Failure Loop - No NTP and blank screen.

Question

Boots, errors, blank screen, useless.

Log below, any ideas?

Boot sequence arrived in setup()
******** Client Version: "CLIENT_VERSION" ********
******** Device Type: "Espaper42Bw" ********
******** Screen Type: "" ********
Display Settings. CS: 15, RST: 2, DC: 5, BUSY: 4
Current free heap: 45768
Checking FS
WIFI_SSID = [XXX]
WIFI_PASS = [XXX]
UPDATE_INTERVAL_MINS = [20]
TIMEZONE = [Europe/London GMT0BST,M3.5.0/1,M10.5.0]
NTP_SERVERS = [uk.pool.ntp.org]
DEVICE_ID = []
DEVICE_SECRET = []
Loaded config
TOTAL_DEVICE_STARTS = [29]
SUCCESSFUL_DEVICE_STARTS = [0]
LAST_NTP_SYNC_TIME = [0]
STARTS_WITHOUT_NTP_SYNC = [26]
LAST_CYCLE_DURATION = [14950]
ACTION_AFTER_REBOOT = [0]
Loaded data file
Saved values in data file.
Button state: 1


***Time before connecting to WiFi 492
Reconnecting
WiFi connect..............................10.0.1.10
NTP sync.....Re-initializing NTP
....Re-initializing NTP
....Re-initializing NTP
....Re-initializing NTP

Failed to sync time through NTP. Giving up after 5103ms.
Setting pin modes
Starting SPI transaction
Beginning SPI
Drawing /screen
File /screen not foundWaiting until idle: 
Saved values in data file.
Free mem: 42720.
Waiting until idle: 
Start millis: 0, start time: 0, current millis: 15019 -> now: 15
Going to sleep for: 45[s]

Comments

Also worth noting - no internet connectivity problems. Have fully flashed (erase all) and done config via mobile/hotspot. Can ping the IP from LAN (while it's live). Never seen the screen come up to pair to ESPaper account (have other devices, which work fine - mostly).

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Same problem on 2.9" e-paper plus. Failure to get any response from NTP. I had updated the program in January 2020 and have been using it without problems since. Just STOPPED getting the time a couple days ago. The weather data still works GREAT.  I thought it was my WiFi problem but after reading the printout I noticed NTP problem. I have tried several other programs and NTP seems to be working correctly.

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IIRC ESP8266 Arduino Core recently introduced changes to their NTP component(s). Hence, if you use our ESPaper Client and compile it manually against a newer version this might fail. Just from my memory...haven't done any real analysis, though.

Answer 1

I only had problem with no synced time, the display and weather has worked properly for me so this may only be a partial fix forthe stated problem.

I just rebuilt the weather station based on a new version of Arduino 1.8.13 and updated all the libraries and still NO JOY. I then started looking into code and search for "// Wait max. 3 seconds to make sure the time has been sync'ed " and at the end of this function the delay(300) was present. In response to the code comment above to wait for 3 seconds I changed the delay from 300 (0.3 seconds) to 10000 (10 seconds). If 3 secs is good, 10 should be better!  The time is now WORKING after one or two tries. Can tell by "." printed after a failure, and NO "\nFailed to sync time through NTP. Giving up after %dms.\n"  printed after sync Failure. The time on the e-paper display is now correct. The weather portion has always been working properly.