Replacing a PURE Evoke Flow Display
** UPDATE 17th January 2023 **
Dear visitors,
For the latest Evoke display news, please check through all the comments section (best start with newest/ last and work backwards) about replacing this display.
The current suggested source for displays is Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co who have a good history of offering individual displays for various PURE radios. See their web page and contact form (Jack Wan) at the bottom. You might also find displays on Ebay - see below.
The reader comments here contain a wealth of background, advice and experience from other PURE repairers and are well worth wading through.
Some radios (eg the Avanti Flow) can turn out to be complex with lots of scope for problems, so please consider whether you want to gamble on fitting a new display yourself. Please note I cannot provide any specific advice on repairing or fixing problems, all the information I have is published on my website.
Lastly, folks, I'm sorry if this has become a bit convoluted or messy. My blog wasn't designed for such heavy traffic or 'chat' and large numbers of comments, and I'm trying to keep things going as orderly and easy to use for everyone (myself included!). Please remember, I can't retain or display personal email addresses etc on this web site, though I have successfully put a few people in touch with each other.
PURE SSW-1817 Power Supply Repair
A reader has shared details of replacing the power transistor and capacitors on this common switched-mode power supply used in several PURE DAB radios, more details here
Other sources of suitable OLEDs for PURE Evoke / Flow / Avanti Flow etc
17th January 2023
New PURE Evoke 1S 2S D4 D6 etc Marshall Mio Display Screen
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114638725086
NOT suitable for the Pure Evoke Flow, Avanti Flow, Oasis Flow, F4
Some repair notes for the Evoke 2S are in this PDF.
20th February 2020
On Alibaba - Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co (Jack Wan) had offered some new stocks of higher brightness OLEDs and are known to offer a good service to UK individuals. Several people said they have been very successful replacements recently. See https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/22pin-yellow-white-3003319301002-Pure-Evoke_60671545961.html
PURE EVOKE 1s (early version)
I've received step by step guide notes on swapping these displays which are now here.
PURE Avanti Flow Display
Looking to replace a PURE Avanti display instead? I've written up instructions here.
PURE Evoke 1S Marshall Display
13/6/2019 - A reader has posted instructions on replacing the (same) OLED on an Evoke 1S Marshall in the reader comments, please scroll through them to the end.
PURE Sirocco 550
2/1/2020 - A reader has posted instructions on replacing the (same) OLED on a Pure Sirroco 550 in the reader comments, please scroll through them to the end. (Happy New Year by the way.)
In 2008 I received a PURE Evoke Flow DAB/ Internet radio as a birthday gift and this cherished radio receiver had been on duty ever since as a portable Internet tuner (thanks to a Chargepak rechargeable battery), doubling as a bedside radio with dual alarms and wireless remote control. The radio recharged overnight ready for a busy day ahead, seated on my desk. The PURE Evoke Flow opened up a new world of online streaming radio with integral services such as Pure Sounds (rainfall, babbling brooks, breaking waves etc.) and BBC Listen Again, both of which, sadly, have long since been discontinued and are greatly missed.
PURE was launched back in 2001 by the higher-end VideoLogic division of UK graphics chipmaker Imagination Technologies. This was at a time when DAB radio was emerging as an exciting new radio standard and PURE was being positioned as a premium consumer brand. Imagination hit hard times and the PURE brand itself was sold off in 2016. Imagination’s major customer Apple also pulled the plug, deciding to make its own graphics chips instead, and a bitter trade dispute followed. Imagination was snapped up by a Chinese/ US private equity firm in 2017. The PURE brand still lives on, thanks to Austrian financial backers.
A Display of PURE Genius
One of the PURE Evoke Flow’s finest features was its yellow OLED graphics display which needed no backlight and had much greater clarity, luminance and viewing angle than an ordinary LCD did. As every Evoke Flow owner doubtless knows by now, unfortunately the display would fade after a few years (say six or more) as its organic element deteriorated until the display blanked out altogether, rendering the radio nearly useless.
Sad to say, the same fate befell my own radio and I have searched in vain for a replacement display for several years. Spares became unobtainable once RS Components discontinued the Bolymin 128 x 64 pixel BL12864KERNH$ (Stock No. 668-6124). I failed to find any foreign source that would ship a single replacement display (but read on).
New OLED Display for PURE Evoke Flow, Avanti, Evoke-1S.
The search for a new display having defeated me (and I don’t give up easily), in 2018 I was really delighted to learn that an enterprising individual has managed to source and import replacement yellow OLED displays that fit the PURE Evoke Flow, Avanti Flow and Evoke-1S Marshall, PURE's guitar amp style DAB radio.
I feared it might be too good to be true but, sure enough, after placing an order online with the UK seller AJSDyno a small carton soon arrived containing a new display for my ten year old radio. Perfect! They have since run out of stock so you will have to source one yourself from eg China (read the comments section later for guidance).
Next was a learning curve to figure out how to fit the new part, so here’s my photo sequence and instructions to help those wanting to replace their displays with minimum fuss.
Only basic tools are needed but a lot of ‘sympathy’ and some dexterity when handling delicate parts is also required: allow yourself half an hour of quality time and work carefully, don’t rush things and you should be fine.
DIY Instructions to replace a PURE Evoke Flow OLED
Unplug the radio from its a.c. adaptor and if a Chargepak battery pack is fitted, remove it. The display is accessed from the rear of the radio, which is secured by six Philips screws, so start by removing them.
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Remove 6 x Philips screws holding in the rear panel [click to see];)
... and swing the panel out, as if it's hinged on the left hand sideThe rear panel can be gently prised out with a plastic spudger or similar tool, swinging it gently out from the right and allow it to rest on the worktop. It carries the main board and some interwiring. Note how some wires and ribbons hook the mainboard to the SnoozeHandle, loudspeaker, front panel controls and the Imagination Technologies display controller.
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The rear panel resting on the workbench. Take care not to strain the taut blue wire (SnoozeHandle PCB)A word of warning,
THE SINGLE WIRE (ARROWED) CONNECTING THE SNOOZEHANDLE IS QUITE TAUT. IT IS SOLDERED AT BOTH ENDS AND CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED WITHOUT DESOLDERING IT. TAKE CARE NOT TO TUG OR STRAIN THIS WIRE OR THE TINY PCB CONNECTING THE SNOOZE HANDLE MAY BE DAMAGED!
So ensure you don’t strain this wire. You can easily pull the two-pin loudspeaker wire connection off the main board. This frees up things to give more access to the innards.
The main front panel connection cable (a silver ribbon, 15mm wide) is quite sturdy and simply slides out of its PCB connector embedded in the front panel on the left, so note which way round the blue ‘pull tab’ goes and pull the ribbon wire gently out. (You can choose to leave this connected if you have the dexterity to work around it, but you may find it slips out accidentally anyway.)
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Main board resting on the worktop, display PCB arrowed;)
The OLED display ribbon in situ, note pins 1-22 markedThe OLED display connects using a flexible printed circuit board ribbon. The connector is probably hidden under some masking tape which can be removed.
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Showing how the connector latches must be disengaged before disconnecting the ribbonDO NOT PULL THE RIBBON OUT! It’s numbered 1 and 22 to show the polarity of the flexible cable. Look closely at how the OLED ribbon is seated in the connector, which has a black plastic clamp to secure it in place.
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Use a pointed tool or maybe a fingernail to slide out the retaining latch at both endsA pointed plastic tool (or your fingernails) must be used to slide the black plastic clamp outwards to the edge of the PCB. It’s effectively just one latch with two handles on the end that pop out evenly about 2mm, and then gently slide out the display’s flexible ribbon.
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Then remove the flexible ribbon from the connectorThe rear of the OLED plastic housing is detached by removing four small Philips screws.
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The four Philips screws (circled) are removed nextYour display is probably screened with adhesive copper foil stuck to it. The display is merely stuck with double sided tape around the edges of the display. It is easy to gently pry it off using a plastic spudger tool and it will come away.
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Carefully pry the display away off the adhesive border
I FOUND THE NEW DISPLAY NEEDS TO BE STUCK ON ‘UPSIDE DOWN’ COMPARED WITH THE OLD ONE, TO ALIGN THE 1-22 PINOUTS OF THE PCB CONNECTOR.
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On this new display, the ribbon sprouts from the TOP edge and needs folding back. Compare yours carefully!Clean the window if necessary with eg a little Isopropanol. Unpeel the clear protection poly film off the new display. The OLED can be applied and stuck down, aligning it in the radio's display window as best you can. Depending on the type that you purchase, the flat flexible ribbon might sprout out of the TOP instead, if so, fold it over downwards towards the controller PCB so the 1-22 pinout markings are visible on the ribbon as before. The old adhesive should still be strong enough but you'll be able to lift and reposition the display if necessary.
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My replacement display fitted in place. Yours might look different. Main thing is to ensure the pinouts 1 > 22 align the right way roundRe-assembly, as they famously say, is the reverse of the above. Pass the OLED ribbon through the slot in the black plastic housing and screw down with 4 Philips screws.
I obtained a small reel of 50mm adhesive copper tape from Ebay and stuck it over the black plastic housing. That's optional.
To re-connect the OLED to the PCB, you must ensure the black plastic latches are STILL OUT by a few millimetres then gently slide the connector ribbon in as far as it will go. You'll know it's right when the bare copper conductors on the end of the flexible ribbon disappear into the housing, after which it can't go any further. Gently but firmly slide the black plastic latches inwards again to clamp the ribbon evenly in place.
If necessary, re-insert the silver front panel ribbon, the right way round, into its own connector ensuring the flat ribbon is even and flush with the connector.
Reconnect the loudspeaker and close up the housing by 'swinging it back into' the case, starting at the left-hand (telescopic aerial) side, always taking care not to strain the blue SnoozeHandle wire, then screw the rear back onto the housing.
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Powered up and working again! [click to see]The radio can then be powered up and tested. Mine worked immediately, even after all this time it remembered the settings and found my LAN again. The remote control worked again too with new batteries (remember there is a 'Hardware Bind' button in the remote, to pair it that way if needed). Surprisingly, my radio then updated its firmware over Wi-fi to V5.1.The display active/ standby brightness can be dimmed via the Options menu if it is too bright.
LEGACY LINK : Replacement Evoke Flow OLED Display from AJSDyno
Alan W
Copper foil screening
Just to clarify about the copper foil stuck behind the display (used for shielding against interference) - mine was stuck down solidly and impossible to lift off. If you can re-use the old foil, it can only help.
In October I found some 50mm copper tape on Ebay which I stuck over the rear of the OLED, on the black plastic itself. Search for eg 'copper foil EMI tape' on eBay, there's plenty of choice for adhesive copper screening tape in every size. AW
Alan W
Can't win 'em all...
Sad to say, my replacement yellow display (as pictured) didn't last all that long - it faded and rows of pixels have failed altogether. I've replaced it with a second spare that I'd bought at the same time (for repairing for old time's sake 5-10 years from now). That too isn't as bright as it could be, but at least it works.
The original yellow OLEDs have all but disappeared from sale altogether now, so there is next to no chance of getting a new replacement. At the time of writing, a few WHITE ones are popping up on sale (Ebay etc.) , claiming to be brand new, so I'm trying one of those before they're all gone too.
Unless a stash of displays is unearthed from somewhere, it will soon become impossible to get another display once those white ones have been snapped up, so make the most of your Pure Evoke radio while you can. Consider unplugging and switching off altogether when it's not in use, to preserve those OLEDs as long as possible. AW
Alan W
Alibaba Yellow OLED
Well it's on the way - I've ordered one of these from China for about $27.00, also as suggested by other buyers so I'll see what they look like. I was pleasantly surprised to source one-offs via Alibaba, though the ordering system is a bit convoluted.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2-7-inch-128x64-12864-SSD1305_60671545961.html
More news as it happens! AW
Alan W
Fitting a Yellow OLED sourced via AliExpress
I fitted a Yellow OLED sourced from Shenzhen Liyuan Huida Technology Co., Ltd via Alibaba – a convoluted ordering process but everything arrived intact within ten days with no problems experienced.
I’m happy to say this is working perfectly, a nice bright yellow display just like the original and it dims as required.
Unfortunately the black plastic ribbon clamp somehow ‘pinged’ out from the board altogether. It has two tiny plastic spigots that align into each end of the PCB connector shown in my photos, the clamp being underneath the ribbon cable. When it’s pushed fully home, it sandwiches the ribbon firmly in place. Sadly, one of these spigots jammed and broke off (not surprised after all the hammer it’s had). However the other spigot is still intact, so I carefully re-inserted it underneath the OLED display ribbon, and pushed it home again. This seems to have held together so far. It can’t be repaired so let’s hope it stays that way.
It's best to use eg a plastic spudger or similar to ensure the clamp is only pushed out by a millimeter or so, and do not use excessive force.
Only time will tell whether the latest display will last or fade or drop some pixels, but it's looking great so far. I'll report findings back here. AW
ED 
Reader Comments (239)
Just wanted to add, further to the previous post, that after replacing the display, I was initially unable to connect to the Internet. The update software (URL somewhere above) solved that problem. Very happy.
Hey,
I've already replaced the OLED a second time. Now I want to go a different route. I want to read out the display instruction with an arduino and pass it to a different display. I tried to trace BS1 and BS2 to see what interface is running. Both are "low" which means SPI. Can anybody confirm this or is it running in a different mode and my approach would be difficult to realize? Thanks!
Bibbi
Hi Bobbi
Did you have any luck in identifying the oled
Protocol communication method used on pure evoke f4
I to am considering using an arduino nano
To interpret the signals and send to a standard lcd
Hi Tim,
I could not confirm that the display control in the evoke f4 uses SPI protocol, that's why I was asking if anyone has more detailed information about it. There is a display replacement kit which is translating the control protocol, but I want to do it myself as a diy project. So far I used the arduino nano every and connected the BS pins. I got "low" state on both pins and I didn't see any useful data flowing around. Another thing is in SPI, you can only write to the display according to the spec and I think the evoke controller reads some state info from the display back? Maybe someone can give more insights?
Bibbi
Hello all. I need a bit of help please!
I have been trying to replace screen on my Pure Sirocco 550.
I am up to the point of connecting the new screen - BUT - the cable from the original screen, numbered 1-22, is narrower than the cable of replacement screen, which is too wide to connect up.
Also, does it matter that the original screen and cabling were wrapped in copper tape and the new one not?
Thanks to anyone who might be able to help me! Mike (UK)
@ Mike Can you count up the number of copper pads/ conductors on the new ribbon cable. There must be 22 (twenty two) only. There are 24 pin displays around which will not fit :( and a wider ribbon definitely will not fit in any case.
The copper foil is a screen against RFI interference noise etc, you may get away without replacing it. Adhesive copper foil is sold on ebay.
I have now got my hands on an old Sirocco 550 and hope to sort out the display replacement as a project in the coming weeks. -- Alan W
Hi Bibbi,
You are spot on - the display indeed runs in SPI mode. As well as the data, there's also a 'command/datra' pin you'll need to interpret. My LCD conversion kit (which I've stopped selling now) grabbed the data over SPI, as well as the cmd/data pin state, to work out if the received bytes were commands for the OLED controller, or data. I think you'll struggle to do it with an arduino - you need to be pretty fast to keep up wiht the data rate, as well as needing 2 SPI peripherals (one for data in, one for data out) - you won't be able to bit-bang it fast enough without those.
Finding something available from the STM32 range with 2 SPI peripherals will work.
David
Hi all, like many others I stumbled across this amazing resource whilst pondering what to do about my fading oled display on our venerable 2011 Evoke Flow (not sure what exact model - presuming this is the original one...)
Anyway, I have a simple question. Is there any hope whatsoever of replacing the display in my radio with a yellow one, as the alibaba link now only lists white as an option.
If white is the only show in town now that David Pye has retired his great looking kits from Tindie (sob) then can someone confirm the correct link to the display I'll need please? Many thanks to this very helpful community in advance! Cheers, George
@ George There aren't any yellow displays to be had anywhere, only white ones. The suggested one is the one you found from Jack Wan on Alibaba in China who has a very good record.
There are some cropping up on ebay from time to time, but I see them at silly prices ~£80.
Alibaba is the way to go with this. Good luck, Alan W
I wonder if anyone has evidence of the probable life-span of the replacement OLED displays sold on Aliexpress (Jack Wan) for the Pure Evoke Flow. By my calculations some people must have been using them for 4 years or more. Have any failed yet?
Thanks.
Hi,
Anyone made any progress on working out pin outs etc on the display interface? From the previous comments it looks to be SPI but any hints as to what the 8 pins on the ribbon cable are would be appreciated. I’m still puzzled how given the limited components on the interface board it goes from SPI to 8 bit parallel data.
Hi,
The pinout of the connector on the volume-knob board carrying the display data is as follows:
GND DATA CLK D/CSELECT CS RST 3V3 VCC
where data, clk are the SPI pair, D/C is the pin to select to the OLED controller whether the data is a data or command, CS = chip select, RST = reset, 3v3 is the logic supply, and VCC is (from memory) around 14V which is the supply for the OLED driver.
The only circuitry on the board are a couple of buffers, and some SMD tantalum caps for smoothing.
The OLED screen itself is run in SPI mode (there's no SPI->parallel switching anywhere).
Hope that helps,
David
Hi, thanks for all the info! I’ve just replaced the oled screen on a Evoke Mio (sourced from Alibaba - bright yellow display, arrived in 8 days) following your instructions. All seemed to be working perfectly, albeit display sits a little high - but that is made clear in the sellers site and also on these pages, so this is not an issue for me. The display has worked perfectly since installation this morning. However, given the display brightness is set to automatic, and normally dims with fading light, unfortunately mine has gone off completely as the daylight has faded, and won’t work in both darkness and in a room with only low level lighting. It illuminates again when moved into a brighter room. I suspect this may be a problem with the new oled, as the previous one was always visible in low lighting suggesting the light sensor is working. The Mio manual gives options to set display “brightness” at either automatic or set at a permanent level. However I cannot locate “brightness” on the menu settings - if I could I would set it at a comfortable permanent level and override the automatic status to ensure it is visible in all light conditions. Has anyone come across this problem or can anyone guide me how to access the brightness control (which doesn’t seem to exist on my Mio!)
Thanks again!
Having found your helpful resource, I ordered a White screen via the Alibaba link. £31 delivered.
I fitted the screen this evening and all is working well. I'm very pleased, as the radio has sat unused for the last 6 or even 7 years due to the faded screen.
Many thanks