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    Yet Another Pi Zero Portable!!

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Projects and Themes
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    • senkunS
      senkun @moosepr
      last edited by

      @moosepr said in Yet Another Pi Zero Portable!!:

      So the postman came!

      Toys!

      It's actually closer that I thought size wise

      Whoa! Nice! Almost a perfect fit. But then, seems like you need at least a 3.2" screen. Maybe a 3.5" would be best but you'd need to go composite for that size up, gpio 3.5" screens @ 320x480 are too slow.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • mooseprM
        moosepr
        last edited by

        Yeah the original screen is 2.9" so if I bump the screen up to a 2.8" SPI screen, I will keep the same resolution and it should just drop in.

        I had a stroke of luck with the buttons, the top of the rubber conductive buttons are exactly the same height as my silicone topped switches. I think I'm going to cut some non conductive sheet of some kind to the same shape as the current motherboard and wire them all in that way.

        want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

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        • mooseprM
          moosepr
          last edited by

          I tried a 2.8" tft i have on an arduino shield, and its almost perfect for the job. The actual display area is a few pixels taller than the hole, and a few pixels narrower, so with some slight mods, it should fit nice!

          Im actually struggling to find a 2.8" version of my screen in the UK, so my project might have a few weeks delay while the boat from china makes its way over. i did however find this while digging, its about as minimal as an LCD can get

          http://www.tinylcd.com/tiny149/product.php?id_product=22

          im just waiting to hear if they will post to the UK, and what chip the display uses

          want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

          senkunS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • senkunS
            senkun @moosepr
            last edited by

            @moosepr

            I'd be interested to know what chip that uses too. The safest bet is of course the 2.8" version of your current 2.2" tft, looks like the same chinese manufacturer, uses the same ILI9341 as well should be a straight drop in.

            alt text

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • mooseprM
              moosepr
              last edited by

              @senkun

              yeah that by backup plan. although i think i may have an issue with the connectors being on the ends of the pcb. The screen edges are actually quite close to the buttons on the GBA. and adding the extra bulk for the brains of the screen that sits on one end, plus the pcb, might just take me too far.

              I did ponder geting a custom pcb knocked up that was just the bare minimum for the screen to be used with SPI but have no idea where to start on that one!

              want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • mooseprM
                moosepr
                last edited by

                DAMIT!

                Hello

                The 2.8 LCD selected by you is not supported in fbtft.
                If you want us to do PCB similar to your selection than we can offer you 2 options
                100usd development charges
                Or
                Moq. 25 quantity
                One more economical option is we can supply raspberry pi LCD without 40 pin header and than you do the wiring on the gpio header pads
                Regards
                Tinylcd

                want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • mooseprM
                  moosepr
                  last edited by

                  Right!! i have a plan. I have been doing some digging and the ili9341 screens are actually all the same!! there are 2 variations, the larger have touch, and the smaller dont, the first 14 pins are the same regardless of the presence of touch. So all i need to do, is buy a naked 2.8" screen, and unsolder the 2.2" screen i currently have, and transplant the 2.8" screen on top!! that way the pcb is actually the same size, if not smaller than the screen, and there is more space to play with!!

                  now to wait for the good ship chinapost :D

                  want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                  senkunS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ParzivalP
                    Parzival @moosepr
                    last edited by

                    @moosepr this is so cool. where do you get the controllers/buttons from. I would like to build my own.

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                    • mooseprM
                      moosepr
                      last edited by

                      @Parzival i did some hunting, didint want the usual 'clicky' tactile switches that are commonly used. I found a guy on ebay that sells all kinds of switches for the repair of keyfobs and the like

                      http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321411385630

                      the ones i got are the OMTEN D3. They are really nice, will be great behind some actual buttons, will give that retro feel of the rubber domes

                      want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • T
                        thedudester80
                        last edited by

                        That is a cool portable. I like the battery body idea. Must be really thin and light. Good work .

                        Mint Boy, Case Arcade, New Projects Coming soon....

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • mooseprM
                          moosepr
                          last edited by

                          Yeah it's just a shade thicker than a sharpie, and only 105 grams, so it's pretty skinny

                          want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • senkunS
                            senkun @moosepr
                            last edited by

                            @moosepr said in Yet Another Pi Zero Portable!!:

                            Right!! i have a plan. I have been doing some digging and the ili9341 screens are actually all the same!! there are 2 variations, the larger have touch, and the smaller dont, the first 14 pins are the same regardless of the presence of touch. So all i need to do, is buy a naked 2.8" screen, and unsolder the 2.2" screen i currently have, and transplant the 2.8" screen on top!! that way the pcb is actually the same size, if not smaller than the screen, and there is more space to play with!!

                            now to wait for the good ship chinapost :D

                            hey. Just wondering how's it going with your project? Did you get the the transplant done? And, what are you using for audio? Just noticed that you have no audio out in your build.

                            mooseprM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • mooseprM
                              moosepr @senkun
                              last edited by

                              @senkun

                              Hey man

                              Well I technically have all the bits, just need to iron out a few bits.

                              My plan with transplanting a 2.8 screen onto a 2.2 board didn't work. The distance from solder connector to screen edge is the same for all screens, so it gave me no benefit. I'm just trying to knock up a little PCB that will allow me to connect the screen with minimal board.

                              As for the sound, I'm planning on using an adafruit digital audio board https://www.adafruit.com/products/3006 which will give me mono sound for the speaker, or maybe even switchable to the headphones. That would then leave me with a hole where the volume knob should be.

                              The problem I have now, is once I have got my PCB designed it's going to be another 2 weeks at least. Although I will end up with some spares I could distribute.

                              want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                              T senkunS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • T
                                thedudester80 @moosepr
                                last edited by

                                @moosepr That I2S amp works great with the pi zero. I used it for my altoid project. Really simple to setup as well.

                                Mint Boy, Case Arcade, New Projects Coming soon....

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • Tekkaman_SladeT
                                  Tekkaman_Slade
                                  last edited by Tekkaman_Slade

                                  @moosepr - I wish that I2S audio amp was available when I built the NeoPiGamer. I'm definitely going to use it in my next pi zero build. Great find!!! Looking forward to your completed build.

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                                  • mooseprM
                                    moosepr
                                    last edited by

                                    yeah that little amp is ideal. Shame its only mono. You can get stereo versions but they are a little larger (although looking at this, it doesnt have much 'amp' in there) https://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/pi-zero/products/phat-dac

                                    The only issue i have, is the I2S board needs pin 18, which is currently what my ili9341 screen uses for its backlight

                                    want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • senkunS
                                      senkun @moosepr
                                      last edited by

                                      @moosepr said in Yet Another Pi Zero Portable!!:

                                      The distance from solder connector to screen edge is the same for all screens, so it gave me no benefit.

                                      alt text

                                      http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2-8-inch-TFT-LCD-screen-display-ILI9341-40-pin-plug-in-type-support-8-16/32627803416.html

                                      How bout this one?

                                      mooseprM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • mooseprM
                                        moosepr @senkun
                                        last edited by

                                        @senkun

                                        That would technically work, the board I currently have is only 14 pin. It's the pure SPI interface, where as the 40 pin ones have raw pixel pins bundled.

                                        I'm currently trying to design a board that has a 14 pin ribbon connector on one edge, and 8 pins of SPI on the other. Literally a bare minimum.

                                        You could technically solder wires direct from the screen ribbon to the pi with nothing in the middle, but the 0 8mm pitch ffc connector doesn't lend itself to hand soldering

                                        want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                                        senkunS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • senkunS
                                          senkun @moosepr
                                          last edited by

                                          @moosepr

                                          I must've been blind not only did not read where it said 40-pin, didn't even see how fine the pitch is. Took one look at the length of the ribbon and thought hey we could drop this on the 2.2" controller board...

                                          btw, are you using the pitft22 dt overlay to enable your screen? Can I have your tft to zer0 pinouts for reference?

                                          mooseprM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • mooseprM
                                            moosepr @senkun
                                            last edited by

                                            @senkun

                                            its easy done. there are so many screens and variations of them, its a minefield!!

                                            I used the information from here
                                            http://marcosgildavid.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/getting-ili9341-spi-screen-working-on.html

                                            then used a little reference image to trace things

                                            https://www.element14.com/community/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/73950-102-10-339300/pi3_gpio.png

                                            I was managing to get the thing working with the command

                                            sudo modprobe fbtft_device pitft22 (i think, im working from memory here)

                                            then i could mirror the terminal by typing

                                            con2fbmap 1 1

                                            but i was struggling to get things to activate at boot. Doing a bit of googling, i managed to find a video on youtube that had the solution to my problem. The problem is now, i am unable to find the video :( I will have to ssh onto my zero and use the command history and see how i fixed it

                                            want to get a tft into your project, look no further than here https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7464/ili9341-tft-screen-guide

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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