What is accelerometer calibration on the phone. How to enable gyroscope on android. How to calibrate the sensor on Android: basic methods

It often happens that some sensors on an Android device stop working at all, or do it incorrectly. For example, at the time of a call and the device approaches the ear, the screen does not turn off, when auto brightness control is turned on in the sun or indoors, the display will remain the same brightness, and there are a lot of such examples. Each such action is responsible for its own sensor (sensor), which is located in a certain part of the device. Today we will try to tell you how to calibrate touch sensors in order to avoid various problems associated with their operation.

How to check the operation of the light / proximity sensor

Before starting the calibration procedure, you should look into the engineering menu of your device. Unfortunately, not all models of smartphones / tablets have this section. That is why it is worth using a useful program called -. With its help, we will carry out all operations.

How to calibrate (reset) the light / proximity sensor

To do this, you should use the useful program "". You can download it from our website.

How to Calibrate the Accelerometer

This sensor is one of the most useful, because it determines the orientation of the device in space, and many games use this sensor to control, for example, to control a car on the track. If for some reason it does not work correctly, you should follow these steps. To perform this action, you will need a program.

How to calibrate the compass

The compass is a useful tool for hikers and hunters who don't want to get lost in the woods and can easily navigate with it. But what if the compass does not work or shows the wrong direction? The way out is easy! It is enough to do the calibration using the program.

To check all sensors for operability, you should download and install the program. Go to the main menu by clicking on the upper left corner and select "Diagnostics of sensors". On the contrary, each of the sensors will have either a green checkmark, indicating that it is working, or a red exclamation mark, symbolizing a possible malfunction of a particular sensor.

A gyroscope is a small square-shaped part in touchscreen phones and tablets that senses the device's deviations in space. It is closely connected to the boards, to access it you need to disassemble the device.

For better functionality, a combination of a gyroscope and an accelerometer is used, since the first is sensitive to changes in the position of the device, the second to linear accelerations. Thanks to this, the tablet or phone can respond to subtle movements and changes in speed, which makes it possible in games to make more precise control that is sensitive to turns.

The gyroscope is a sensor that always reads information, so it cannot be disabled, but auto-rotate can be turned off.

How to enable gyroscope on android devices:

lower the "curtain" down;
scroll the horizontal menu to the "auto-rotate" item;
click on it.
This works on android 4.* and above devices.

On earlier models:

go to general settings;
"screen";
check the box next to the corresponding item or click the button.

How to check the gyroscope in a smartphone if the screen turns over for no reason - install the Sensor Box for Android application. Next you need:

open it;
go to the Accelerometer sensor item, in which there will be a ball;

if its movements are synchronous with the device, then everything is in order.

Otherwise, the gyroscope sensor needs to be adjusted. The GPS Status application will help with this, there is a free version in the Play Market. For calibration you need:

put the smartphone on a flat surface (mandatory condition);
go to the application and open the menu by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner (if they are not there, tap on the screen);

select the "calibration" item from the list;

in the dialog box, click "calibrate".

After that, the screen should work normally.

Sometimes the calibration of the touchscreen or G-sensor sensor “flies” in the tablet. The device begins to incorrectly determine the position of pressing on the screen or orientation in space. Depending on what type of display is used in your device, you can judge whether the situation can be somehow corrected. Finding out which display is in your device is very easy - just read the instructions for it, or look at the manufacturer's website.

Resistive display sensors

Resistive touch screens were the first to appear, and were previously the most widely used. They are still used in some phones and tablets, as well as in the vast majority of car navigators. Now a little theory so that you have an idea what kind of resistive displays they are. Try not to fall asleep while reading.

The device of such a screen is very simple - two plates, solid glass or plastic and flexible plastic, covered with a conductive layer and separated by point microinsulators. When you press on a flexible plastic plate, it bends, and at a certain point on the screen, a short circuit occurs between the plates. The sensor controller measures the resistance of the plates up to this point and determines the coordinates of the pressure. This type of sensor has several drawbacks: low light transmission, fragility, the sensor responds to pressing, not to touch (therefore, you can control it with an ordinary stylus or any other fairly solid object, such as a match), the inability to determine several simultaneous clicks, and also due to due to the peculiarities of production, the parameters of the plates for each sensor may vary slightly, which causes inaccuracies in control.

To adjust the controller of such a sensor, calibration is required. Usually this function is located in the display settings, called sensor calibration or touch screen settings (it may be called differently, but the meaning is the same). Because I have a capacitive screen, I don't have those settings and can't take a screenshot.
After starting the calibration, the setup program will ask you to press several times at certain points on the screen and remember the settings. After that, the sensor readings will be corrected according to these settings, which will ensure an accurate determination of the place of pressing.

Capacitive sensors

There are two main types of such sensors: surface capacitive and projected capacitive. The first ones are quite simple: an alternating voltage is applied to the corners of the sensor conductive plate, and the leakage currents caused by the introduction of an extraneous capacitance (for example, from a finger) are checked. According to the ratio of currents for each corner, you can set the touch point. These sensors do not respond to a regular stylus or a gloved hand. Such sensors are quite rare, do not support multiple simultaneous touches, and also require calibration. Calibration is carried out as for a resistive sensor.

Projection-capacitive sensors, the most common today, have a complex multilayer structure, consisting of a matrix of individual sensors combined into a rectangular structure. You can control multiple simultaneous touches (multi-touch). Such a sensor is sometimes performed directly on the screen glass, which reduces distortion (there is no air gap between the screen and the sensor). The controller is most often structurally integrated with the sensor itself, the parameters of which are known to it and do not require calibration. In many tablet models and rarely in phones, the controller is located on the main board of the device. Most often there are no problems with phones, but in tablets it happens that the same main board is used for screens of different diagonals, and the sensor parameters may vary.

Usually no configuration is required, but sometimes after firmware or software failures, the controller may need to be calibrated. This can be done through the engineering menu (you need to figure out how to get there specifically for your model) or using special programs, such as TouchScreen Tune (available on the Google Play Market). Sometimes the capacitive sensor may not work properly when charging due to the interference of a non-original charger. Nothing needs to be calibrated here - the charger flies into the garbage chute.

Accelerometer calibration (G-sensor)

This sensor, also called a gyro sensor or accelerometer, is used to determine the position of the device in space. G-sensor calculates the speeds and rotation angles of the device. The simplest use case is Android's "auto-rotate" feature and controlling games by tilting or turning your phone (tablet). Air mouse remotes also use this sensor. Calibration of the accelerometer is usually not required, many games and programs have the ability to adjust. Another thing is if, after the “curve” firmware, the accelerometer does not work at all or it is difficult to set it up normally. Here the engineering menu will help you, there you can test and calibrate the G-sensor, or install a normal firmware.

To enter the engineering menu, hold down the volume down button and the power button at the same time, and wait until the menu appears.
Using the volume up / down buttons, navigate through the menu and select the item test report, and in it - G-Sensor cali.
Place the tablet on a flat surface and press Do Calibration (20%) until the numbers at the very top take the following form − +0.xxxx +0.xxxx +9.xxxx
Calibration is completed, press the volume up 2 times, and then - Reboot.

A short video on calibrating the G sensor (accelerometer) using a Chinese tablet as an example

Outcome

In general, first find the reason why your display is behaving inappropriately. Do not rush to calibrate, first understand everything. You may be sharing your lunch with your tablet, leaving greasy marks or jam marks on the screen. Get rid of them carefully. It happens that a person accidentally touches the display with the finger of the hand that holds the tablet, and the sensor works. Just hold it differently.

Following the example of Pontius Pilate, I wash my fingers with which I typed this article and declare that all responsibility in the event of data loss or software failure lies entirely on your conscience.

To some people, “calibration” seems like a very scary and incomprehensible word. They don't even know that professional photographers always calibrate a new monitor. As well as sometimes you need to calibrate the screen of a smartphone. But not in the same sense - no one will let you fine-tune the color scheme in detail. In this case, the sensor is being calibrated. It allows you to ensure that the device will perfectly recognize different types of clicks. In a word, today we will talk about how to calibrate the sensor on Android.

Maybe we scared you a little. If you had time to think that calibration is required for absolutely any smartphone and tablet, then this is not so. Modern technologies have allowed the creators of such devices to achieve the ideal behavior of the touchscreen and accelerometer. In this regard, calibration is often not needed on new devices - they already function perfectly.

But on older gadgets, the Android operating system may behave incorrectly. Especially if the device incorporates a resistive screen. Fortunately, even in the old days, there were not many smartphones with this type of touch screen. And now even ultra-budget devices get a capacitive screen, which does not require special settings.

It should be noted that some devices require sensitivity adjustment. If you calibrate the screen on Android, you can achieve a decrease or increase in sensitivity. So you can adjust the behavior of the device to your expectations. This is especially true when buying a new device, when you can't get used to its behavior.

Note: both a smartphone and a tablet can be calibrated. The type of device is absolutely not important, you only need the Android operating system.

Returning to new devices, they may also need calibration, but only in the following cases:

The gadget was repaired after falling into the water;
The screen was replaced with the device;
The smartphone was seriously hit when it fell, although it did not receive visible damage.

Why can't color calibrate?

Even in the introduction, we talked about professional photographers who calibrate the monitor to display colors as close to reality as possible. Why can't this be done on a smartphone or tablet?

Everything is very simple. To calibrate monitors, special devices are used that are not designed to be used in tandem with a portable gadget. Also, smartphones and tablets do not support color calibration at the hardware level - you will not find the corresponding settings either in the Recovery menu or anywhere else. Easy color adjustment is available only to owners of Samsung smartphones equipped with a display created using technology Super AMOLED. Yes, and it consists only in choosing one of three or four image display modes. If you want to see the available options, then perform the following manipulations:

Step 1. Proceed to " Settings».

Step 2 Go to the section called " Display».

Step 3 Click on " Screen Mode».

Step 4 Choose the mode that suits you. The color of the picture displayed on the screen will depend on it.

Sensor calibration

As for the sensor, it is easiest to calibrate it on devices with a resistive screen. A special utility is installed on them, launched from " settings". It allows you to quickly calibrate the sensor so that exactly the icon or button to which you put your finger is pressed. Find similar item settings» is possible even on old MP3 players equipped with a fairly large display (it makes no sense to calibrate a small screen sensor).

But what about modern smartphones that have a capacitive touch screen? Can't they be calibrated? Fortunately, in some cases this is still possible. Moreover, sometimes you can even slightly adjust the color reproduction, and not just the sensor. But in fact, it all depends on the specific model of the device. It is possible that the manufacturer of your device has closed access to certain parts of the operating system, and therefore you can download the calibration program, but it will not work properly.

To calibrate the touchscreen, we recommend downloading an application called: Touchscreen Calibration. It is free and has a simplified interface. To perform calibration, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Run Touchscreen Calibration.

Step 2 Click on the blue button that prompts you to start calibration.

Step 4 At the end of the procedure, you need to click on the " OK» in the pop-up window.

Step 5 Reboot your device.

If you need to check the operation of multitouch, we suggest you download the following applications:

Tooch Multitest - has a simplified appearance, but easily diagnoses multi-touch operation. If in some area of the screen the sensor does not work, then you will certainly notice it.
MultiTouch Visualizer 2 - this program shows how many touches the screen has detected. Makes this application with the help of multi-colored rings of large size, each of which is signed with the corresponding number. Additionally, the utility tests the pinch function.
MultiTouch Tester is another simple application that captures the touch points of the screen with your fingers. There may be problems with the detection of touches on one axis!

Using Display Calibration

If the display seems too dim to you, or you notice uneven distribution of pixels, then use Display Calibration. If earlier we considered a program for calibrating the Android touchscreen, then Display Calibration adjusts the color rendering. And in some cases, she manages to slightly improve the display of the picture.

Step 1. Launch the application.

Step 2 Click on the big button Calibrate».

Step 3 Wait for the end of the calibration process.

Step 4 After the pop-up window appears, click on the " close' and reboot the device.

Summarizing

In today's article, we tried to talk about all known smartphone screen calibration methods. Unfortunately, most often they are either inaccessible to the average user, or make subtle changes. But it just so happens that you cannot get a display created using Super AMOLED technology from a TFT screen - any LCD panel displays a strictly defined color range. As well as the sensor is most often not able to offer greater sensitivity than the one for which it is imprisoned.

Modern smartphones and tablets on the Android OS and other platforms provide their owners with a huge number of opportunities that have long gone beyond ordinary communication and Internet surfing. To increase the functionality of gadgets, many additional devices are used - from such a device as a proximity sensor to an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

With their help, it is more convenient to talk on mobile communications, take photos and even play games. Some functions of such sensors are similar, but basically they complement each other - therefore, the installed accelerometer in the phone does not exclude the presence of a gyroscope in the design.

The principle of operation of the sensor

A user who first encountered the term "accelerometer" in the list of smartphone characteristics may be interested in what it is, how it works and looks. It is not difficult to answer these questions - the device, which received the name from the Latin word "accelero" ("I accelerate"), is used to measure apparent acceleration.

By determining this parameter, the sensor helps the software to control the position of the phone in space and the distance that the mobile gadget has been moved.

Meanwhile, even knowing what an accelerometer is, some users do not distinguish it from a gyroscope. In fact, both sensors can measure the same quantities, but they cannot completely replace each other.

At the same time, the gyroscope in the phone is necessary to determine the angle of rotation of the gadget relative to a certain plane. And the accelerometer is required to control the position in space by measuring the acceleration of movement. Sharing devices helps the gadget's software get more accurate results.

Rice. 1. One of the examples of the accelerometer.

Considering the action of the accelerometer and what it is by and large, it is worth getting acquainted with the principle of operation of the classic device:

The main part of the sensor is an inert mass (for example, a weight) attached to an elastic element.
An elastic part such as a spring is fixed on a fixed element.
The spring is fixed on a fixed part of the structure.
Load fluctuations are suppressed by a damper.
When tilting, shaking and turning the gadget, the inertial mass reacts to the force of inertia.
The greater the intensity and force of the tilt, shake or turn, the more the spring is deformed.
After the mass returns to its place under the influence of a spring, the level of displacement relative to its normal position is recorded by a special sensor.

Rice. 2. Construction of a standard accelerometer.

On the other hand, the answer to the question about the accelerometer in the phone - what it is and how it looks, will be slightly different. In this case, it is a miniature element on the board with an inertial mass located inside and usually looks like a small black square.

The basic principle of the element's operation differs little from the standard one - when the position of the inertial mass changes, the displacement value is determined, according to which the gadget's position indicators are calculated. Such sensors are installed on almost any type of mobile equipment - on a phone or tablet.

Rice. 3. The appearance of the sensor for a smartphone.

Device Application

Having decided on what an accelerometer is on a phone, you should find out how to use it - here are a few examples:

With the help of the sensor, control is carried out in games - a change in the position of the mobile device causes certain actions on the part of the game character or the vehicle controlled by the player. For example, by tilting the phone, you can change the direction of the car in racing simulators.

Rice. 4. The game Asphalt 8, which is controlled using the accelerometer.

During a sports run, the accelerometer is used in smartphones and tablets to monitor the distance traveled. This determines the approximate number of steps taken - and although the error can be quite large (depending on the speed of movement), the results can be used to improve training results.

The presence of such sensors on smartphones and tablets allows you to change the orientation of the image. By placing the mobile gadget horizontally, the user automatically receives a landscape image or text format using the accelerometer. When the screen is placed vertically, the orientation will change to portrait.

In other devices, the sensor is used to perform the same tasks for which an accelerometer is needed on phones, and for other purposes. So, in aviation it is necessary for the operation of navigation systems, and in industry it is used as a vibration transducer.

In HDD hard disk management systems, an accelerometer is required to compensate for vibrations caused by object accelerations and to protect the data stored on the drive.

DVRs using this sensor are able to determine the time of acceleration and deceleration, fix stops and collisions. On game console joysticks, the accelerometer is required to control the gameplay.

Enabling and disabling the sensor

The way to find out if there is an accelerometer on the phone is to rotate the screen to a different position. If the image does not change at the same time, then the sensor is missing - or the Auto-rotate function is simply disabled on the smartphone.

For most models, screen rotation when changing position is automatically turned on and off using the settings menu or the top bar on the main screen:

In the first case, go to "Settings", select item "Screen" and enable image rotation.

Rice. 5. Enable through the settings.

In the second situation, just drag your finger on the top panel, increasing its size to full screen, and enable the corresponding function.

Rice. 6. Inclusion through the top panel.

Advice: Sometimes the automatic reaction of the accelerometer to the movements of the mobile phone is not required - and may even interfere. In such cases, the sensor can be disabled using one of the menus where you can enable auto-rotation.

Setup and Calibration

Almost all new phones with a gyroscope also have a built-in acceleration control sensor. In the absence of an accelerometer in the phone, which indicates the budget cost of the model or its release many years ago, it will not be possible to add this function either by flashing it or changing the settings.

But if there is a sensor, if it does not work or reacts incorrectly to a change in the position of the device, you can calibrate it.

Automatic adjustment of the Android accelerometer is performed in three stages:

2 Place the phone with the accelerometer on a flat surface.

3 Go to the utility settings menu and select the accelerometer calibration item.

Rice. 7. Application menu.

A message will appear on the display of the gadget about the need to install on a flat surface. After confirmation, calibration starts. The completion of the process is accompanied by the appearance of the corresponding inscription.

Rice. 8. Operation of the GPS Status & Toolbox application.

conclusions

Knowing what an accelerometer is, we can draw certain conclusions about its presence in modern mobile devices. The presence of sensors for determining the position of smartphones and tablets makes it easier to watch videos on your phone or read books, and sometimes even helps in the gameplay.

However, before using the accelerometer, it sometimes needs to be adjusted. It only takes a few minutes and downloading a free utility.

Thematic video: