Accelerometer not working
 

Hey there! I just got my first Maemo device, a Nokia N900, second hand. The phone seems nice enough, and I've installed NITDroid on it. Just one tiny thing bugs me. The accelerometer doesn't work, in NITDroid OR Maemo. It's probably not a software issue, cause I've reflashed the eMMC thrice and the firmware even more times in the past two weeks. Help?

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

How I envy you. I found it annoying that my screen kept turning around until I installed CSSU and locked it in landscape.

It seems you've answered your own question. Does not look like a SW problem indeed. I doubt there is a way to fix it. Maybe a Nokia care centre, but even that is a very small chance.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

There are articles about N900 accelerometer and N900 Harware Hacking.
Another person had a similar problem about two years ago. This thread (mostly the first post) should have complete list of all possible ways to test accelerometer with software.
Also, it might be that you need to enter some commands in X-Term to make accelerometer work: The case of the missing N900 accelerometer and Internal accelerometer device has disappeared.
Best wishes.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

If the commands are to be issued in Maemo only, then will the accelerometer work in Android?

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Unless there is a permanent hardware failure, accelerometer will work in Android. I just don't know how to test accelerometer with Android software.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Damn then. I tested by installing Temple Run 2. Accelerometer didn't work. I also tried this:

root
rmmod lis302dl
modprobe lis302dl
apt-get install rotatedaemon
rotatedaemon

Which resulted in this:

# rotatedaemon
Cannot open accelerometer FC
Aborted

Also, I installed Bounce Evolution from the Ovi Store, but the ball (Bounce?) wouldn't move.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

What does this give?
I don't know... It's suggested somewhere that taking out the battery for two-three minutes cures the problem... Would this problem persist after a re-flash?..
Best wishes.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Thanks, but it persists even after at least twelve firmware reflashes and seven eMMC ones. The command you provided gives:

# cat /sys/class/i2c-adapter/i2c-3/3-001d/coord
cat: can't open ' /sys/class/i2c-adapter/i2c-3/3-001d/coord': No such file or directory

Basically, it can't find the "coord" file or folder. Using ls on the "3-001d" folder gives this:

# ls /sys/class/i2c-adapter/i2c-3/3-001d/
bus name subsystem
modalias power uevent


Pulling the battery for two minutes and forty-six seconds didn't seem to help.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

I have 15 items in that folder. I'm sorry but it looks like your accelerometer is screwed. Just for the sake of completeness, what does cat of the other files in your folder say? E.g. name and modalias?

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

1. bus is a directory
2. name shows:

me
lis302dl

3. subsystem is a directory
4. modalias shows:

i2c:lis302dl

5. power is a directory
6. uevent shows:

PHYSDEVBUS=i2c
MODALIAS=i2c:lis302dl

That's 'bout it.
PS: If the accelerometer is screwed, any place I can have it fixed in New Delhi?

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

I assume that the me in your name output was a typo. Other than that, your output is almost the same as mine except that my uevent shows:

DRIVER=lis302dl
PHYSDEVBUS=i2c
MODALIAS=i2c:lis302dl

My first idea would be to reflash the rootfs. You say in the first post that you've reflashed the eMMC. Have you also reflashed the rootfs? If not then I'd give it a shot. Otherwise it really looks like a hardware issue.

I have no idea about service centres in New Delhi. Neither do I have any idea how difficult it is to replace the accelerometer. I would not be surprised if it required replacing the whole motherboard in which case buying a new used N900 (perhaps one for spares, with a broken screen but a working mobo) might be a cheaper option.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Yeah, that's a typo. My bad. However, when I try to edit the uevent file with nano (I use it instead of Leafpad), it couldn't save it! Any idea why? I'll try again after a(nother) rootfs reflash.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

No, you can't save it. It is not a real file. Sorry about the confusion.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_file
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procfs

To put it simply, the OS creates those special files and returns some status info when you try to read them. There is nothing to write to them (except in some cases, but let's not complicate things for now). So what you read is what the OS provides. If the OS does not provide the DRIVER line then the OS does not have a driver associated. Hence my advice to flash the root.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Thanks for the info! However, a rootfs flash didn't work. Rotatedaemon still aborts. Quite frustrating, really...

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Try Cold Flashing?..
Best wishes.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Thanks for the help, however, what is the image.bin file?

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

'image.bin' seems to be the COMBINED fiasco image mentioned earlier. Such files can be found at this url. Take care.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Thanks a lot! The cold reflash did it! Also, it solved my camera issue as well, which gave "Operation failed" on pulling open the lens cover. Now both the camera and the accelerometer work!

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

Now this is highly disturbing. Are you sure that all you did was cold-flash it? Are you sure that your previous attempts at reflashing it worked OK? (the flashing itself).

Cold flashing is supposed to only restore the boot loader when it goes belly up.

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

you sure??:eek: cold flashing did it??
Oth congo on your recovery:)

Re: Accelerometer not working
 

And indeed, it does only that. I suppose, like you, that his previous attempts at reflashing might have been unsuccessful.

/Estel