How to change digitizer of TX? (I tried and now it's BAD!)

[Mickets]

Hello,

I had bought a glass digitizer for my TX some time ago, but never got round to changing it, since the plastic one was working better, and was about 90% OK today.

Then today at 4:00am I suddenly decided to give it a try. I followed the directions to open the Palm, from pdaparts.com, and OK, I pulled it all apart.

Found lots of dust and some pieces of paper hidden there on the digitizer borders, and removed them.

But changing the digitizer is not simple! It seems to be glued on or something.

So then I re-assembled it, and, guess what: the digitizer is working TERRIBLY! (that`s the old plastic one, that was 90% good just before).

Why is it bad now? What could I have done that made it go bad?

Yes, I did try soft/hard resets, and it is still TERRIBLE, with big dead (or almost) areas!

And where can I find a step-by-step, with photos, on how to change the digitizer? PDAparts video only shows how to pull it apart...

(serves me right - I was going to bed and the Palm was OK when I did this... When will I learn!?)

[Palmisok]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SD7dHUJgMaI

This is not the best guide but it's what I found right now. I'll try and update with more later. Are you sure your connections are ok? Make sure it's clean and nothing is stuck in between? No sliced ribbon cables or anything?

[met]

I have done it and it is now working great. I have used an old digitizer from my previus TX on which I had broken screen, but the digitizer was OK. And the worst part on this exchange is the one, when you are disassembling the screen, assembling is no problem at all, you just connect the digitizer and append it to the screen, you do not need to try to use any sticks.

[Gregte]

You mention that you discovered the old one is glued on. Did you try prying it off? And if you did, maybe you damage it thus causing it to work poorly. This could easily be the case if you used a knife blade to try to pry it off.

At any rate, it is indeed glued on and it has to be pried off. The trick is to use a very thin blade (razor blade) and go slow and gently. Adhesives such as this will let loose if you don't force them rapidly but rather slowly pry and let the adhesive stretch until it comes free.

When putting on the new one be very certain that you have it positioned true and square before you press it on or you will have to pry it off to realigned it and you don't want to have to pry off the new one or it may not end up being a new one when you are done!

[Mickets]

OK, after posting my first post, I pulled the TX apart again and experimented with the digitizer while it was on. Pressing here and there, cleaning the borders, and eventually it was good again. And in fact, some areas seemed to have to be "woken up" with the stylus until they began to respond OK.

The digitizer seems to be fixed on the screen by means of a very thin gray "gum" all around the borders. I can peel it off, but I didn't, because I wasn't sure that's the right way to do it.

Palmisok:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SD7dHUJgMaI

This is not the best guide but it's what I found right now. I'll try and update with more later. Are you sure your connections are ok? Make sure it's clean and nothing is stuck in between? No sliced ribbon cables or anything?

The video is great, thanks a lot! I didn't listen to the audio yet, but will do ASAP.

The connections are OK. No sliced cables, nothing. I did clean the edges of the digitizer, though.

Gregte:[b/]
You mention that you discovered the old one is glued on. Did you try prying it off? And if you did, maybe you damage it thus causing it to work poorly. This could easily be the case if you used a knife blade to try to pry it off.
I didn't try to pry it off. It gets to a point that if I think I won't make it, then I don't do it, because I [b]need my Palm working right now...

Folks, thanks for all the help! If more videos / photos on how to do this, please let me know!

Thanks a lot,

Mickets

[Mickets]

Hello,

OK, I've watched the video (Palmisok's) and I think I have removed the old plastic digitizer.

I said I THINK, because:

a) the "tail" (ribbon cable) from the old one is still stuck to the screen (the LCD), while the digitizer was removed (like on the video - the digitizer is removed, but no "tail" appears), and

b) I re-connected everything (including the ribbon cable for the digitizer), power it up, tap the screen and nothing, no taps.

So I must have removed the digitizer.

And if the old "tail" (ribbon cable) is still there, what do I do? Just leave it there? Put the glass digitizer on and plug its ribbon cable, and leave the old one there as well?

[_Em]

I'd say you can either leave it (just remember to disconnect it at the other end) or apply a heat gun for a few seconds and pull it off if it is glued on.

[Mickets]

Hello,

OK, I've watched the video (Palmisok's) and I think I have removed the old plastic digitizer.

I said I THINK, because:

a) the "tail" (ribbon cable) from the old one is still stuck to the screen (the LCD), while the digitizer was removed (like on the video - the digitizer is removed, but no "tail" appears), and

b) I re-connected everything (including the ribbon cable for the digitizer), power it up, tap the screen and nothing, no taps.

So I must have removed the digitizer.

And if the old "tail" (ribbon cable) is still there, what do I do? Just leave it there? Put the glass digitizer on and plug its ribbon cable, and leave the old one there as well?

[Mickets]

OK. Last, I think.

I installed the new digitizer (OK, no big deal for you, but it is for me) and it is great. It doesn't feel as fragile as I thought it would. It's just great, very good.

(My warning for those who will open up their Palm TX: that little power button flies away and disappears very easily. Watch out! Once you get that little frame off, use a little piece of sticky tape to hold the power button in place).

Now,


Installed new digitizer
Digitizer needs calibrating: calibrate using Palm's calibration (it should work now with the new good digitizer...)
Calibration accepted by the Palm, but looks crap (check in Notepad and PowerDigi)
Calibrate with PowerDigi
Calibration great, but only down to line 460. And then jumps down to line 480.
Download updated PowerDigi
Delete PowerDigi and reset (twice)
Just for curiosity: calibrate with Palm calibration before installing new PowerDigi
Works great, very good. Why use PowerDigi?


I expected I would not need PowerDigi anymore. But i did not expect PowerDigi to act this way: the calibration (all methods, fast to fine) worked fine, but as the cursor gets down to the bottom, near line 460, the cursor jumps down ~20 pixels, near line 480.

What do you think about this?

[Gregte]

If you have a good digitizer (and you should if it is new) then PowerDigi can add nothing.

A new digitizer should be completely linear. Powerdigi's only purpose in life is to compensate for a NON-linear digitizer, i.e. one that is defective.

With a non damaged digitizer the TX's built in calibrator should work perfectly.

[thon73]

I've changed my digitizer two weeks ago. It was not very difficult, and You can see my photos on <http://palmtx.extra.hu/TchScreen.html>. The text is in hungarian (yet), but I think, the pictures alone can give some help.

My main problem was: the new touch-panel sticks very well, so it is really difficult to change its position!

And a good advice: While the case is still open, put on a large screen-protector, so You will not see/sense the edge of the protector!

About calibration: Palm calibration software seems to forget the exact positions after changing landscape/portrait position

Good luck! Thon73

[Greek]

Sorry, but why don't you get the whole screen, I mean the glass, plus the digitizer (and the back circuit), you would not have to separate the old glass (plastic) and having to deal with a very complex sticking. It would be more expensive, but you'll do it faster and without risks of getting an unusable screen.

I have not seen screens or digitizers on pdaparts, but the difference between the 2 options was always worth. :)

Regards,

[thon73]

Saying the truth, it is not difficult.
To get off the original plastic digitizer is really simple, because it is not rigid. Just start on the corner and you can lift it slowly. If you dont find the gap between the metal frame of the screen and the digitizer (with nails), just use a blade or rather a simple knife! Because of the metal part it is almost impossible to hurt the screen surface!
To stick the new one (glass), you do not need any glue, it has a sticky part originally. The only thing: it is better to put it in the right position, because you can not "slide" it afterwards.
The whole thing is not more difficult, than to take apart the internal parts - I mean to change the screen.

Anyway, I've read an other thread about changing the digitizer. (I don't remember the exact title, but the explanation there was really good!)

[Mickets]

One month and a half, and it's working fine. In and out cold-dry / hot-humid places, Sun/rain. No problems whatsoever. Bliss...

[cms]

Anyone know where to get a glass digitizer now? Ive been searching for a month now.

*Why is it when my digitizer breaks, everyone is sold out?*