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Blog Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #5
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  • Author Author: fvan
  • Date Created: 13 May 2015 9:10 AM Date Created
  • Views 1154 views
  • Likes 7 likes
  • Comments 9 comments
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Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #5

fvan
fvan
13 May 2015

Previous posts for this project:

  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Description
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #1
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Guide: Setting Up the Raspberry Pi 2
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #2
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Review: Bare Conductive Touch Board
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #3
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Guide: Stepper Motors with Gertbot
  • Sci Fi Your Pi: PiDesk - Project Update #4

 

  • Project Update

 

Project Update

 

Last week, I was experimenting with the lift mechanism for the display of the Pi to be used as a desktop computer.

 

That was a temporary display for testing purposes. And even though the screen had a good resolution, it was too small to be fully legible because of its size.
As an alternative, I cracked open an old (and broken) laptop and recycled the display. I was able to recuperate the screen without too much trouble and went searching for a controller online.

 

eBay seems to be full of these things at a very cheap price when sticking to classic VGA and DVI outputs. Adding HDMI seems to triple the cost! Because I already own and don't use a HDMI to DVI adapter, I chose to buy a VGA/DVI controller board only, setting me back about 10EUR. The controller board even came with inverter, connectors and control buttons (menu, volume, etc ...). The recycled display itself is a 17" widescreen with a maximum resolution of 1440x900. It's not full HD, but it's not bad at all for a (nearly) free display.

 

After hooking everything up, the laptop display was functioning properly! One of the next steps for the display will be to make a lightweight enclosure to hold all the parts in place.

 

Till next time!

 

{gallery} PiDesk - Display

image

Parts: Recycled display with new controller, inverter, controls and cables.

image

Connected: Getting everything hooked up.

image

Test: Display is working!

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Top Comments

  • mcb1
    mcb1 over 10 years ago +2
    Brilliant. I have a couple of these LCD displays and never thought to look for a controller ... Mark
  • fvan
    fvan over 10 years ago in reply to mcb1 +1
    Extremely cheap way to get it to work It takes some time to ship from China to Belgium though ...
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 10 years ago +1
    nice find!
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  • mcb1
    mcb1 over 10 years ago

    Brilliant.

    I have a couple of these LCD displays and never thought to look for a controller  ...

     

    Mark

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  • fvan
    fvan over 10 years ago in reply to mcb1

    Extremely cheap way to get it to work image It takes some time to ship from China to Belgium though ...

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  • fvan
    fvan over 10 years ago in reply to mcb1

    Extremely cheap way to get it to work image It takes some time to ship from China to Belgium though ...

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