It looks like the plastic stylus may have been forced too close and the ripped the sensor pad.
For the past several weeks I have been working on the software to read and work with the data. The progress has been slow but steady...then when I went to resume work one evening, noticed the data being output was very erratic. After removing the dome and checking the Softpot...well, you see the rips!
I did something a little different this time. Instead of ordering from SparkFun, I bought two replacements from TrossenRobotics. I was able to call them on their toll free number and immediately speak to a tech. The way they sell theirs, you can purchase it with a female connector already attached or bare, with the 3 male tabs exposed for soldering. They also include the coupler pins, so this time around, it will simply be a matter of plugging a servo cable in...no soldering tiny tabs!
Link: http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/5604-Softpot-Rotary-Potentiometer.aspx
Replacements should arrive next week, then its a matter or carefully removing the old one and putting the new one in!
