# Pico Explorer Display - not working?
**URL:** https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 21, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367 "2021-02-21T21:46:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@utility\_back](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/utility_back)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/1 "2021-02-21T21:46:22Z")
Hi,
New to this game!
Have the pico explorer base and have flashed the pimoroni firmware to the pico and trying to run some of the micropython examples. The audio elements are working fine in e.g. explorer\_noise.py and explorer\_demo.py so I think the communication to the explorer board is fine. BUT I have seen absolutely nothing printed to the display. Am I missing something obvious or is there any way to check whether the display is functioning or not aside from running the example scripts?? (am not getting any errors back from the example scripts and the display is backlit)
Cheers…
---
### Author:  [@Shoe](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/Shoe)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/2 "2021-02-21T22:44:14Z")
The `demo.py` example should definitely show things up on the screen.
How does the soldering look on your Pico? Try running this:
```auto
import picoexplorer as explorer
width = explorer.get_width()
height = explorer.get_height()
display_buffer = bytearray(width * height * 2)
explorer.init(display_buffer)
explorer.set_pen(0,0,0)
explorer.clear()
explorer.set_pen(255,255,255)
explorer.text("Hello world!", 20, 20, 100, 4)
explorer.update()
```
---
### Author:  [@Tonygo2](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/Tonygo2)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2021, 8:44am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/3 "2021-02-22T08:44:02Z")
It was probably a missing **explorer.update()** It catches us all out.
---
### Author:  [@utility\_back](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/utility_back)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/4 "2021-02-24T20:39:16Z")
Hi,
Thanks for your replies. Still no joy unfortunately.
Shoe - copied across your code (including explorer.update() !!) into a new program to run but no response from the display.
Can still run e.g. explorer\_noise.py example and get audio from the speaker.
Can’t see anything visible on the board that might be problematic, the connection of the flexible circuit at the back for the LCD seems intact and sound.
Would appreciate any other thoughts.
Cheers.
---
### Author:  [@utility\_back](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/utility_back)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/5 "2021-02-24T20:40:30Z")
Is there a command to query the pico which specific version of firmware it thinks it is running?
---
### Author:  [@reidd](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/reidd)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/6 "2021-02-25T15:50:26Z")
I have exactly the same problem. Flashed it with the latest version of the pimoroni-pico firmware (v0.0.8 Alpha)…no joy…
---
### Author:  [@Shoe](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/Shoe)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2021, 8:57am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/7 "2021-02-26T08:57:00Z")
> Shoe - copied across your code (including explorer.update() !!) into a new program to run but no response from the display.
That’s a bad sign. Can you see the backlight underneath the edges of the screen coming on at all? I’ve tested the demo code I posted under the v0.0.8 firmware and it is fine.
It might be worth contacing Pimoroni support about it: [support@pimoroni.com](mailto:support@pimoroni.com)/
---
### Author:  [@Tonygo2](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/Tonygo2)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2021, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/8 "2021-02-26T08:58:19Z")
Version 8 is here:
[Release Version 0.0.8 Alpha · pimoroni/pimoroni-pico (github.com)](https://github.com/pimoroni/pimoroni-pico/releases/tag/v0.0.8)
---
### Author:  [@reidd](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/reidd)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2021, 12:41pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/9 "2021-02-26T12:41:47Z")
Hi, I contacted Pimoroni and they suggested re-soldering…I did… and it now works!
There must have been a loose joint on the board!
My bad!
cheers
David
---
### Author:  [@utility\_back](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/utility_back)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/10 "2021-02-28T16:21:18Z")
Hi All,
Thanks again for all suggestions. Just flashed with v0.0.8 in place of v0.0.7 and the display has come to life!
Now to get playing…
---
### Author:  [@row](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/row)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2022, 3:28pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/11 "2022-05-28T15:28:52Z")
I had problems with my Pico Explorer Base display as well using the current [**pre-release** bootloader version 1.18.9](https://github.com/pimoroni/pimoroni-pico/releases/tag/v1.18.9).
Downgrading to current [latest release 1.18.7](https://github.com/pimoroni/pimoroni-pico/releases/tag/v1.18.7) (`pimoroni-pico-v1.18.7-micropython.uf2`) makes the display work again.
---
### Author:  [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pico-explorer-display-not-working/16367/12 "2022-05-28T18:27:07Z")
v1.18.9 has big changes st7789 display driver wise. It’s a Beta release in a way. And it states the following in the description.
If you’re looking for your code to keep ticking along as usual then please grab v1.18.7
The examples likely need a bit of editing to work with the new unifying driver. I’m using 1.18.8, but then, I’m partially responsible for 1.18.8 and 1.18.9.
I was after dual display support and a smaller frame buffer as i was using up the 264kb of RAM.
> [@Pi Pico based Weather Station Project](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/pi-pico-based-weather-station-project/19503):
>
> I’ve been working on this for a while. It started out using a Raspberry Pi Zero but I have switched over to using a Pi Pico instead. [My Enviro (code) based Weather Station Build - Discussion / Projects - Pimoroni Buccaneers](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/my-enviro-code-based-weather-station-build/17915/22) Hardware wise I have the following: Pico Lipo 16mb BME680 BME280 LTR-559 VEML6075 RV3028 and two Pico Display pack V2’s. The two Pico Display Packs are mounted on Perma Proto Half size boards. Then custom wired to another Perma Proto that has the Pico on it. Male he…