Pro1, Ghost touches and other digitizer and display issues

[ToniCipriani 194]

So the ghosting got worse again, I decided to do another re-seat. One thing I noticed this time was that the screw holding down the LCD cable assembly next to the earpiece basically fell out. I've screwed it back in now and  tightened it down, wonder if that was a contributing factor as well. Let's see how long this fix will last, FXtec quoted me 1 month for the replacement display to be shipped.

EDIT: Nope, didn't help at all.

Edited April 9, 2021 by ToniCipriani

[OKSun 103]

11 hours ago, ToniCipriani said:

So the ghosting got worse again, I decided to do another re-seat. One thing I noticed this time was that the screw holding down the LCD cable assembly next to the earpiece basically fell out. I've screwed it back in now and  tightened it down, wonder if that was a contributing factor as well. Let's see how long this fix will last, FXtec quoted me 1 month for the replacement display to be shipped.

EDIT: Nope, didn't help at all.

Thanks for keeping us updated. This is interesting.

I had ordered a spare display during the latest indiegogo campaign to be able to react without delay to such a situation (I guess I will face the same situation as the others from the batch soon...). I ordered display with frame because I do not feel able to play with a heat gun.

Now I see that the delivery date for the display has also been postponed to August 2021. What is the reason for the postponement? I understand the delay for the Pro 1 X due to the Chip issue, but why a delay for the display?? 

The reason for this post is that customer cannot be without a phone during 1-2 months. I am trying to find workaround to avoid facing such an issue, but this path seems doom to fail as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob. S. 1,661]

1 hour ago, OKSun said:

I had ordered a spare display during the latest indiegogo campaign to be able to react without delay to such a situation (I guess I will face the same situation as the others from the batch soon...). I ordered display with frame because I do not feel able to play with a heat gun.

Now I see that the delivery date for the display has also been postponed to August 2021. What is the reason for the postponement? I understand the delay for the Pro 1 X due to the Chip issue, but why a delay for the display?? 

The reason for this post is that customer cannot be without a phone during 1-2 months. I am trying to find workaround to avoid facing such an issue, but this path seems doom to fail as well.

No idea why the postponement... Perhaps they want to reserve themselves the option to make small changes to the screen should the redesign of the Pro1X require them. (Whether or not that might introduce incompatibilities to existing devices – which would be, of course, bad for those who wanted the screens for existing devices...)

On 16 March I asked info@fxtec.com whether they could send me a spare screen for my Pro1, but I have yet to get an answer (or even an acknowledgement of receipt, like the ones I used to get for earlier mails on other topics).

That's why, in the meantime, I ordered two displays from China and bought a heat gun, too (which will probably serve as a hint towards the level of my own proficiency with that tool – I had one for a while some twenty years ago, and the only use it got was as a barbecue igniter). We'll see how it goes. At least this new one can be turned down as low as 60°C.

Also, I finally have come to peace with the idea that I will need a second phone, even if it's just a cheap one, which is why I'll probably be keeping my Moto Z3 Play with stock Android as long as it keeps working (although it will never get beyond Android 9 and seems to have stopped getting security updates in July 2020, too, exactly two years after it appeared).

For one, I'll need one in case my primary phone stops working or needs repair. But also to do the one or two things I can't do (yet?) with my Pro1, like getting security tokens for my employer's VPN. I've now even ordered another SIM card (cheap, prepaid) for that phone, as I'm going to need it to do some banking that my Pro1 will only enable me if and when I successfully root it and hide both the facts that it's rooted and that it's a custom ROM. The latter seems to be checked and identified as a security risk for more and more security-eager apps, too.

Edited April 10, 2021 by Rob. S.

[Hook 3,020]

6 hours ago, OKSun said:

Thanks for keeping us updated. This is interesting.

I had ordered a spare display during the latest indiegogo campaign to be able to react without delay to such a situation (I guess I will face the same situation as the others from the batch soon...). I ordered display with frame because I do not feel able to play with a heat gun.

Now I see that the delivery date for the display has also been postponed to August 2021. What is the reason for the postponement? I understand the delay for the Pro 1 X due to the Chip issue, but why a delay for the display?? 

The reason for this post is that customer cannot be without a phone during 1-2 months. I am trying to find workaround to avoid facing such an issue, but this path seems doom to fail as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I suspect the parts are delayed because it is cheaper to order the parts when they are also ordering them for assembly of the Pro1xs at the factory... volume discount and all that.

[OKSun 103]

1 hour ago, Hook said:

I suspect the parts are delayed because it is cheaper to order the parts when they are also ordering them for assembly of the Pro1xs at the factory... volume discount and all that.

I was hoping that the delivery date was automatically updated for all the perks, and that FxTec would clarify that the screen will be delivered in April or May nevertheless...

Unless I hear something different from them, I will go with your explanation: FxTec is keeping costs low.

We will see if I experience the problem as well....

In reply to @Rob. S.. Thanks. I respect your choices; myself I am not going to buy a heat gun now that I ordered a screen with frame. This is getting too complex for me. And I am not going to buy another phone to bridge the gap.  I would then totally switch to another model. I whish FxTec take actions to reduce replacement time to the minimum now that the problem is known and confirmed.

 

 

[ToniCipriani 194]

18 hours ago, OKSun said:

I whish FxTec take actions to reduce replacement time to the minimum now that the problem is known and confirmed.

It'll likely get worse from this point onwards. I'm not seeing that many vendors on Taobao selling replacement screens for Elephone U Pro (same LCD used by the Pro 1), so it could mean it's a discontinued part.

[ToniCipriani 194]

I think mine is getting to the point it's not usable, think I'm going to decommission mine from primary duties soon. The wild touches are starting to happen even when I'm not touching the phone.

One thing I did notice though: if you need to regain access to the phone, if you gently massage along the long edges of the display, it tames the touches for a bit.

Also may want to invest in a USB-C hub. So at least you can regain control using mouse and keyboard to get any data off.

[ToniCipriani 194]

OK more updates...

Mine went absolutely nuts again, couldn't even control it. Out of desperation, I tried loosening and retorquing the screws mounting the screen with, seems like it helped. Somehow I managed to get it back in control to a usable level.

One theory was that it could be due to the mounting of the screws causing a torsion on the screen, since sometimes pressing on the side frame it would trigger the issue. Could be fluke, not sure. Guess I'll just have to keep experimenting till I get my replacement screen.

[Slion 1,201]

19 hours ago, ToniCipriani said:

Also may want to invest in a USB-C hub. So at least you can regain control using mouse and keyboard to get any data off.

If I recall well I built-in a feature in Fx Service to disable the touch screen, then you are in keyboard only mode 😁 use at your own risks. I've been there too, hope you can get it fixed soon.

Edited April 13, 2021 by Slion

[ToniCipriani 194]

11 hours ago, Slion said:

hope you can get it fixed soon.

Thing is, every single time I reseat the screen or even run the phone with the screen detached from the phone chassis, it's not happening. I really hope that's not in indication that replacing the panel will not solve the problem.

[Hook 3,020]

1 hour ago, ToniCipriani said:

Thing is, every single time I reseat the screen or even run the phone with the screen detached from the phone chassis, it's not happening. I really hope that's not in indication that replacing the panel will not solve the problem.

Not long enough to be a firm answer, but it's been two months since my screen replacement (by them in London) and it solved my problem.

Edited April 13, 2021 by Hook

[vvv 11]

5 hours ago, ToniCipriani said:

Thing is, every single time I reseat the screen or even run the phone with the screen detached from the phone chassis, it's not happening. I really hope that's not in indication that replacing the panel will not solve the problem.

One more datapoint for the group here, but I'm experiencing the same problem, and noticed the same behavior. I then noticed that the ghost touching starts pretty much soon as I clip in the lower-right corner of the screen, near the lcd connector. The black PCB there seems like it has a lot of flex to it, and my theory something's damaged in that PCB from the flex.

I stuck a folded up sticky note under that pcb to provide some rigidity, and although the problem is not resolved, and I still have a bit of a weird unresponsive area of the screen, it seems to be an improvement since I'm not getting as many ghost touches anymore. Across this and the 'partial screen' app, I hope I can hold out until f(x)tec can send out some new screen assemblies.

[ToniCipriani 194]

8 hours ago, vvv said:

One more datapoint for the group here, but I'm experiencing the same problem, and noticed the same behavior. I then noticed that the ghost touching starts pretty much soon as I clip in the lower-right corner of the screen, near the lcd connector. The black PCB there seems like it has a lot of flex to it, and my theory something's damaged in that PCB from the flex.

I stuck a folded up sticky note under that pcb to provide some rigidity, and although the problem is not resolved, and I still have a bit of a weird unresponsive area of the screen, it seems to be an improvement since I'm not getting as many ghost touches anymore. Across this and the 'partial screen' app, I hope I can hold out until f(x)tec can send out some new screen assemblies.

I'll try some more padding experiments. This seems to align with my very first experiment with reseating everything. So far I only tried padding and insulating the main flex cable connectors, I thought the gold grounding may be causing some issues.

[ToniCipriani 194]

Latest experiment (courtesy @vvv): Adding more padding to the LCD connector. I noticed the foam where cutout for the LCD o on the chassis has a pretty deep marking (not my phone shown, just for location):

(Source: https://gelraen.github.io/fxtec-pro1-teardown/)

Folded up some duct tape, and padded that cutout. So far it's working, I was able to complete 2 Mario Kart races without losing control. Calculator test also passed. Will report back in a day, my last reseat lasted that long.

Edited April 14, 2021 by ToniCipriani

[Slion 1,201]

On 4/13/2021 at 11:25 PM, ToniCipriani said:

Thing is, every single time I reseat the screen or even run the phone with the screen detached from the phone chassis, it's not happening. I really hope that's not in indication that replacing the panel will not solve the problem.

I swapped my faulty display assembly with one from another Pro1 and it's been working great ever since. It was like 8 months ago.

[ToniCipriani 194]

Another update... so my last experiment failed, problem came right back after 24 hours.

However, re-reading what @vvv was saying about the PCB flex, I tried adding a little tape to the hold the PCB down rather than padding the connectors. Seems like this one did the trick, it hasn't gone crazy for more than a day. One little symptom remain though, is that "strip" of display where it dances on when it goes crazy, isn't as sensitive anymore. More specifically, sometimes it misjudges a swipe as a tap, accidentally activating the item there. This does bring a lot of validity to say the problem is with the PCB itself rather than the connectors, or even the mounting of it. I'm kinda curious why it's really only held down by one screw, the pegs on the other ends doesn't seem to stop it from moving, and my theory is that the pegs have micro-wear on them causing the PCB to flex.

I think this patch fix can probably tide me over until my replacement display arrives.

Edited April 17, 2021 by ToniCipriani

[VaZso 1,998]

17 minutes ago, ToniCipriani said:

However, re-reading what @vvv was saying about the PCB flex, I tried adding a little tape to the hold the PCB down rather than padding the connectors. Seems like this one did the trick, it hasn't gone crazy for more than a day. One little symptom remain though, is that "strip" of display where it dances on when it goes crazy, isn't as sensitive anymore.

For me (along with some others), only the screen was replaced, so the PCB itself was not changed but replacing the screen has resolved the issue.
Also, all of us have started to experience the very same symptoms at the very same position and very same kind of ghost touches.

My ghost touches became better when I have pressed the bottom left or maybe bottom right corner in portrait orientation.

However, what you write sounds interesting...

...somewhere it seems to be caused by a connection or breakage issue, which may be even at the flex cable, the connector, or the display itself... I hope it is not simply an internal gluing problem of the display.

You may have found the appropriate point to press anyway...

[ToniCipriani 194]

The part I still find very odd is that, the screen works perfectly fine if I don't mount it to the phone chassis. I couldn't tell what is being affected when it's snapped to the frame.

[VaZso 1,998]

1 hour ago, ToniCipriani said:

The part I still find very odd is that, the screen works perfectly fine if I don't mount it to the phone chassis. I couldn't tell what is being affected when it's snapped to the frame.

Do you mean it seems to work if you don't tighten the screws for example or until a point it gets contact with the metal part of the phone itself?

Anyway, when I have removed my screen from its frame, I have noticed some dust (relatively huge amount of pocket dirt) could go in at one of the shortest sides, which may or may not affect ghosting a bit.
However, that line you mentioned which was less sensitive after this ghosting has appeared was also exists for me even when ghosting was not actually present.

[ToniCipriani 194]

31 minutes ago, VaZso said:

Do you mean it seems to work if you don't tighten the screws for example or until a point it gets contact with the metal part of the phone itself?

Anyway, when I have removed my screen from its frame, I have noticed some dust (relatively huge amount of pocket dirt) could go in at one of the shortest sides, which may or may not affect ghosting a bit.
However, that line you mentioned which was less sensitive after this ghosting has appeared was also exists for me even when ghosting was not actually present.

No, as in if I leave it hanging it works fine. Snap it to the frame, it works for a bit and it starts going crazy. That is until now I taped down the PCB.

[ToniCipriani 194]

17 hours ago, VaZso said:

Also, all of us have started to experience the very same symptoms at the very same position and very same kind of ghost touches.

So I did some tests about that "strip" of touches, this was what the touch pattern looked like:

One thing I noticed is that when you tap on that strip, it activates both top and bottom of it. Same situation when you rotate the display:

BUT, if you actually press or slide over the correct place, it starts working correctly:

This image with the tap location, clearly shows when you tap in that "strip" of area, it registers two touches:

So I'm still leaning on the theory that some flex in the display is causing this.

Edited April 18, 2021 by ToniCipriani

[VaZso 1,998]

11 hours ago, ToniCipriani said:

So I'm still leaning on the theory that some flex in the display is causing this.

Unfortunately, images above are not really working...

Anyway, it may happen something has broke inside the display.
I mean the ribbon cable goes inside the display and connects to a glass layer, where it goes through wires on glass layer.

If that glass layer breaks somehow, then it may only conduct again if the two parts of glasses are in a good (close to original) position again.

Maybe the most easily injured part is the connection of the flex cable itself to the glass layer, so I think the problem is most likely lying there.

Edited April 18, 2021 by VaZso

[VaZso 1,998]

Okay, I have looked at my previous display now.

So... if you hold the phone in portrait mode, the problem lies at the bottom of the display.
That is the very same position what I had to press in order to work when I had a faulty display (with ghost touches).

At that point, there is a wide flex cable coming from display which goes to a flex PCB which has some electronics (one of them should be the touch driver IC) and that flex PCB has that cable what you connect to the phone.

The problem definitively seems to be near that wide cable.

The location of most possible issues

• Either the connection of internal glass layer to this ribbon cable
• The corner what flex cable should make
• Or the connection of this ribbon cable to flex PCB mentioned above.

If the connection starts to come off at somewhere, it may result in the ghosting problem which I had with my first display or other problems like what I had with my second display (bought at Aliexpress), which was a display failure.

As the ghost issue seems to be the same for everyone, I think the very same part of this ribbon cable comes up somewhere, maybe near the edges.

With my second display problem, it should has been the very same problem but at a different position of that wide cable which I think was caused by a missing GND connection - that is a very same issue what some notebook LCD also has.

What I would look at if I were F(x)tec is to ensure the wide ribbon cable which comes at the bottom part of the display is not laying as a support at all. That may result in a too sharp break of the wire causing it to loose contact in time.
I don't remember this part is how close to the support or the other (back) part of the frame, but any contact should be avoided, also any pression coming from the top edge.

I am mostly speaking about what circled with "1." in the photo, but it may happen to also has problem circled with "2.", but most likely the first.

It may also happen to be a display quality issue anyway, but that part of the ribbon cable is a very sensitive part.

@Waxberry or @Erik may know if there is some attention needed regarding Pro1-X in this relation or not.

Anyway, photo was taken with my Pro1 (only one shot, so it is not the best possible photo). 🙂

Edit: So I am speaking about circle "1." as an extremely sensitive part of the display which should be investigated if it is not injured by other internal parts / assembly.

Edited April 18, 2021 by VaZso

[ToniCipriani 194]

1 hour ago, VaZso said:

Unfortunately, images above are not really working...

OK, I've edited the post after reuploading the images to Imgur. Seems like the forum has some problems when you're just copying/pasting an image.

[ToniCipriani 194]

16 minutes ago, VaZso said:

I am mostly speaking about what circled with "1." in the photo, but it may happen to also has problem circled with "2.", but most likely the first.

This actually explains why sliding your finger on the bottom it might trigger the problem. 

Now I'm curious if everyone is having the problem at the same exact location, which could indicate a recurring problem caused by a particular flaw in the design.