question

wedgehog avatar image
wedgehog asked

Can I use a 7" Rasberry Pie touch screen with the cerbo GX?

Hi I was just wondering if I can connect a touch screen for the Rasberry Pie to a genuine Victron Cerbo GX and will it work ok or can it be done with some set up?

cerbo gx
1 comment
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

wmsmitty avatar image wmsmitty commented ·

I was able to get the screen linked below to work with no issues. I did have to run the calibration and dimming setup. I was hoping RpiDipsplaySetup would work so I wouldn't have to worry about updates but apparently it's not compatible with a Cerbo S-GX. Otherwise it's a good option. Anyone know of a way to keep the settings from getting wiped after an update?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KXXKPW9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



0 Likes 0 ·
4 Answers
Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

The "official Raspberry PI 7" touchscreen" can not be connected to Cerbo.

SOME HDMI displays have been successfully connected to Cerbo.


26 comments
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

wedgehog avatar image wedgehog commented ·
Hi Kevin, It's not the Official one I have ordered, I wonder if anything has to be set in the Cerbo or the display for it to work?



0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem wedgehog commented ·
If the display plugs into the DSI port on the PI it will not work with Cerbo.

As I said, SOME HDMI touchscreens work. SOME DO NOT. There are no settings in Cerbo.

1 Like 1 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog Kevin Windrem commented ·
Are you the same Mr Windrem who did the Gui mods? If so may I thank you for all your wonderful work.
1 Like 1 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem wedgehog commented ·
Yes, the same. And thanks for the kind words.
2 Likes 2 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog Kevin Windrem commented ·
You are welcome, it's people like you who make the Internet and these forums a wonderful place, also what you have done with the Venus software put Victron to shame and might shake them up a bit into making their software a little more user-friendly shall we say.

Obviously, I don't want to get into a discussion about your mods, as this is not the place for it, but I would be stupid having accidentally found you not to ask you a question that I have spent some time trying to solve with no luck, so I will risk it :-). In Package manager when trying to install VeCanSetup, it says it has to be done from the command line, How can I do this in a real Cerbo? Is there some instructions somewhere please?
I apologise if I have overstepped the mark, I am 72 and new to this stuff, Would I use putty? Bob


0 Likes 0 ·
Show more comments
Show more comments
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog commented ·

Anyway, back to the display. The one I purchased was the Electrow 7" HDMI , when I connect it to the Cerbo it looked promising, I got a Blue Victron splash screen saying it was starting and then it displayed the Cerbo display. problem is though the size is only about a third the size of the screen and the touch doesn't work correctly because of that.
I don't know if there is anything I can do now? there are no settings to change the picture size anywhere, on the displays menu I can only change the aspect ratio, any ideas anyone please?


0 Likes 0 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog wedgehog commented ·
So for the moment I have given up with the Cerbo and this screen and I have set up a Rasberry Pie 4 to be a Cerbo the screen looks good but of course there is a problem.


When I touch anything I get something else, looking closely I can see a very very tiny mouse pointer and it is always tracking about an inch from my finger tip and I cannot move it below a third of the screen. Is this a problem with the screen or is it a problem with the Venus software for the Pie? Is there anything I can do to correct it please?


0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem wedgehog commented ·
You need to calibrate the touch part of the display. My RpiDisplaySetup package will help with that. Please look over the ReadMe and go through the setup process as there are prompts at each step. You need command line access for this!
1 Like 1 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog Kevin Windrem commented ·
Hi Kevin, Thank you. I see it in the inactive packages, but it says on it that it is incompatible with Einstien ? Isn't Einstien the genuine Cerbo-GX?
0 Likes 0 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog Kevin Windrem commented ·
Hi Kevin, Superb mate, I have installed it on the Rasberry Pie 4 and the touch screen and display work perfectly now. As I said in the previous message, am I right in saying I must not run this on a real Cerbo? If so are you going to do one for the Cerbo?

Also there was a Victron Firmware update 3.2 and now Gui mods won't work saying there isn't a version for 3.2. Thank you Kevin .Bob


0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem wedgehog commented ·
RpiDisplaySetup is for Raspberry PI only and makes no sense for Cerbo.


A few people have tried HDMI displays on Cerbo with random success. It seems to depend on the display. Efforts to make a display that does not work function have not been successful, so there really is nothing I can do to automate a generic HDMI setup script for Cerbo. Sorry.

Your options are to use the GX touch with Cerbo or to use other displays with a Raspberry PI running Venus OS.

0 Likes 0 ·
Show more comments
Henry Pearson avatar image
Henry Pearson answered ·

I use a 11" hdmi screen (shared with computer onboard) and a mouse very successfully on my cerbo. It doesn't like gui 2.0 as the cursor doesn't show but that is in beta so hoping they fix that before full release.

2 comments
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

wedgehog avatar image wedgehog commented ·
Hi Henry, is that screen connected directly to the Cerbo or to your PC or laptop though. Bob
0 Likes 0 ·
Henry Pearson avatar image Henry Pearson wedgehog commented ·
Directly to the cerbo with hdmi. Mouse connected via usb
1 Like 1 ·
wedgehog avatar image
wedgehog answered ·

I have purchased another screen and this one works perfectly with the Cerbo-GX straight out of the box, it's this one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BHJ26B32?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I'm sure there may be others, would be nice if there was a sort of central repository where everyone could list screens they have bought that work with no modifications. Anyway this one works perfectly

3 comments
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

wilbur60 avatar image wilbur60 commented ·
Where does the touch micro usb connect to the Cerbo?
0 Likes 0 ·
wedgehog avatar image wedgehog wilbur60 commented ·
Hi Wilbur, there are no usb micro's on the Cerbo, only on the 7 and 5 inch monitors, I have a micro usb from the touch micro socket on the monitor to one of the two USB A sockets on the Cerbo. Don't get caught out by the fact that the third USB A socket on the Cerbo, the one nearest the centre, is for power only. Bob
0 Likes 0 ·
Ben Isikoff avatar image Ben Isikoff commented ·

awesome thanks!


i found this same one on the US amazon for anyone looking
7" 800x480

but im a stickler for resolution and i found the same exact screen for only $5 more but in 1240x600 which is the same native resolution as the victron touch 7"

7" 1240x600

i wonder this would work the same?


0 Likes 0 ·
rachaelza avatar image
rachaelza answered ·

The WaveShare 7" touch screens work out the box on the cerbo gx.


2 comments
2 |3000

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Ben Isikoff avatar image Ben Isikoff commented ·
does the dimming/screen off work automatically?
0 Likes 0 ·
matthew-hodder avatar image matthew-hodder Ben Isikoff commented ·

dimming won't work, but the screensaver (switching off after a set period) will with a few changes to a couple of config files, only downside is those files need to be changed each time you do a firmware update, but no big deal.


Look at Kevin King's answer here for the code changes:

https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/93218/generic-touchscreen-on-cerbo.html?childToView=268848#answer-268848


0 Likes 0 ·