Hello,
How do you see the future of this display? Will there be support from Bambulab in future Firmware versions? For me it’s a nice extension.
https://bttwiki.com/PandaTouch.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000023.17.466b13df6tOk4C
Honza
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For me its also a very nice addition, I wouldn’t say its transformational at the moment but I do quite enjoy using the touch screen for simple things. I haven’t used the OEM controller since I’ve installed it so at minimum its a nice replacement for the OEM interface.
It’s a nice gadget and nothing more. Also, it has several issues.
The first one that bugs me the most, is that it will not accept most USB power supplies. It works fine on the internal USB power port of the P1S, but it refuses to work on my modern USB power adapters. This has probably something to do with the USB spec and voltage negotiation (and probably missing components to facilitate that on the Panda Touch).
The other things are all software related. Especially the Z adjustment that is currently reversed (unlike on the original display and in Bambu Studio). UP sends the heatbed down, and DOWN sends it up.
It looks like this broke my heatbed and toolhead gantry today after the heatbed crashed into the toolhead - since it wasn’t doing what it’s supposed to do according to the UI. I’ve had enough now. I’m gonna see what I can salvage/replace/repair and I’m done experimenting with those gadgets.
I find that strangely odd. When you say that it will not accept most USB power suppliers what do you mean by that? Does it not power on or does it complain that there isn’t sufficient power? Did you perform a simple USB 2.0 power test using a cable from a laptop or computer? I ask because if you’re using a power supply that is using PD then the device is not negotiating PD during startup and that would make me wonder about the soundness of their design.
USB-C power supplies expect to sense a 5.1k pulldown resistor(s) on the CC line(s) before it provides 5v on VBUS. This all happens before PD is negotiated between the supply and the device. It’s possible that the Panda touch doesn’t have these resistors as it is “normally” plugged in to a 5v supply from the printer or the more probable one is that the cable isn’t an actually USB-C compliant cable and only has the power and ground line in it.
@WilkPolarny Are you trying to use different cable? A USB-C to USB-C? You many need to stick to the provided USB-A to USB-C cable and use it with one of the many older USB-A outlet power supplies.
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To be more precise:
I initially hooked the device up to my Anker Powerport using the original USB-A → USB-C cable, and it wouldn’t power on on DC mode. At first I thought it was dead. I also tried two of my other Anker Power Ports (a different 10-port and an older 6-port power supply).
It would only power on when connected to the P1S USB Port.
I also tried hooking it up to a USB-A (3.1) Port on a PC, with the same results. It would register as a Keyboard/touchscreen though and have the windows on-screen keyboard popup. The display on the Panda would be dead, though. Not sure whether this is a good sign (A lot of Bad/Malware USB devices do this, but also a lot of bootloaders on similar devices).
I also tried using a different USB-A to USB-C cable (One from Anker and one from Apple).
I even tried to flip the USB-C plug, because some circuit designs + ports require that for some reason (at least some of the cheap ali breakout boards that I use for other projects). Still, the device wouldn’t boot up.
edit:
I just tried an older 1W Apple phone charger and an old Samsung 1W wall wart - it works with both of them - no matter which cable I use.
I’m glad I asked and I’m glad you answered because this is precisely what I was looking for.
You likely are using an incorrect cable. The one’s delivered with the Anker device may not support full PD and as such are reporting incorrect power capabilities to the power supply. I have a number of Anker products and they are hit or miss and you can’t always tell from the fine print.
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If your device is complaining about power, the usual suspect lies in USB-C, Power Delivery, and the myriad of ‘valid’ ways to build a USB-C cable. Also, if the PS doesn’t support PD, that will also cause issues.
USB-A 2.0 does not have these issues, as it only consists of 4 wires, with two of them carrying DC positive and negative signals. In contrast, USB-C with PD incorporates a chip in the cable that negotiates between the power supply and the device being powered. This chip not only informs the cable about the direction in which current should flow but also communicates to the supply the capabilities of the device being charged.
The right tool for the right job.
I keep on hand a USB test kit in my laptop bag and another two lying around my work shop. These tools will take the guesswork out of diagnosing where USB-C power problems may lie. It also allows me to know if I am using a power source that can charge my phone in 30 minutes or 6 hours. This is also solves the problem in hotel rooms where there may be multiple USB ports but not all capable of delivering the same power.
Here’s a cable that at a minimum everyone should have in their bag. I found this cable particularly helpful that has USB-C cable with full PD support. This handy little cable will ensure that all data lines and Power Delivery Protocol are delivered between the USB-C power source and the target. Note that this one only supports up to 100W, whereas PD can support up to 240W. So, if you’re charging a laptop that requires more power, you need to get the beefier version. The PD indicator will turn on, letting you know that Power Delivery is being supported by both the supply and the device, and it also has a nice display letting you know how much power is being drawn. Note: The USB-A standard is 5 Watts.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWHWH8M/
If you want to go deeper, this USB-A and USB-C power meter below is must-have for anyone who powers things with USB and wants to know exactly what is going on. These meters are about the price of a cable.
Note: There are dozens of these out there that are clones, buy on price. If they look like this in the photo, they are the same. Sometimes the plastic is yellow, purple or black, just note that they should support the latest USB protocol available. Don’t overspend, I purchased two more of these last year, one for $14 and one for $82 and they essentially did the same thing albeit the $82 one had some more bells and whistles. Bluetooth support is also available to monitor using a phone app.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FL5Y821/
Optional but nice to have
Summary
USB Cable checker, this will tell you what signals are connected in the cable. It supports all known USB/Lightning/Firewire cables. Here’s a link to a printable protective base for it. I found this incredibly helpful in spotting fake or defective Amazon cables. You’d be amazed at how may of the so-called USB-C cables do not have the PD chip in them or don’t have all the data signals connected. You think you’re getting a good deal until you actually test it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW8ZC7YD/
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If I get the second device, then is the special cable redundant? Or is the purpose to have a “known good” cable for testing?
This one will test up to 240w, so you can be sure you’re getting the best that’s currently possible:
https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Extension-Monitoring-Connections-Multimeter/dp/B0CD8X5235/ref=sr_1_17?crid=FBUQ09X6AFDX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vfaXXzQc4Ve9Cv1uBkCBMjOGkJH9Iknyluek947eUs1SH5_fz6OAF-maUGqdYVdz68rLEiBJgqq6GDzAEYnHKQ8sTXR5CYTi4yJMSq3Ykgi_liUu6W6kj8-NelN0DEJT_NcId9ha7TUTNsHLEOZsDXMIRqS2Ng-tD3W0WUC5B4za3NxVEspC6Ys3tMP0bU1Fi5qGYFgbuNdSlirxMwTZ5a6VgJqfv4f2bLAib2amzLIFAWsYCRX2jlgHW3tNlGL87PIw1VvlFJwvuR-O-mfLxEol56-I0hdO-aAW31bG6dw.VIDdCgyyyimXBR8sl2m0aDPOC1gxakoj83Hn3lrCuUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=usb+cable+tester&qid=1708364870&s=industrial&sprefix=usb+cable+test%2Cindustrial%2C356&sr=1-17
Seems like there should exist some kind of specialized cable tester. There is this one, but it presumes background knowledge:
https://www.amazon.com/Treedix-Cable-Checker-Charging-Type-C/dp/B0BW8ZC7YD/ref=sr_1_4?crid=FBUQ09X6AFDX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vfaXXzQc4Ve9Cv1uBkCBMjOGkJH9Iknyluek947eUs1SH5_fz6OAF-maUGqdYVdz68rLEiBJgqq6GDzAEYnHKQ8sTXR5CYTi4yJMSq3Ykgi_liUu6W6kj8-NelN0DEJT_NcId9ha7TUTNsHLEOZsDXMIRqS2Ng-tD3W0WUC5B4za3NxVEspC6Ys3tMP0bU1Fi5qGYFgbuNdSlirxMwTZ5a6VgJqfv4f2bLAib2amzLIFAWsYCRX2jlgHW3tNlGL87PIw1VvlFJwvuR-O-mfLxEol56-I0hdO-aAW31bG6dw.VIDdCgyyyimXBR8sl2m0aDPOC1gxakoj83Hn3lrCuUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=usb%2Bcable%2Btester&qid=1708365351&s=industrial&sprefix=usb%2Bcable%2Btest%2Cindustrial%2C356&sr=1-4&th=1
Seems like there should be something even simpler that might boil all the information down to the critical distinctions for the average consumer. Like maybe this one, which appears to consider both PD and QC?
https://www.amazon.com/FNIRSI-Multimeter-Bluetooth-Detection-Measurement/dp/B0BJ253W31/ref=sw_ttl_d_attach_percolate_post_atc_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0BJ253W31&pd_rd_w=E7T4G&content-id=amzn1.sym.f2b77444-53bc-4782-bbab-9153f9d5fe67&pf_rd_p=f2b77444-53bc-4782-bbab-9153f9d5fe67&pf_rd_r=M2N3H6TDRZHCZT735MW0&pd_rd_wg=z38gG&pd_rd_r=aec7656e-55ec-4760-92dc-fb69bb40d107
Edit: sorry for these absurdly long amazon links. There used to be a way to get a shorter link, but I don’t see it on their webpage anymore.
If you can afford a P1 and get value from the features it offers, this is cheap enough that it doesn’t matter if it stops working next year. If it does, someone will eventually find a way to re-purpose it for something else (for example BTT make a klipperpad which you could probabyl turn this thing into with the right download) or make it work again.
The special cable is redundant in that you wouldn’t necessarily use both at the same time. But I found it to be so useful and a really good double check of the meter that I simply bought three of them. The meter is a bit of an overkill unless you understand power then it’s indispensable. In my case, my original purpose was to plot power draw and charging parameters which I brought into a spreadsheet for analysis. I have two of these meters as well as a USB logging multimeter if I really want to get granular. It’s kind of a poor man’s storage oscilloscope.
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Mine actually died after a few days. Screen won’t turn on or respond to USB power from my p1s. It works on battery power only. I’d skip this one boys and girls.
One defective, that you could get replaced, doesn’t indicate the whole inventory is.
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Thanks for the revolutionary insight. The point is, if initial products are failing within days, you can derive quality control issues and might want to choose other options. With so few being in the market already, I’m curious where your manufacturing confidence comes from?
Well, on this in particular you’re one of two that I’ve heard have issues, while I’ve read far more that haven’t.
Again, one guy says his failed then it must mean the production run is riddled with defects? Name an electronic product brought to market that didn’t have defectives in the intial run. Again, you didn’t have a positive experience vs more that have. This does not indicate a problem that should prevent anyone from purchasing.
(confidence comes from 35 years in retail working with first party vendors & thier products, and now testing product returns from a multitude of brand name electronics in the home/car audio space for the past 6 years.)
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By that logic, you literally couldn’t buy anything on the planet
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You need a 5V 1A Charger. The USB port from the P1S delivers (5V) 1.5A Max.
Thanks for sharing your tips. I know you were given a really hard time in regards to one of the threads you started, but I’m glad you’re still here sharing what you know and other cool things you’ve uncovered. It takes a lot of time to post this kind of info, and people like me do appreciate it. 
PSA: BigTreeTech posted this to their Youtube community tab today.
Dear valued users of Panda Touch,
We have some updates on the Panda Touch we would like to share with you all. Please read the announcement carefully~
**𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝: We have taken some time to investigate the reports of users having power issues with the Panda Touch and we have identified the root cause and have a solution. Anyone affected by the power issue will have a new USB-C board sent to them, but we kindly ask that you reach out to our support team at 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝟎𝟎𝟏@𝐛𝐢𝐪𝐮𝟑𝐝.𝐜𝐨𝐦 with a brief video of what your unit is doing so that we can log it as a ticket and make sure that we follow through on it.
**𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦: We have been hard at work on the new firmware release. It may still take a few weeks to get it fully tested and ready for production use, but we would like to run a beta program for interested testers to help us weed out issues before the production release. If you are interested in participating in the beta, sign up for a GitHub account. Please comment on this post with your GitHub username and we will add you to the beta repo.
Remember that if you would like to request a feature or report a bug, the GitHub repo is the right place to do it. You can find the repo here: 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐛.𝐜𝐨𝐦/𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡/𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡
We are committed to providing you with timely support and solutions and will continue our efforts to deliver the best quality products and service. If you have any further questions about product usage or encounter other issues, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Sincerely,
BIGTREETECH Team
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regarding the BB Touch power issue (USB system is giving them too much voltage causing them to shut down; fix is to accept and dispose of the excess voltage). Rules of engineering #105 “be liberal with what you receive, and strict with what you send”