ZeDMD display issue: config or hardware?

[NicoB]

Hi ZeDrummer & Co.
I've had my ZeDMD working for about a year, and now I get some funny patterns on the DMD (see video when I execute the 'test LEDs' from the updater_2).
I am running the latest releases of DMDExt, libzedmd, VPINMAME, etc. so I believe my configuration is fine (also my DMD.ini is OK). So I suspect a hardware issue.
Could someone in the group take a quick look at the attached video to see if the behaviour is typical for a hardware malfunctioning? 

Otherwise any advice is most welcome!
Cheers,
Nico

[Westworld]

I would guess hardware, yes, but easy to check. When you reset the ESP32, so it reboots, without VPX (or something else) launched, it should display the startup screen. If that works, then it is software. If that fails, it is hardware.

If hardware, for me the pattern make me believe it is the connection from ESP32 to the DMD. If you have many cables, check them, make sure they have good connection. If you build your own board, check your soldering.

[NicoB]

On 11/23/2025 at 5:10 PM, Westworld said:

I would guess hardware, yes, but easy to check. When you reset the ESP32, so it reboots, without VPX (or something else) launched, it should display the startup screen. If that works, then it is software. If that fails, it is hardware.

If hardware, for me the pattern make me believe it is the connection from ESP32 to the DMD. If you have many cables, check them, make sure they have good connection. If you build your own board, check your soldering.

Thank you WestWorld. I ended up buying a new DMD pack (board + panels) and this worked so the issue was hardware indeed. I'll investigate later on which part was the culprit so I can keep the other bits as spare parts.
Best wishes for 2026!