Aura HD IR touch after display swap inoperative

rscheff · 01-20-2022, 04:03 PM

Hi,

I would appreciate some detailed instructions as to how to make the IR touch work again.

The ordeal started, when my Aura HD (N204B) got fully stuck - neither of the usual options to hard reset it would work. Thus I decided to make it really boot up anew by pulling the battery..

However, while opening the case, the glue between front bezel and display was not coming off well enough, and part of the display broke.

Good news, however, the hard power boot restored the Aura to its function, albeit part of the display was broken now - but IR touch still worked.

I went to buy a replacement e-Ink display with the proper connectors, and fully removed the old display - including that sticky glue from the IR waveguide and front bezel.

After conneting the new display, the e-Ink display would initalize and properly show the sleep screen with the cover of my last book, or the PIN login display.

However, I can no longer get the IR curtain ("touch") to work. I cleaned the bezel / waveguide multiple times.

I finally even got a camera without IR filter, and found that the zForce controller (NN1001) would only start the vertial IR LEDs, when it apparently "sees" some light from the horizontal IR LEDs. (Using a Raspi 2 Camera, which I could hack to 150-180 Hz framerate, but at the standard 30Hz framerate I can see the Nyquist flickering on the IR LED strip indicating the neonode IR controller runs at the 100Hz/33Hz).

All the minute IR waveguide plastic pins slide nicely into the PCB holes, and properly assembled, the IR cam can see all the LEDs on top/left to shine across the display surface...

The only thing I have not done was to put some IR-blocking tape in between the new display and the IR waveguide, to prevent it to couple "too much" IR into the glass panel, if that may interfere with the "shadows" and preventing the touch to get registered...

I have read that it can be really finnikey in getting "touch" work again after a display swap - but are there any more details to this process?

Also, there are 3 serial console ports - has anyone looked what these do, if they could be used to interface with the MCU?

Unfortunately, I have not found any datasheet on the zforce NN1001 A AS6P 2CI neonode controller - more modern ones appear to be emulating a USB HID plus having an I2C interface - I presume that old one may only have I2C...

if the aura hd would accept USB HID, I would even go to try out a USB mouse as new input device

If all else fails, I would appreciate hints how to open the firmware, and make the old Aura into a fancy e-Ink Clock or other semi-static display without user interaction need...

davidfor · 01-20-2022, 07:29 PM

Sorry, about the only thing I can say is that these devices have to be put back together properly for the IR to work. I don't have an Aura HD, but, I always get it wrong with my Touch and Glo when I pull it apart.

I would suggest searching the posts of @Ken Maltby. He pulled and Aura HD apart when they were new and I remember he had issues getting the IR to work again. There might be a clue in his posts to help you.

rscheff · 01-21-2022, 06:57 AM

His posts were the reason for me to register here... but other than cleaning, i could not find anything.

I tried placing PVC electric tape as IR blocker on the IR waveguide, but still to no avail...

(Although I got the impression with the IR camera, that there is less crosstalk between the IR transmission lenses).

Quite frustrating...

BatteryPowered · 01-21-2022, 03:36 PM

I had exactly the same issue with my "broken" bought Aura HD (still has USB issues unfortunately). I didn't break anything when opening up the device so after hours of trying to get touch working I put the unit aside thinking I had ruined it.

The next day I picked it back up again and took a look at the IR masking tape, took it off and everything worked. I've put the tape outside of the IR light guides and now the touch functionality is working again.

rscheff · 01-21-2022, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

I had exactly the same issue with my "broken" bought Aura HD (still has USB issues unfortunately). I didn't break anything when opening up the device so after hours of trying to get touch working I put the unit aside thinking I had ruined it.

The next day I picked it back up again and took a look at the IR masking tape, took it off and everything worked. I've put the tape outside of the IR light guides and now the touch functionality is working again.

Yupp... I have cleaned off all remains of the glue between the lightguide and the eink display for a long time.

Cleaned it multiple times; made it dirty again, masked it now with PVC electrical tape between the lightguide and display - nothing.

If there would be some I2C test points exposed in the vicinity of the NN1001 chip, I would scan what it reports while running and the aura displaying the 4-digit pin page. But there is no obvious testpoint there, nor anything standing out as the I2C / USB link between that chip and the MCU - as as the board is at least a 4 layer design, I guess the high speed lines are sandwiched in between the two outer ground planes for EMI reasons...

Do you happen to have pictures of your disassembly / reassembly efforts?

frostschutz · 01-22-2022, 04:05 AM

I don't have Aura HD so I can't speak for it.

However the Aura H2O IR touch only works if everything is aligned perfectly and so the IR bezel had these little notches that go directly into the PCB.

I posted pictures of that in some other thread so maybe, for Aura HD, it is a similar issue.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...58#post3859658

(and post above that you see the display itself has to be aligned to its corner holders)

things stop working when they go out of alignment even just a little bit

rscheff · 01-22-2022, 04:37 AM

Yeah - I know about these. They are all well aligned - as metioned, the 4 small IR waveguide dents with about 0.7mm diameter all slide in well into the holes in the PCB. You also need to excert a bit of force, when the back body is not put together, to keep the display and waveguides aligned.

The NN1001 would only light up the vertical (long) side of IR LEDs if they are not aligned, and not the horzontal (short) edge. Once there is alignment for that edge to apparently see the IR beams, then the vertical side lights up...

When looking with the IR camera at a shallow angle from the side with the IR receivers down to the IR waveguide with the LEDs, I can certainly see the shadow of my finger - ...

Also, if the enclosure is properly put together (which becomes less good, as some of the plastic indentent start to break with me pulling it apart and opening it so often), both edges are IR light constantly, indicating a good alignment.

Just no input is recognized on the PIN entry screen...

Does anyone know of a shop where kobo devices could be repaired - if they may have the circuit schematic accessible as to where to hook up for looking what the NN1001 reports?

01-20-2022, 04:03 PM	#1
rscheff Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2022 Device: Kobo Aura HD	IR touch after display swap inoperative Hi, I would appreciate some detailed instructions as to how to make the IR touch work again. The ordeal started, when my Aura HD (N204B) got fully stuck - neither of the usual options to hard reset it would work. Thus I decided to make it really boot up anew by pulling the battery.. However, while opening the case, the glue between front bezel and display was not coming off well enough, and part of the display broke. Good news, however, the hard power boot restored the Aura to its function, albeit part of the display was broken now - but IR touch still worked. I went to buy a replacement e-Ink display with the proper connectors, and fully removed the old display - including that sticky glue from the IR waveguide and front bezel. After conneting the new display, the e-Ink display would initalize and properly show the sleep screen with the cover of my last book, or the PIN login display. However, I can no longer get the IR curtain ("touch") to work. I cleaned the bezel / waveguide multiple times. I finally even got a camera without IR filter, and found that the zForce controller (NN1001) would only start the vertial IR LEDs, when it apparently "sees" some light from the horizontal IR LEDs. (Using a Raspi 2 Camera, which I could hack to 150-180 Hz framerate, but at the standard 30Hz framerate I can see the Nyquist flickering on the IR LED strip indicating the neonode IR controller runs at the 100Hz/33Hz). All the minute IR waveguide plastic pins slide nicely into the PCB holes, and properly assembled, the IR cam can see all the LEDs on top/left to shine across the display surface... The only thing I have not done was to put some IR-blocking tape in between the new display and the IR waveguide, to prevent it to couple "too much" IR into the glass panel, if that may interfere with the "shadows" and preventing the touch to get registered... I have read that it can be really finnikey in getting "touch" work again after a display swap - but are there any more details to this process? Also, there are 3 serial console ports - has anyone looked what these do, if they could be used to interface with the MCU? Unfortunately, I have not found any datasheet on the zforce NN1001 A AS6P 2CI neonode controller - more modern ones appear to be emulating a USB HID plus having an I2C interface - I presume that old one may only have I2C... if the aura hd would accept USB HID, I would even go to try out a USB mouse as new input device If all else fails, I would appreciate hints how to open the firmware, and make the old Aura into a fancy e-Ink Clock or other semi-static display without user interaction need...

01-22-2022, 04:05 AM	#6
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	I don't have Aura HD so I can't speak for it. However the Aura H2O IR touch only works if everything is aligned perfectly and so the IR bezel had these little notches that go directly into the PCB. I posted pictures of that in some other thread so maybe, for Aura HD, it is a similar issue. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...58#post3859658 (and post above that you see the display itself has to be aligned to its corner holders) things stop working when they go out of alignment even just a little bit Last edited by frostschutz; 01-22-2022 at 04:08 AM.

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01-20-2022, 07:29 PM	#2
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,907 Karma: 47303748 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Sorry, about the only thing I can say is that these devices have to be put back together properly for the IR to work. I don't have an Aura HD, but, I always get it wrong with my Touch and Glo when I pull it apart. I would suggest searching the posts of @Ken Maltby. He pulled and Aura HD apart when they were new and I remember he had issues getting the IR to work again. There might be a clue in his posts to help you.

01-21-2022, 06:57 AM	#3
rscheff Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2022 Device: Kobo Aura HD	His posts were the reason for me to register here... but other than cleaning, i could not find anything. I tried placing PVC electric tape as IR blocker on the IR waveguide, but still to no avail... (Although I got the impression with the IR camera, that there is less crosstalk between the IR transmission lenses). Quite frustrating...

01-21-2022, 03:36 PM	#4
BatteryPowered Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: The Netherlands Device: Kobo Aura HD, Clara HD, Sage	I had exactly the same issue with my "broken" bought Aura HD (still has USB issues unfortunately). I didn't break anything when opening up the device so after hours of trying to get touch working I put the unit aside thinking I had ruined it. The next day I picked it back up again and took a look at the IR masking tape, took it off and everything worked. I've put the tape outside of the IR light guides and now the touch functionality is working again.

01-22-2022, 04:37 AM	#7
rscheff Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2022 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Yeah - I know about these. They are all well aligned - as metioned, the 4 small IR waveguide dents with about 0.7mm diameter all slide in well into the holes in the PCB. You also need to excert a bit of force, when the back body is not put together, to keep the display and waveguides aligned. The NN1001 would only light up the vertical (long) side of IR LEDs if they are not aligned, and not the horzontal (short) edge. Once there is alignment for that edge to apparently see the IR beams, then the vertical side lights up... When looking with the IR camera at a shallow angle from the side with the IR receivers down to the IR waveguide with the LEDs, I can certainly see the shadow of my finger - ... Also, if the enclosure is properly put together (which becomes less good, as some of the plastic indentent start to break with me pulling it apart and opening it so often), both edges are IR light constantly, indicating a good alignment. Just no input is recognized on the PIN entry screen... Does anyone know of a shop where kobo devices could be repaired - if they may have the circuit schematic accessible as to where to hook up for looking what the NN1001 reports?

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