Scroll pHAT errno 110

Support
1

I have two of the scroll pHATs, one works fine, but the other one gives an error as follows :

pi@atlas:~/Pimoroni/scrollphat python test-all.py Traceback (most recent call last): File "test-all.py", line 5, in <module> import scrollphat File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/scrollphat/__init__.py", line 159, in <module> set_mode() File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/scrollphat/__init__.py", line 55, in set_mode bus.write_i2c_block_data(I2C_ADDR, CMD_SET_MODE, [MODE_5X11]) IOError: [Errno 110] Connection timed out pi@atlas:~/Pimoroni/scrollphat

Could someone please point me in the right direction for fixing this?

Is it likely to be the soldering? I used the “lazy” method in RogueM’s post for both HATs

2

It’s very likely the soldering job. Have you soldered the pHAT on the Pi directly or to a header?

Either way, make sure you touch up/verify the 6 pins (2x3) to the left, both on the Pi and the pHAT, those are the only ones that matter.

3

Thanks for the quick response!

The pHAT that doesn’t work is on a female header, the one that does work is on a male header, with a ribbon attached… I’m testing it on the one Pi, so the environment is the same.

Here’s a picture of the soldering (after I gave it another touch up) :

But it’s still giving the same error.

4

The soldering job looks good from here. Try the following:

sudo apt-get install i2c-tools
i2cdetect -y 1

it should output a map of i2c addresses with 0x60 highlighted. If not then that means the system can’t see it. It’s likely the case but does not hurt to check.

If so, then examine the soldering around the IC to the left of the LEDs for anything that may seem odd.

You could also, I guess measure the voltage between the pins on the header, when sitting on top of the Pi. Using http://pinout.xyz/pinout/scroll_phat, that’d be:

  • using pin 6 as ground reference, 5V on pin 2 and 4
  • using pin 6 as ground reference, 3.3V on pin 3 and 5
    (technically, pin 1 is unused i.e not connected on the pHAT)
5

Ok, looks like I have a dodgy pHAT then.

On the working one, I get the map result and voltages as expected.

On the non-working one, the map takes ages to draw and gets a “–” result on the 0x60 address. The voltages are strange, around 2.47 on the 5V pins and 4.3 off pin 3 and a negative number from pin 5!!

Really appreciate your help, thank you!!

6

hum, that’s very strange… could you post a pic of your setups because it almost seems like the rows of pins are switched around.

… thinking about it I’m not sure I picture the setup you made with a ribbon cable, and I have the sneaking suspicion I’m missing something obvious.

7

ah, major red face here then, I think you’ve cracked it!!

The one in the middle, I was setting up for a friend and just wanted to test it, but now I can see that the two rows of pins are swapped by the right-angle male header on the Pi… the one with the ribbon cable is a project for myself (work in progress) :

and confirmed after putting the pHAT on to a Pi with a regular male header, it works fine!

RogueM, you are a genius :-)

8

I don’t know about that… let’s just say… I may have done some stunts with a soldering iron that ended up with not totally expected results myself ;-)