller (Sears) soon about a replacement unit.
I hope noone else has to figure their way through this with a brand new nook!

Sorry for resurrecting a death thread. But my nook simple touch (which was rooted and had button saviour etc), slowly started having problems with touch. Now since 2 days, touch screen isn't working anymore, no matter how much cleaning I do to the bezels. I can't even open it due to the slider lock screen. Don't know what to do. I would be happy to settle with a button-based navigation, all I want to do is to read epubs. Any help greatly appreciated. I can prob for problems. I have a rooted nst1 which I haven't tinkered since 2012.
If this isn't the right place, I will start a new thread.
TIA

Forthe55 said:
Sorry for resurrecting a death thread. But my nook simple touch (which was rooted and had button saviour etc), slowly started having problems with touch. Now since 2 days, touch screen isn't working anymore, no matter how much cleaning I do to the bezels. I can't even open it due to the slider lock screen. Don't know what to do. I would be happy to settle with a button-based navigation, all I want to do is to read epubs. Any help greatly appreciated. I can prob for problems. I have a rooted nst1 which I haven't tinkered since 2012.
If this isn't the right place, I will start a new thread.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried swiping two fingers across the screen from right to left? This is not my original idea but someone else long ago delivered me from your situation with this simple tip. If I ever knew the explanation, I have forgotten it. Probably something with the multi-touch kernal. It will even work on an unresponsive lock screen. I still use it on occasion, so something triggers the behavior, but it is generally infrequent.
If that doesn't work to restore functionality then something more dire has happened.

Forthe55 said:
Now since 2 days, touch screen isn't working anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your swipe lockscreen may present a problem.
I don't see any entry in the settings on my NST, so I don't know how to disable it.
You can download my Touch-1.0.apk from the signature.
That will help you debug the tricky IR paths.
All the lines should be light gray, darker lines indicate an occlusion.
The corners are always difficult and you may have a line or two dark.
The problems are either dirt on the bezel or the bezel/filter/display coming unglued.
You can install and run it (without a launcher or touch screen):
Code:
C:\>adb install Touch-1.0.apk
C:\>adb shell am start -n com.temblast.touch/.Touch

I am sure that my nook is rooted , but adb isn’t working. May be usb debugging isn’t on. The problem is that I can’t even unlock it past the “drag to unlock” screen. Now I have to find out how to enable adb without having a working touchscreen to install the touch1.apk.
The two finger swipe isn’t working. I used to draw a single finger across the borders clockwise, which used to help calibrate the touch , not working anymore.

Forthe55 said:
Maybe usb debugging isn’t on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you should be able to tell.
There are three ways to interact with a running Nook:
Touch screen
ADB over USB or WiFi
Hardware root console
You seem to say that the first two don't work.
You can also try a factory reset or recovery.
There is the whole OmapLink thread that describes how to unbrick an NST.
Here is the middle of the thread, you might need to read before and after:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/general/root-nook-glowlight-t2853056/page6

I did a factory reset and the nook is at startup screen with the NEXT button, which obviously can’t be pressed. So the touch issue is definitely “hardware-related “. Few days back I travelled to a hot and humid place , carrying my nook and the soft rubber part in the front of the bezel, started coming of. No matter how much I clean the bezel , this time touch isn’t coming back. I am wondering whether there’s any way to disassemble and readjust the ir sensor for touch.

Renate NST said:
The problems are either dirt on the bezel or the bezel/filter/display coming unglued.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's stuck together with the standard super-double-stick tape.
It's hypersensitive to the slightest bending up or down of any of the layers.
Without ADB and diagnostics (like Touch-1.0.apk) it's impossible to figure out which bit of the edge is out of whack.
It sounds like you only have two options:
Get the hardware console working with a 1.8V level shifter and a UART.
(Easy for me, may not be easy for you.)
Use OmapLink to boot an image that has ADB running (like Noogie or CWMR)
and enable ADB on your main image.

I remember rooting it in 2012 with some image burned on my SD card. Is there a way to again root with the help of an SD card without involving touching the screen with adb enabled rom. That way I can install the diagnostic app and dismantle it to prob further.

Sorry, it's been so long that I forget all this stuff.
Yeah, if you put Noogie on an SD card, I believe that it will boot from there.
With the OmapLink and Windows 10 it can be a bear sometimes to get the three (all the same) drivers working.
Windows 10 is really crappy on recognizing/capturing USB devices that appear briefly.
I can't get W10 to see 0451/d00e
My Raspberry Pi grabs it immediately:
Code:
[ 60.061477] usb 1-1.3: new high-speed USB device number 4 using dwc_otg
[ 60.202744] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=0451, idProduct=d00e
[ 60.202756] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=33, Product=37, SerialNumber=0
[ 60.202766] usb 1-1.3: Product: OMAP3630
[ 60.202774] usb 1-1.3: Manufacturer: Texas Instruments
[ 63.348937] usb 1-1.3: USB disconnect, device number 4
It appears for 3 seconds from a cold power up, that's too quick for W10 to do anything.

I saw a video on YouTube on screen replacement, with complete disassembly and assembly. Opened the nst , took out the screen from the bezel (keeping the screen and the aluminium metal frame intact, too much sticky tape there), wiped everything clean, reassembled everything back. Still the same problem. I am wondering, even if I somehow get to install and run the diagnostic app, what kind of hardware alterations we need to do. Since the infrared touch LEDs are on the back of the motherboard, what kind of alignment would be necessary.
Is it to the metal frame or the plastic bezel, do we need to tinker?

Did you use new tape?
I think that everything has to be really tight and old tape seems to leave gaps.
There is also the possibility that the MSP340 has lost its mind.
I'll have to look at my oldest NST.

I haven't detached the screen from the metal frame. But the screen attachment to the front bezel seems to be attached to a plastic ribbon which was partially coming out of the front frame. It was sticky so I reattached the screen/metal frame back to it the front plastic part. Now when I see the screen up front, the bezel space/gap between the screen and the black plastic part is uneven. I don't thing that can be repaired as the front black part is disintegrating. Three of my four page turn buttons are no more attached to the frame, I have kept them there with tape.

Well, I completely cleaned with Goo-Be-Gone and isopropyl alcohol the bezel, the filter and the display.
I redid everything with 4mm Tesa film: https://www.microcenter.com/product/507366/tesa-double-sided-tape-4-mm-wide
The horizontal spans (except for the corners) are good, the vertical spans are still problematical.
You can lightly press and warp the bezel and things go in and out.
I think that I'm throwing in the towel on this one.
Reasons to dump the NST: Android 2.1, 256M RAM, OMAP3621 not being further developed by B&N
Reasons to keep the NST: Only Nook with a bare eInk (no backlight layer, no capacitive layer)

Don’t know about the filter, but the bezel looks very fragile to handle. I also believe that the time has come to retire it. But what I liked the most about nst was it’s screen and ability to side load books via wifi. I had gmail and opera mini installed on it. All I needed was to send a link to gmail to download the book, after the Dropbox support was gone. I am searching for a similar ebook reader. Can’t decide between Kindle paper white(which is available locally) and nook glow light 3(which has to be imported). Any suggestions welcome.

Well, the "filter" or "lens" or "light pipe" is what I'm calling the flimsy green translucent piece.
I've never even looked at the Kindles. I don't want to get involved with that whole ecosystem.
The Glow3 is physically almost the same as the NST.
I've got enough devices with browsers on them.
I use my Nooks with WiFi off and sync with USB (ADB & AdbSync).

NST Broken Screen, advice sought

I've got a simple touch that got stepped on, now Joseph Conrad has an interesting hairdo (can see where the crack is).
I've got ADB installed and working well for my other (various) Android devices, so using that is an option if I can figure out the Nook side.
The light next to the USB port goes on when I plug the Nook in, so there's some logic working in there.
Questions:
Can someone suggest a way to test if the device is good excepting the screen?
Is it worth replacing the screen on this device and if so, where could I find one?
Assuming screen replacement isn't an option, I'm considering random fun projects for this hardware. Anyone got recommendations?
The first random fun project I'm thinking of would be a WiFi repeater, mostly because I need one in the house here. Total awesomeness would be getting DD-WRT working on it

if u expert in adb ... then u can use and install program named "screenshot" and then run it and take print screen from ur nook and pull pic from ur sd card from screenshot directory .... all that via adb
but i dont know how ... it's just a theory ..... but it will make sure that ur device working or not and is it screen Issue or not
thx

That's a good idea, speedman.
You don't actually have to install any software.
The stock "screenshot" works well enough.
Ok, the colors are all screwed up, but still.
Code:
screenshot /sdcard/snap.png
Oh, yes you can buy screens from NST's gutted for parts.
It just that they cost about as much as a used NST.
If it were mine, I'd do some hacking.
I've already got a console UART connector soldered to the board.
I'd see about expanding the key matrix and seeing if I could get some I/O pins going.
JTAG would be fun to play with.

A500 seems bricked but not bricked (I think)

Hi, I cracked my outer screen on my A500 and just got a replacement. The tablet worked fine though. The touch screen still allowed selection of anything on the entire screen even though it had lots of cracks on it. The LCD screen wasn't damaged at all.
Followed the videos to replace the screen that are posted to the letter, slowly and methodically. So I separated the outer screen from the display OK (it was a bit of a challenge since the double sided tape was holding pretty good).
Everything went together OK. I go to start it and the screen glows as it normally does as the very first part of the power-on. But nothing else. No logo, no messages - nothing.
But I plugged it into my PC via micro USB on a whim and lo and behold, I can actually see the internal storage and SD card. Looks like everything is there. And if I do the long press where I recall some of the icons are, I can feel the slight vibration as it selects the icon. So it would also appear that the touch screen is functioning too.
So it looks like the unit boots but for some reason, won't display. The screen just glows faintly like the very first part of a power-on.
Is there hope? Is there something I can do or check? Is there a way to verify the LCD without buying a new one?
Thanks,
Bob

RKramkowski said:
Hi, I cracked my outer screen on my A500 and just got a replacement. The tablet worked fine though. The touch screen still allowed selection of anything on the entire screen even though it had lots of cracks on it. The LCD screen wasn't damaged at all.
Followed the videos to replace the screen that are posted to the letter, slowly and methodically. So I separated the outer screen from the display OK (it was a bit of a challenge since the double sided tape was holding pretty good).
Everything went together OK. I go to start it and the screen glows as it normally does as the very first part of the power-on. But nothing else. No logo, no messages - nothing.
But I plugged it into my PC via micro USB on a whim and lo and behold, I can actually see the internal storage and SD card. Looks like everything is there. And if I do the long press where I recall some of the icons are, I can feel the slight vibration as it selects the icon. So it would also appear that the touch screen is functioning too.
So it looks like the unit boots but for some reason, won't display. The screen just glows faintly like the very first part of a power-on.
Is there hope? Is there something I can do or check? Is there a way to verify the LCD without buying a new one?
Thanks,
Bob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well Bob, glad to see some folks take matters into their own hands!
I can't find the post, as it was a couple years or so ago. But I specifically remember a similar situation. And from what I know, when you tighten/place the screens together, you have to make sure you tighten them evenly, or else nothing works. Something to that effect. Also, I would probably take it apart again, and double check that everything is connected the proper way. Look for possible bent pins and such.
As far as I know, there are no software maintenance apps to check the lcd. Not to my knowledge anyhow, As we pretty much have all maintenance software for the 500/501.
Wish I could be of more help. I know awhile back, a couple of folks here in the forum replaced theirs after their kids stepped on them.

[Q] Can I use my nook without touchscreen?

Hi all,
I have the nook simple touch since 4 months, and the touchscreen is frozen, nook is unresponsive. I try all, factory reset, clean the screen, etc without any results.
I want to know if is posible to use the nook without the tocuhscreen , only using page buttons, N and power button.
I supose that if is possible I will have to install Android, this is not a problem for me, but I dont know if I will need touchscreen in this process.
Thanks :laugh:

How do you know if you just screwed up the OS or have a hardware problem or have a display specific problem?
First step is to try noogie on an SD card.
Next step is taking apart the Nook, disconnecting the battery and reconnecting.

Renate NST said:
How do you know if you just screwed up the OS or have a hardware problem or have a display specific problem?
First step is to try noogie on an SD card.
Next step is taking apart the Nook, disconnecting the battery and reconnecting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for answer.
I try factory reset and clean the screen without result, and the only thing I do was change the region of the nook ( from USA to UK) and in the begining the screen works great, and few months, touchscreen starts to fail but still works. Now doesnt work. I dont have Android installed.For that I think that its a specific display problem.
PD. Sorry, I dont speak/write english at all. I hope you understand me.
PD2. When you say try noogie on SD, its to put noogie.img(I dont know what it is at all) and restore in case I have Android yes? or if I have nook original SO I can do it too?
Thanks.

Stylem32008 said:
Thanks for answer.
When you say try noogie on SD, its to put noogie.img(I dont know what it is at all) and restore in case I have Android yes? or if I have nook original SO I can do it too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
No, you "burn" the image into the SD card using winimage ou in linux, dd and boot from it.
It mantains your nooks internal memory intact and thus, it remains as it came from factory.
I had somehow the same problem after my nook had a slight fight with the floor.
After opening it, removing the battery and checked the screen from inside (it looked fine from the out side and wasn't boken, just seemed to have dislocated somehow) and reconnecting the batery again, it started to function propperly. It is fine for about one year.

J_Palito said:
Hi!
No, you "burn" the image into the SD card using winimage ou in linux, dd and boot from it.
It mantains your nooks internal memory intact and thus, it remains as it came from factory.
I had somehow the same problem after my nook had a slight fight with the floor.
After opening it, removing the battery and checked the screen from inside (it looked fine from the out side and wasn't boken, just seemed to have dislocated somehow) and reconnecting the batery again, it started to function propperly. It is fine for about one year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I supose that It has a tutorial of this, but I dont find , can you post me the link please?
And returning to the original question, its possible to use without touchscreen, in case that I cant solve the problem with the touchscreen (that I think that its going to be very difficult)?

Sorry, I was confused by your description of the problem.
So the display itself works fine?
It's just the touch part of it that does not work?
Does it respond to a finger at all? (Even if it senses the wrong place)
Try once again cleaning the screen.
But it's not the screen that matters.
Get a Q-tip (a cotton swap) that is just damp and clean inside the bezel carefully.

Renate NST said:
Sorry, I was confused by your description of the problem.
So the display itself works fine?
It's just the touch part of it that does not work?
Does it respond to a finger at all? (Even if it senses the wrong place)
Try once again cleaning the screen.
But it's not the screen that matters.
Get a Q-tip (a cotton swap) that is just damp and clean inside the bezel carefully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont worry. Yes, the display works fine, it's just the touch part. No, the touchscreen is completly unresponsive. Doesn't respond to a finger.
I just try to clean not only the screen, I clean the bezel, where the nook have the IQ sensors. When you say inside bezel, its between the bezel and the IQ sensors, or unmounting the bezel of the nook?
I read that I have only to clean the exterior of the bezel, not inside.
Thanks:fingers-crossed:

By "inside" I meant touch the Q-tip to the screen surface then move it outward until it hits the bezel.
The Nook has a separate processor which is only responsible for the touch screen sensing, a MSP430.
First: See if the processor is responding:
Code:
cd /sys/devices/platform/i2c_omap.2/i2c-adapter/i2c-2/2-0050/
cat versions
cat zfstatus
It has its own firmware which can be flashed.
There is a provision inside the stock u-boot.bin for reflashing it.
The command is "mspflash".
There is a file in the Nook 1.2.1 update zForce_Touch_Driver_Gossamer_6_Inch_latest.hex
I've not tried this. If it's not your problem this could make things worse.

Renate NST said:
By "inside" I meant touch the Q-tip to the screen surface then move it outward until it hits the bezel.
The Nook has a separate processor which is only responsible for the touch screen sensing, a MSP430.
First: See if the processor is responding:
Code:
cd /sys/devices/platform/i2c_omap.2/i2c-adapter/i2c-2/2-0050/
cat versions
cat zfstatus
It has its own firmware which can be flashed.
There is a provision inside the stock u-boot.bin for reflashing it.
The command is "mspflash".
There is a file in the Nook 1.2.1 update zForce_Touch_Driver_Gossamer_6_Inch_latest.hex
I've not tried this. If it's not your problem this could make things worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just plugged my nook to pc, open a cmd, put the directory, but the system cant find the directory. Maybe I need somekind of drivers?
mergen3107 said:
Apparently got to this - http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com...unresponsive/m-p/1350602/highlight/true#M2561
May be this could help you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for try to help me, but I clean the screen, the bezel and evertything like 100 times. The dust its not my problem (I think).:good:

Those commands were for the ADB shell, not for Windows.
Stylem32008 said:
Maybe I need some kind of drivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to get ADB working:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/BN_Nook_Simple_Touch/Installing_ADB
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Android_Debug_Bridge

Renate NST said:
Those commands were for the ADB shell, not for Windows.
You need to get ADB working:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/BN_Nook_Simple_Touch/Installing_ADB
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Android_Debug_Bridge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But this doesnt work for me. I doesnt have android in my nook. I have the original SO(I dont know if this is android or not?)

[Q] [possible bug] Nook Simple Touch touchscreen input "barring" horizontally

[Q] [possible bug] Nook Simple Touch touchscreen input "barring" horizontally
So I just rooted a Nook Simple Touch that was running the 1.2.1 firmware. It's pretty nice to have web and other apps on it. However, a few seconds after turning it on, when I touch the touchscreen to type or really to press anything, the Nook seems to interpret the touch across a horizontal bar of screen simultaneously, and exclusively activates icons as far to the right of the input touch as possible. e.g. if I press the e key on the soft keyboard it activates the p key. If I press the back button at the top of the screen it opens the WiFi dialogue, and if I hit the nook hard key at the bottom and press the home icon in the menu at the bottom of the screen, it opens the settings dialogue.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any fixes? I used NookManager 0.5.0 and the AppsAttack 0.5.0 on a 4 gig micro SD card to root it. I'm pretty sure it's a software issue as it does not happen during the first few seconds of operation. I was able to type half of an email in Gmail with no problem before this started happening. I've turned the NST off and on several times but the problem keeps occurring.

1. Clean all the edges of the screen with a soft cloth and remove any dust particles. If that does not help, then:
2. Try to restore your system to unrooted state from the backup that you made, before rooting. (You have made one, haven't you?) If that does not help, then:
3. Read about Renate NST diagnostic application:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52723066&postcount=13
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52674827&postcount=8
If that does not help either, then:
4. You can probably buy another unit with cracked display for dirt cheap and switch the motherboards. The only tools you'd need for that will be a torx screwdriver, size 5 and something like a plastic toothpick to pull out the power on switch. Disassembly instructions are on the youtube and other ifixit for example.

thrackanomir said:
1. Clean all the edges of the screen with a soft cloth and remove any dust particles. If that does not help, then:
2. Try to restore your system to unrooted state from the backup that you made, before rooting. (You have made one, haven't you?) If that does not help, then:
3. Read about Renate NST diagnostic application:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52723066&postcount=13
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=52674827&postcount=8
If that does not help either, then:
4. You can probably buy another unit with cracked display for dirt cheap and switch the motherboards. The only tools you'd need for that will be a torx screwdriver, size 5 and something like a plastic toothpick to pull out the power on switch. Disassembly instructions are on the youtube and other ifixit for example.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. There is a dusty screen protector on the nook. (the stick-on kind) which I could try removing. However like I said sometimes it senses touch just fine... the "bug" doesn't kick in until I've been using it for several seconds. I do have a backup... will Nook Manager handle restoring that? I formatted my Nook Manager card after I used it to root the nook. Will it still work if I put nook manager back on it.? Thanks for the good reply.

SlickMoTwoToe said:
Thanks. There is a dusty screen protector on the nook. (the stick-on kind) which I could try removing. However like I said sometimes it senses touch just fine... the "bug" doesn't kick in until I've been using it for several seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely remove that.
SlickMoTwoToe said:
I do have a backup... will Nook Manager handle restoring that? I formatted my Nook Manager card after I used it to root the nook. Will it still work if I put nook manager back on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's a NookManager backup, NookManager will restore it. And yes, it will work if you put NookManager back on the card.