Example at ...\ncs\v1.4.0\zephyr\samples\display\cfb does not work with SSD1306 wired directly to nRF9160DK

[craig.stephan]

Despite following the procedure listed below, no text appears on the OLED display, despite the driver being able to communicate with the device.

I am using nRF Connect SDK v1.4.0.

I build the example that I copied from {INSTALLDIR}\ncs\v1.4.0\zephyr\samples\display\cfb with the following modifications/additions:

1. added nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns.overlay custom device tree overlay file
2. updated prj.conf file to include SSD1306 and to enable the I2C port.

I build the example from within a bash window with the command "west build -b nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns".

After building, I program the nrf9160 with the cfb/build/zephyr/merged.hex.

7317.cfb.zip

Fullscreen 1512.cfb_log.txt Download

*** Booting Zephyr OS build v2.4.0-ncs1  ***
Flash regions           Domain          Permissions
00 00 0x00000 0x08000   Secure          rwxl
01 31 0x08000 0x100000  Non-Secure      rwxl

Non-secure callable region 0 placed in flash region 0 with size 32.

SRAM region             Domain          Permissions
00 07 0x00000 0x10000   Secure          rwxl
08 31 0x10000 0x40000   Non-Secure      rwxl

Peripheral              Domain          Status
00 NRF_P0               Non-Secure      OK
01 NRF_CLOCK            Non-Secure      OK
02 NRF_RTC0             Non-Secure      OK
03 NRF_RTC1             Non-Secure      OK
04 NRF_NVMC             Non-Secure      OK
05 NRF_UARTE1           Non-Secure      OK
06 NRF_UARTE2           Secure          SKIP
07 NRF_TWIM2            Non-Secure      OK
08 NRF_SPIM3            Non-Secure      OK
09 NRF_TIMER0           Non-Secure      OK
10 NRF_TIMER1           Non-Secure      OK
11 NRF_TIMER2           Non-Secure      OK
12 NRF_SAADC            Non-Secure      OK
13 NRF_PWM0             Non-Secure      OK
14 NRF_PWM1             Non-Secure      OK
15 NRF_PWM2             Non-Secure      OK
16 NRF_PWM3             Non-Secure      OK
17 NRF_WDT              Non-Secure      OK
18 NRF_IPC              Non-Secure      OK
19 NRF_VMC              Non-Secure      OK
20 NRF_FPU              Non-Secure      OK
21 NRF_EGU1             Non-Secure      OK
22 NRF_EGU2             Non-Secure      OK
23 NRF_DPPIC            Non-Secure      OK
24 NRF_GPIOTE1          Non-Secure      OK
25 NRF_REGULATORS       Non-Secure      OK

SPM: NS image at 0xc000
SPM: NS MSP at 0x200153f0
SPM: NS reset vector at 0xee95
SPM: prepare to jump to Non-Secure image.
initialized SSD1306
font width 10, font height 16
font width 15, font height 24
font width 20, font height 32
x_res 128, y_res 32, ppt 8, rows 4, cols 128
[00:00:00.008,209] <dbg> cfb.cfb_framebuffer_init: number of fonts 3

[Carl Richard]

Hi, Craig!

From what I can see your code works. How much voltage are you supplying to the device? I haven't seen the datasheet, but my guess is that 3V is not adequate.

Best regards,
Carl Richard

[craig.stephan]

I am supplying the OLED with 5V from the nRF9160 header pin.

The device does display text when connected to an arduino uno and running code that uses the u8g2 library.

Would you recommend another sample build to try? Any other suggestions?

Would the jimmywong2003/SSD1306-LCD-on-NRF52 project that was mentioned on this devzone work on the nRF9160?

[Carl Richard]

Hi again!

Good. Then that should be OK! Jimmy actually has a series of samples for the nRF9160 where Example 4 shows how the SSD1306 can be used. Have you made sure to include the shield in CMakeLists.txt like this?

set(SHIELD ssd1306_128x32)

The Zephyr documentation contains more info about the generic SSD1306 shields.

Best regards,
Carl Richard

[craig.stephan]

Adding the set(SHIELD ssd1306_128x32) causes the device tree overlay to result in errors.

The new log file from the west build is:

$ west build -b nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns [0/1] Re-running CMake... Including boilerplate (Zephyr base (cached)): D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/cmake/app/boilerplate.cmake -- Application: D:/nordicProjects/cfb -- Using NCS Toolchain 1.4.0 for building. (D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/toolchain/cmake) -- Zephyr version: 2.4.0 (D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr) -- Found west (found suitable version "0.7.2", minimum required is "0.7.1") -- Board: nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns -- Cache files will be written to: D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/.cache -- Found dtc: D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/toolchain/opt/bin/dtc.exe (found suitable version "1.4.7", minimum required is "1.4.6") -- Found toolchain: gnuarmemb (D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/toolchain/opt) -- Found BOARD.dts: D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/boards/arm/nrf9160dk_nrf9160/nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns.dts -- Found devicetree overlay: D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/boards/shields/ssd1306/ssd1306_128x32.overlay -- Found devicetree overlay: D:/nordicProjects/cfb/nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns.overlay Error: nrf9160dk_nrf9160ns.dts.pre.tmp:572.1-13 Label or path arduino_i2c not found FATAL ERROR: Syntax error parsing input tree CMake Error at D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/cmake/dts.cmake:213 (message): command failed with return code: 1 Call Stack (most recent call first): D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/cmake/app/boilerplate.cmake:590 (include) D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:24 (include) D:/Users/craig/ncs/v1.4.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:40 (include_boilerplate) CMakeLists.txt:7 (find_package) -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! See also "D:/nordicProjects/cfb/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log". See also "D:/nordicProjects/cfb/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log". FAILED: build.ninja D:\Users\craig\ncs\v1.4.0\toolchain\opt\bin\cmake.exe -SD:\nordicProjects\cfb -BD:\nordicProjects\cfb\build ninja: error: rebuilding 'build.ninja': subcommand failed FATAL ERROR: command exited with status 1: 'D:\Users\craig\ncs\v1.4.0\toolchain\opt\bin\cmake.EXE' --build 'D:\nordicProjects\cfb\build'

[Carl Richard]

Hi again!

I see. I mixed the nRF9160DK and nRF52840DK. You can remove it from the CMakeLists.txt again and try the following overlay instead:

&i2c2 {
	status = "ok";

	ssd1306@3c {
		compatible = "solomon,ssd1306fb";
		reg = <0x3c>;
		label = "SSD1306";
		width = <128>;
		height = <64>;
		segment-offset = <0>;
		page-offset = <0>;
		display-offset = <0>;
		segment-remap;
		com-invdir;
		prechargep = <0x22>;
	};
};

Best regards,
Carl Richard

[reschrei]

I'm facing the same issue. I any solution in sight?

[Carl Richard]

Hi!

As this is a Zephyr sample and not nRF we can't guarantee that it will work out of the box with our devices. Did you try the suggestions I posted above? 

It should only be a matter of using the correct overlay for the nRF9160.

Best regards,
Carl Richard

[craig.stephan]

Hi Richard,

I did try what you and you co-worker suggested above and more, but was unable to get the display working with the nrf9160 dev kit.

We need to use a low-cost, small display on our new product. If the example is a zephyr example and not a nrf9160 example, can you please provide me and other customers a code example for displaying characters on thr SSD1306 OLED? Can you work with zephyr to fix the example for your customers? Can your developers use a debugger and step through the driver?

Thank you for continuing to help your customers integrate the ssd1306 into their products that use the nrf9160.

[Carl Richard]

Hi again, Craig!

I understand. I'm now working together with Håkon, who handles your second case on the matter, to solve this. As he has the display and are able to test things I believe we will find a solution soon. Thank you for the patience! 

Best regards,
Carl Richard