It's not uncommon to have the touchscreen work (in the sense that it is touchable), but the buttons not to get triggered - or the wrong buttons get triggered.

BUT! In my experience this is because the wrong touchscreen type has been specified in the firmware sourcecode.

Now, if yours worked fine, but then spontaneously stopped working, then that won't have happened, because I guess it's the same firmware both times.

If you connect to the machine using the serial monitor in Arduino IDE (or use the console in the Polargraph Controller app), what message do you see when you touch the screen?

sn

Hey,

Thanks for the reply's, sorry its taken a while to get back to you, been away with work.

I've plugged it into the controller and hit the motors on button and got this returned to me:

incoming: READY_200
incoming: touch ok: 0,114
incoming: 2: 0,114
incoming: Check for input
incoming: Inputted!!
incoming: process touch.
incoming: 3: 0,114
incoming: X:0, Y:114
incoming: Outlining.
incoming: Outlined!
incoming: button:216
incoming: DONE.touch ok: 0,114
incoming: 2: 34,84
incoming: Check for input
incoming: Inputted!!
incoming: process touch.
incoming: 3: 34,84
incoming: X:34, Y:84
incoming: Outlining.
incoming: Outlined!
incoming: button:32
incoming: Engaged motors.
incoming: finished start.
incoming: DONE.READY_200
incoming: READY_200

Ohh so I've just had another poke at the screen and it seems to be working now... I can only guess that it was the static issue but I somehow didn't fix it properly first couple of tries ha!

I'll run a drawing tonight and hopefully everything should be good, if not I'll drop another message here.

Thank you both for your help!

I decided to run the Utouch Calibration and inputted the results into the UTouchCD file followed by compiling and uploading the sketch to the arduino. All went seemingly well except now the shield doesn't even detect touch (TX light doesn't flash and nothing in console in the controller).

One bit I'm slightly confused by is which of these should I be changing and remove from being a comment? I presume the 2.4in v2.1 since that's what my screen says on the pcb but it comes default as just the 2.4in?

// These calibration settings works with my ITDB02-2.2.
// They MIGHT work on your display module, but you should run the
// calibration sketch anyway.
//#define CAL_X 0x039281CCUL
//#define CAL_Y 0x03A2C1DEUL
//#define CAL_S 0x000AF0DBUL

// for the 2.4in screen
#define CAL_X 0x03CBC0C4UL
#define CAL_Y 0x03D901BEUL
#define CAL_S 0x000EF13FUL

// for the 2.4in v2.1 screen
//#define CAL_X 0x020E479FUL
//#define CAL_Y 0x00008000UL
//#define CAL_S 0x000EF13FUL

//#define CAL_X 0x00978201UL
//#define CAL_Y 0x00DC42E7UL
//#define CAL_S 0x000EF13FUL

Anyway slightly panicked I thought okay just use an old hex and roll back to that with xloader, did that but still got the same problem, nothing is registering. I also just tried the hex from when you fixed the USE_LCD issue and still nothing (although that version comes with a calibrate button?)

I know the screen works because I've run the calibration a couple of times successfully which means I'm getting something wrong with what I'm doing with the polarshield code. I've changed nothing but calibration variables though so I'm a bit stumped...

So of course I plugged it in yesterday and it worked fine...

Odd that the grounding trick doesn't seem to be doing it for me but nice to have the machine back and its something to keep an eye on in the future,

Do you know whether its an issue unique to the screens and polarshield together or have you heard of the issue when the screens used in other applications?

Was also an interesting journey into the code, I have largely no experience or knowledge with C but muddling my way through things like the calibration started to paint a clearer image of how it works. Makes me a little less daunted by the idea of fiddling about more.

Thanks!

The problem is too hard to replicate, and too random to solve!

I think that sums it up perfectly ha!

It seems to occur most frequently when the machine has been sitting idle and disconnected for a while, during constant operation I don't seem to ever encounter the issue. Oh well it works now and I know roughly what to do in the future so I'm happy ha!

I believe it's all a matter of perspective, I for one rather marvel at your ability to have conceived and executed the polargraph. Whether messy or not it works and it's enough to leave anyone I show it working to or the fruits of its efforts amazed!

Anyway I don't think anyone here bought/built one of these thinking its going to be a perfect working finished product, in fact I think most of us secretly look forward to when it goes tits up.

Till the next issue and thanks for your work, you've given a man void of artistic talent a nice little outlet.

Nick