Sparkfun Pro Micro won't connect with I2C SH1106 OLED Display

Using Arduino Displays
#1

Hello :slight_smile:

I have a wierd problem and I don’t know if my Pro Micro board has killed itself or if i forgot something…

I’ve been working on an Arduino Uno before and never had an issue with the oled display, so its def. working.

I connected the Pro Micro as follows:

Pro Micro:------------------SH1106
GND ------------------------GND
VCC ------------------------ VCC
2 --------------------------- SDA
3 --------------------------- SCL

according to this Pinout: https://www.iot-experiments.com/content/images/2018/12/pro-micro-pinout.jpg

Then I uploadthe sketch (Board: Sparkfun Pro Micro; ATmega324U(3,3V, 8MHz)).
Do I need to change the Programmer? I have the “AVRISP mkll” selected.

the code is a sample from my project :

#include <SPI.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_SH1106.h>

// Declaration for an SH1106 Display
#define OLED_RESET 4 // Reset pin # (or -1 if sharing Arduino reset pin)
#define SCREEN_ADDRESS 0x3D ///< See datasheet for Address; 0x3D for 128x64, 0x3C for 128x32
Adafruit_SH1106 display(OLED_RESET);

void setup() {
//-------------------------DISPLAY SETUP--------------------------
display.begin(SH1106_SWITCHCAPVCC, SCREEN_ADDRESS);
}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
display.clearDisplay();
display.setTextSize(1);
display.setTextColor(WHITE);
display.setCursor(0, 0);
display.print(“Wurfergebnis:”);
display.drawLine(0, 11, 127, 11, WHITE);
display.display();
}

END

The sketch worked fine with my Arduino Uno :frowning:

I am at a loss where to search for possible faults…

#2

Post a link to the SH1106 display that you have bought. e.g. Ebay sale page.

Most will be configured for 0x3C

David.

#3

This is the SH1106 OLED DIsplay Amazon Link .
I bought it on Amazon.

Any you're right, I changed the Adress back to 0x3C, but that didn't solve the problem.

The Display dosen't light up, it looks like the ProMicro can't comunicate with the OLED Display and i wonder why...

Cheers
Eustass

#4

Are you sure it’s a SSH1106? Could be a SSD1306!

#5

Usually when you buy these devices it's just a matter of connecting it up to your arduino and flashing it with the ada fruit ssd1306 lib 128x84 i2c. But as stated in the instructions it's not an ssd1306 chip its a SH1106 chip.

You need the U8G2 library and you need to un-comment the following line.

U8G2_SH1106_128X64_NONAME_F_HW_I2C u8g2(U8G2_R0, /* reset=*/ U8X8_PIN_NONE);

Although I have this working and the display looks decent, it's taking be a good 4 hours and wasted my night...

#6

missdrew:
Are you sure it's a SSH1106? Could be a SSD1306!

I trief what you suggested, it works with my Arduino Uno Board, but again, the pro Micro is not doing anything.
I'm pretty sure its an SH1106 Display, since it worked perfectly fine until I swaped boards.
That is what i don't understand.
Sketch and Display and wires are working perfectly, I'm starting to think the pro micro is broken :confused:

#7

The photos in your link look like a 1.3 inch SH1106. I have exactly the same pcb as in the second photo. The photos show Slave address = 0x3C

It should work with the examples from https://github.com/wonho-maker/Adafruit_SH1106
I have the SH1106 128x64 example running on a Leonardo.

Note that this was not written by Adafruit. It was adapted from obsolete Adafruit_SSD1306 library version.

But you can also use SH1106 constructor with U8g2lib

David.

#8

Hi.

The Pro Micro is available in 2 versions.
A 16 MHz 5 volt version, and a 8 MHZ 3.3 volt version.
Usually there is some indicator on the bottom of it, telling what version you've got:

600×600 59.1 KB

If you have the 3 volt version, then you aren't communicating with 5 volts and that may be your problem.
A HIGH with a 3v3 system is anywhere between 1.7 and 3.3 volts, with a 5 volt system you'd need at least over 2.6 volts to reach a HIGH.
So you may need to boost the voltage if you have a 3v3 version.

The difference between these 2 Pro Micro versions isn't just the voltage.
The clock speed is more important.
A 16 MHz system is not stable if it is powered with less than 5 volts.
8 MHz allows a 3v3 supply and yet be stable.

It's easy to do, so check which one you have.

#9

I used a 16MHz Leonardo. It works fine.

The OLED will work fine at 3.3V. After all it is a 3.3V device.

In theory you should short out the AMS1117-3.3 / 662K voltage regulator if you are supplying VCC=3.3V
In practice the AMS1117-3.3 drops an insignificant voltage even when you supply 3.3V. OLED modules will work ok. That is why they are called Low Drop Out regulators.

Yes, the ATmega32U4 is not specced for 16MHz @ 3.3V. But it will work fine for hobbyist use.
The Pro Micro is not sold with 16MHz and 3.3V. The OLED will work fine at 8MHz @ 3.3V

There are only 4 wires to connect the SH1106 module to the Pro Micro.
Until we see a photo we can only assume that you have not connected correctly.

David.

#10

This is how i connected the OLED to the Pro Micro. I also tried a script to show me, if any device is connected to the I2C, but I did not get any result.
Thats why I’m pretty sure, my board is just broken down :confused:

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1067×800 165 KB

Thanks for everyones help!
I really appreciate all the efforts made <3

#11

It looks as if you have the 8MHz 3.3V Pro Micro.

So you will have 3.3V on the VCC pin.
And your logic levels are 3.3V

My Leonardo is 16MHz 5V. So I ran the same example sketch on a 3.3V board with VCC=3.3V

And it is working just fine. I have not bypassed the 662K voltage regulator. This shows that the LDO regulator will still provide power even when supplied with 3.3V

Your wiring looks ok.
I suggest that you measure the voltage on the VCC pin.
And test each Dupont wire for continuity.
Check your Pro Micro header strip soldering.
Are the header strip pins engaged with the breadboard?

Remove from breadboard and plug Duponts onto the header pins.

David.

#12

Are the pins soldered to the pro micro?

#13

Those pins are on the wrong side (upside down) of the Pro Micro.
Usually the pins are longer on one side, and they'd be soldered at the shorter side so the longer side protrudes more.
If those pins are soldered with the longer side up, don't bother with the breadboard because the pins will not make good contact (if any at all) with the breadboard.
If the pins are longer at the lower side, they may not make good contact too because too much of the pins can be lost this way.
In case the longer side is up, use female-female connectors and connect them to the longer pins, so on the top side of the Pro Micro.
These answers show the importance of good quality and focused photos.

I had some trouble with my OLED displays too (SSD 1306), amongst others with a I2C scanner not finding the display.
My displays have a serial input and a serial output pin, which need to be tied together in case you need to use bidirectional I2C communication, and the supplier didn't bother to do that.
So i had to connect those pins for the scanner to find the board.
The scanner sends some sort of "ping" to an address, and waits for a reply.
If the answer times out, the scanner will try the next address.
If an answer is received, the scanner prints the address and quits.
I changed that scanner so it would not quit, but simply try every address possibly revealing multiple devices.

I just looked up the SH1106 datasheet.
It states on page 4:

When the I2C interface is selected, then D0 serves as the serial clock input pad (SCL) and D1 serves as the serial data input pad (SDAI). At this time, D2 to D7 are set to high impedance.

This means a SH1106 isn't capable of bidirectional I2C traffic and cannot reply to the aforementioned "ping".
So you cannot use such tools to find the address of a SH1106.

#14

Yes, some of the first I2C SSD1306 modules came as non-ACK. But that was 5 years ago.
I would expect current SSD1306 modules to behave correctly.

I have never heard of a non-ACK SH1106 module. It is possible.
SH1106 uses the same interface as SSD1306 i.e. D2 connected to D1 for bidirectional SDA.

As stated in #6. I have exactly the same pcb as the OP's link in #2
It obeys the I2C protocol i.e. it ACKs properly.
It is running perfectly with the "Adafruit_SH1106" example.
It runs fine with VCC=3.3V or with VCC=5V
It runs fine with other SH1106 libraries too.

I suspect that the header strip is incorrectly mounted.
The short pins should be soldered with the plastic on the non-component side for breadboard use.
This leaves the long pins to plug into the breadboard. (Or use Dupont cables without breadboard)

David.

#15

I suspect the OP has just stuck the pins through the holes and not soldered them. If tis is the case, the setup will not work (probably)!

#16

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