What could cause the display to be black?

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-15

I am trying to make some tests with the touchGFX and the STM32H7B3I-DK kit.

I have tried different approaches with online step by step videos and webinars.

This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-fyx4e96jk

I have tried now and all compiles and uploads without error, but the display does not turn on. It works because uploading something simple directly from tGFX designer turn on the display.

I get 1 warning, but don't know why that should have impact on the display not turning on. The warning is:

Invalid project path: Include path not found (C:\TouchGFXProjects\Designer_tGFX_1\Middlewares\Third_Party\FreeRTOS\Source\CMSIS_RTOS).

Why should that meke the display stay black, and what should I do to get rid of the warning. I have followed the video to the point.

I have read at some places that this board is not as good as others regarding "Working right of the shelf"

Another thing: If I try to flash the original demo into it, there is a lot of tear in the images on the mainscreen. Why is that?

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-16

I think I might have expressed myself unclear. It did make a difference. The display do turn on with CubeMx 6.1.1. So it did make a difference to me. Only thing is it didn't bring up the functionality of the code to turn on the board LED on a screentouch nor turn on the screen LED at the userswitch push. That is what I mean by functionality. Sorry for the wrong formulation.

But it is still not good enough for me, because that is the whole idea, to make the hardware lyaer in sync with the tGFX. :-).

Alexandre RENOUX · ‎2021-03-16

Hello BJens.1,

Did you first test on the simulator ? Using the simulator first is very useful because you can see if it's HW related or if it's your UI that is not coded correctly.

If not, could you tell me what happens when you run the simulator ? Could you give more info on the UI you're testing ?

Also, as Romain mentioned, please try with the H7 FW package 1.9.0.

There's apparently a bug in CubeMX that suggests by default an old version of the FW package (1.6.0).

/Alexandre

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-18

Thank you. But for now I'm giving up. I have tried this board now for 3 weeks, and I am not getting any closer to a working solution.

Everything works directly from the designer. But the designer is only to make the graphics and yeah well the design of the graphical touchscreen. And it does a fantastic job.

But the IDE can start a project in so many ways, and dependent of the roadmap, the looks af the project is completely different, which I find to be messy.

If you start a project one way the main.c file will be located in a folder called Application/user/TouchGFX.

If you start the project from a allready generated *.ioc file from the designer the main.c file will be located in Core/Src

I find this very confusing. Additionally to the confusion if generated one way the the compiler/linker complaints about to little RAM memory. This another frustration.

I think I will have to conclude that either is STM32 tGFX not ready for me, or I'm not ready for tGFX. :(

Sad because i could really see the potential.

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-18

Thank you. But for now I'm giving up. I have tried this board now for 3 weeks, and I am not getting any closer to a working solution.

Everything works directly from the designer. But the designer is only to make the graphics and yeah well the design of the graphical touchscreen. And it does a fantastic job.

But the IDE can start a project in so many ways, and dependent of the roadmap, the looks af the project is completely different, which I find to be messy.

If you start a project one way the main.c file will be located in a folder called Application/user/TouchGFX.

If you start the project from an allready generated *.ioc file from the designer the main.c file will be located in Core/Src

I find this very confusing. Additionally to the confusion if generated one way the the compiler/linker complaints about to little RAM memory. This another frustration.

I think I will have to conclude that either is STM32 tGFX not ready for me, or I'm not ready for tGFX. :(

Sad because i could really see the potential.

HP · ‎2021-03-19

Hey @BJens.1 - I know that I might be well too late to 'save' your faith in tGFX. Anyway, I have made a video on how to implement tGFX on a custom board (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRQD8JMeg_k) - this approach should work for all boards no matter if it is a custom board or a development kit.

You're absolutely right - there are multiple ways of creating a project, some of them more confusing than others. I know that the tGFX team is working to address this fact but until we see a resolution and 'streamlining' of all structures we will have to make do with what we have.

IF you start with the application template in the designer you do get a working project - as you describe. However, there is no reason not to continue that project in CubeIDE where you can add the HW interactions you want.

In other words, you have two options

the custom approach, where you have to inlclude everything yourself (see the video above)
the application template approach where you start in the designer and switch to cubeIDE.

The latter approach let you start easily but have some drawbacks with regards to files 'missing' in the cubeIDE project. They are there and everything will work, they files are just harder to find, unfortunately. this method, however, will set up the touch screen, QSPI and external memory mapping so you should not see the RAM limitations you have seen with the other approach. I have a video for this 'easy' method as well - it's for the 746 board but the steps are the same.

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-19

Hi HP

I will definately watch your video (probebly during the weekend). And I think it is too good tools to just give up. But I was really in a bad mood yesterday. :)

I think it is VERY interesting to hear about your take on how to do a custom solution, which is the aim in the end.

My frustration is ofcause that I can see so much potential, but can't get, what is supposed to be a very simple tutorial to work. That makes me feel incredibly stupid. Not a nice feeling. :(

But thank you, I will watch your video, and may feel stupid on a higher level, or maybe somthing will catch on We'll see. :)

BJens.1 · ‎2021-03-24

Well, gave it another go, and voila finally 4 weeks of intense work paid off. :)

I based my experience on the guide mentioned in the start of this thread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-fyx4e96jk

Now got it working with:

CubeMX 6.2.0 with MCU package STM32Cube_FW_H7_V1.9.0

CubeIDE 1.6.0

touchGFX 4.16.1

The black screen happened because there is a mismatch somewhere if using FW_H7_V1.6.0 instead of FW_H7_V1.9.0.

Apparently Designer generates as if the default was FW 1.6.0. But there is a fix for this in the CubeMX. In the project setup (when a project is loaded), Default Firmware Location should be unticked and you should browse to the location of the resent version (here 1.9.0).

Some of the other stuff I had to struggle with, was just 2 typos of my own.

Sometimes the flashing stopped in the middle of flashing. The only solution for me was to reset the board and try again, and sometimes it was also necessary to "make clean" the project and start a new compilation.

Alexandre RENOUX · ‎2021-03-25

Hello BJens.1,

Glad to hear that it works now. The bug on CubeMX is really unfortunate. FW_H7_V1.6.0 is quite old now so it should not be used.

Since your question is answered, please close this topic by choosing Select as Best.

/Alexandre

Romain DIELEMAN · ‎2021-03-26

Good to hear you managed to fix it :thumbs_up:

/Romain