Aura H2O 2 H2O Edition 2 screen repair

[drbroom]

Hey all,

I've stupidly managed to break my H2O Edition 2 screen but resting my elbow on it after making the bed. I landed on it and heard a sharp crack. The screen now has 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines running through it. The comfortlight still turns on when the power button is pressed and turns off when the power button is held.

I've done my best to research this issue but there doesn't appear to be much info on how to repair the H2O Edition 2 on the net. I have a number of questions that will let me know whether to proceed in trying to repair it over purchasing a Clara HD instead.

1. It appears I have broken the glass substrate - if I simply replace the screen will it work again or is the touch mechanism broken?
2. The device was second-hand and had a deep scratch in the screen - will the new screen be scratch-free or merely sit below the already scratched IR layer?
3. Does anyone know the screw type holding the back cover on? I am assuming it's a Torx screw but unsure which screwdriver to purchase.
4. Does it use the same screen as the H2O v1 and can this be purchased on AliExpress?
5. Does it require melting the adhesive off of the bezel like on Edition 1 or is it constructed differently?



Thank you for your help!

[frostschutz]

screw in picture looks like torx to me

display type should be on the cable (-2.02 + barcode in picture), but display type is printed on the backside, so you have to lift the latch on the connector and take the cable out to see

we just had another display repair thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=316058

not your device, but maybe some generic advice

good luck

PS: an elbow can break more than just the display, try to confirm that the device still runs fine otherwise (like does LED blink as it should when you reboot or whatever)

PPS: I see this has one more cable than H2O, maybe the touchscreen...? no idea if this is one unit with the display or separate.

[khalleron]

There is no IR 'layer' to scratch. IR touchscreens work not by actual touch, but by breaking infrared beams that are shone across the screen, in much the same way that an automatic door works.

[drbroom]

That makes sense, and presumably these IR beams sit in the bezel alongside/above the comfort light LEDs?

[khalleron]

Yes. That is why ereaders with IR have raised bezels instead of flush screens.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by drbroom

That makes sense, and presumably these IR beams sit in the bezel alongside/above the comfort light LEDs?

Actually on some the IR LEDS and photo transistors are around the four sides on the main board. Shaped mouldings on the black (but transparent to infrared) bezel act as pipes or deflectors to catch or deliver the light vertically and put it on overlapping beams horizontally top/bottom and left/right. The relative reduction of multiple beams at right angles allows calculation of the touched position. It seems to only intermittently operate the transmitting LEDs (which are likely multiplexed) until a touch is detected and then the LEDs are continuously operated till touch ceases for a while. You'll see an initial lag on the drawing utility and then it tracks quite well. It's handy to see relationship between your finger and what the programming algorithm is deciding. Then maybe you can use text selection & keyboard more easily.

I increase margins and font size if I'm doing a lot of annotation. Speeds it up and makes it easier to select what you want.

Capacitive (low pressure, poor resolution) or resistive (more pressure, best resolution) both need two or more layers with transparent conductive traces. This significantly reduces light, twice as much for a reflective screen like eink compared to OLED or back lit LCD. All three technologies have been used since at least 1980s, sometimes on Plasma or CRT rather than LCD, OLED or eink.
Phones & PDAs used resistive before iPhone capacitive because then they were mostly having annotation or data input. The iPhone had bundled internet data so was mainly for content consumption. Apple bought in the Fingerworks GUI for that so was able to use the cheaper & lower accuracy capacitive screen. It was operator bundles that made iPhone a success, not any tech Apple developed.

The eink originally had no "front light", so quickly the oldest touch was updated (IR beams) and used to allow maximum screen brightness. The newer flush capacitive eink screens are very grey compared to earlier IR touch eink. I only read paper books in decent artificial light (to help glasses), so I deliberately bought a PW3 / PW2015 just after the PW4 / PW2018 came out. Both the PW3 and Kobo H2O original I have IMO have better (i.e. clearer and brighter) screens than the PW4 / PW2018 which a friend bought recently.

Other touch systems have been tried but don't work well.

[drbroom]

Ok I’ve acquired some tools and removed the case. Screw size is Torx T5. The screen model is ED068TH1.

[drbroom]

Update 2: I've given up and binned the entire thing. Removing the bezel was easy as it's held in place by a square of light adhesive strips.

I was able to remove the motherboard from the backplate but was unable to separate the glass-substrate/screen/leds. The adhesive was incredibly strong, even after heat was applied via hairdryer. I tried prying the glass substrate off of the metal backplate but ended up crumbling the glass and shaving off my plastic spudger. I even tried in-between what I assume was the light-guides and the e-ink screen itself but it was too tightly adhered.

This, in conjunction with not being able to find a place to purchase the panel online, meant it went in the bin.

I've just purchased a brand new Clara HD.

[frostschutz]

sorry to hear that

if the mainboard is undamaged you could sell it to someone who broke their usb port off or sth

have fun with your new clara

[Quoth]

The bezel also might be of use to someone.
I have a box of "broken" tech stuff in the attic.