SIMPad stuck in calibration loop

My conclusion is that NEVER use the factory reset (3 buttons simultaneously) if the dead loop occurs or unless you can use 'restore' via ActiveSync with a backup from a good pad like I did. According to the user's guide, 'Esc' corresponds to the left-side click of the wobble plate, but it only works after you reach the desktop. It doesn't help to bypass the first dead calibration loop after a factory reset.

In Mullengers CE 4.2 there's some kind of license checking included in calibration screen - if device id coded into it doesn't match to hardware, you'll get calibration loop.

That info is new to me. However, I know CE 4.2 on my SIMpad is not from Mullengers. From my observation, once the calibration is registered, you can 'Escape'. This is why I can use 'restore' to copy registry settings from another pad to bypass the loop. It's interesting to know registry settings stay in persistent memory. Only a factory reset cleans the registry.

CAuser dear, ALL simpad ce.net 4.2 ROMs are FROM mullenger. so..... yes yours is mullenger 4.2 too.

but I guess in your case it is a hardware fault

Edited by cmonex 2010-01-03 8:20 PM

as long as Mullenger is in business, no posting of c*rck please.

Mine is doing the same thing after a stint under the couch with a dead battery. (out of sight ... out of mind). My guess is a stuck key or bad screen. I think it's time for some internal cleaning.

Nice game on your Pad.

It was a remote control program. It was getting pretty good but the battery died while I was on a vacation and I never revived it.

Edited by finfin 2010-10-28 1:31 AM

Hi! I have the same problem whit my SL4, i have not use it for a long time, but it worked the last time I used it, when I do the calibration it "clicks" sometime when i hold the stylus on the screen, and sometime it wont "click" but the the target is still moving to the next corner. Can it have something to do with some internal battery that has been draind.
Enok

Doesn't matter whether you hear a click or not - if the target moves, then it's recognized the stylus tap where the target moved from.

It's been a while since I had a SIMpad, but I'm wondering if it can connect via ActiveSync before the calibration screen exits, whereupon one might be able to enter coordinates manually in the registry (or perhaps disable the calibration screen process from the boot sequence if there's a setting for that - this would of course require a subsequent soft reset) using a remote registry editor like CERegEdit on the host PC. (I know at least one CE device that will connect via ActiveSync prior to executing explorer.exe - my CE 5 Augen eGo netbook will do it.) Has anyone else here with a SIMpad tried this?

Doesn't matter whether you hear a click or not - if the target moves, then it's recognized the stylus tap where the target moved from.

Not necessarily true... If the target moves, then it recognized some input from the digitizer, but that doesn't mean it recognized the tap from where the target moved from... If the digitizer is damaged, then it might input any combination of vertical/horizontal coordinates. And it will most likely continue to loop around, trying to recalibrate, as the screen parameters are outside the logical parameters of where they should be.

Most devices will accept an ESC to exit the calibration routine, leaving the digitizer uncalibrated.

The problem is SIMpad does not have a ESC key.

CAuser, since you still have a SIMpad, do you know the answer to my question above about a possible remote registry edit?

I'm too lazy to play with my pads. My simple solution is to use a backup from good pad to restore to bad one thru ActiveSync. I might be able to find my backup file if somebody wants it.

Edited by CAuser 2010-12-05 1:28 AM

Had the same problem with the Siemens SIMpad SL4 being stuck in an eternal calibration loop after restarting the machine on an empty battery.
Finally got around to bypassing the loop:
In the calibration screen, tap the centre cross hair. Then when asked to tap the four cross hairs in the corners, do not tap the actual positions of the cross hairs, but create a fictional rectangle around the centre position not wider than an inch or so.
This resulted in the software finally accepting the calibration, exiting that screen and proceeding to the normal desktop. Your calibrations are now completely wrong of course.