Portable Display V2

Greetings everyone and welcome back.

This is Portable Display version 2, an upgraded version of my previous Portable Display project.

To make this display portable and easy to use, we utilize a 7-inch LCD panel with a custom-designed enclosure and an integrated power circuit that charges and discharges the lithium cell inside.

https://www.instructables.com/DIY-Portable-Monitor/

The Version 2 has a thinner LCD panel, resulting in a slimmer overall design of 19mm, making our design far slimmer than the previous version, which was more than 30mm.

Here, we first arrange a thinner LCD panel that is only 6 mm thick and is connected to an HDMI board via an FPC cable. Because the display was thinner, we were able to reduce the size of our design even after including a battery pack and charging circuit inside the device.

Because of its size, we may take this display in our bags and use it as a second monitor with our laptop or with a single-board computer setup, such as a Raspberry Pi.

This article covers the whole build process of this display, so let's get started with the build.

These are the materials required in this build:

1. Custom PCBs
2. 7-Inch LCD HDMI Display
3. 3D printed parts
4. IP5306 Power Management IC
5. 10uF 1206 Capacitors
6. Type C port
7. Vertical Push Button
8. LED 0603 Green
9. 1uH Inductor SMD

For the design of this project, we began by creating the model for our edited slim display panel. Based on the size of the display, we created the enclosure, which is divided into two parts: the front body, which holds the screen in place, and the lid part, which serves as a lid for our enclosure and holds the circuit and battery from the inside, as well as a custom tilt stand from the exterior.

The lid part is attached to the front part with four M2 screws, which are positioned on the top and bottom of the front section, respectively.

On the back side, we also designed a tilt stand that is made up of two parts: the holder and the tilt stand, which is mounted to the holder with an M2.5 nut and bolt. We've introduced a maximum tilt angle of 35 degrees, and the tilt stand cannot exceed it. We installed two tilt stands to keep the display stand steady.

The front section, tilt stand, holder, and battery holder are all printed with transparent PLA using a 0.6mm nozzle. The lid is printed in orange PLA.

Here, we are reusing the circuit used in version 1 of this project.

We're utilizing the IP5306 Power Management IC, which draws a consistent 5V/2A from a 3.7V Li-ion battery. Its high-cut and low-cut characteristics prevent overcharging and overdischarging of the cell.

The charging port we're using is a Type C through-hole port that connects to the IC charging port. Along with the charging port and GND, we included a 10uF filter capacitor and a 10uF capacitor combination with a 2Ohm resistor.

Additionally, four LEDs—which will serve as battery-full indication LEDs—are added to the IC's LED port.

To turn this device on and off, a push button has been added.

Additionally, we added two extra filter capacitors to the IC and GND outputs.

Following the completion of the schematic, we used the Cad model's layout and measurements to construct the circuit. We also followed the model's instructions for the placement of the Type C port, the switch, and the two mounting holes.

The display utilized in this build is the same 7-inch LCD display that was used in the first project. But, if that is the case, why does the display that we are using appear to be quite thinner? This is because we removed all of the unnecessary things attached to the actual LCD Panel, which were the support PCB on which the LCD Panel was glued from the bottom side, as well as the LCD Panel's glass touch panel layer, which was also removed, resulting in a thinner panel.

Doing this makes editing work a huge rick, because removing things that were originally on the product serves a purpose; if removed, there may be some issues that arise as a result of the removal; however, in our case, the touch panel was idle, and the PCB that supports the LCD was simply added to give the panel strength and support; the enclosure that we design will provide the necessary support and strength.

Following the completion of the Gerber data for the PCB, we uploaded the file to Seeed Fusion's website and ordered PCBs in a blue solder mask.

PCBs were received in a week, and their quality was super good considering the rate, which was also pretty low.

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1. Utilizing a solder paste dispensing syringe, we apply solder paste to each component pad to begin the Main Circuit Assembly process. Here, we are utilizing Sn/Pb 63/37 solder paste, which has a melting temperature of 190 °C.
2. Next, we pick each SMD component and place them in their correct locations.
3. All of the components are then permanently bound to their pads when the entire circuit is set on the reflow hotplate, which heats the PCB to the solder paste melting temperature.
4. Next, we positioned every THT component—including the Type C port, the vertical push button, and the CON2 JST connector—in its proper location.
5. The soldering iron is then used to solder the pads of each THT component from the board's bottom side.

The power supply for this project is a 1000mAh Li-PO cell, which will power our display. Using a soldering iron, we solder the circuit's positive and negative terminals to the battery connector.

By pressing the vertical push button, the circuit begins to function and provides a stable voltage of 5V at the circuit output.

The display's driver circuit does not provide a 5V output for powering the panel. This was challenging, but we resolved it by connecting a USB cable to the Power Micro USB port, then using a multimeter in continuity checking mode to find out that the 5V pin is connected to the IN port of a voltage regulator.

1. We soldered a connecting wire between the voltage regulator's IN port and the 5V power circuit. GND was linked to the voltage regulator's GND terminal.
2. When we switch on the circuit after soldering, the screen illuminates, indicating that our setup is operational.

1. We start the frame assembly process by placing the display in its proper location inside the frame enclosure.
2. We use hot glue to secure the display. Hotglue will keep the display intact, so apply it to all four corners, including the midpoints between corners.

1. Lid assembly begins with the power circuit being placed over two screw bosses and then secured with two M2 screws.
2. The battery is then secured within the lid using a battery holder. We utilize M2 screws to secure the battery holder and lid.

1. Final assembly begins with sliding the lid part onto the back side of the front enclosure and then securing it with M2 screws from the top and bottom faces.
2. Next, we install and lock the HDMI Cover over the opening on the lid part that was designed to give access to the HDMI ports.
3. We use two M2.5 nuts and bolts to secure the stand and its holder together.
4. We then positioned the stand holder assembly on the display's rear side and tightened them both with the LID component, using two M3 screws per stand.
5. Assembly has now been completed.

the culmination of this project is a sleek and functional 7-inch portable monitor that combines convenience with versatility. Featuring an HDMI port on the back, this monitor can seamlessly connect to a variety of devices, making it an ideal companion for both work and leisure.

The integrated battery pack ensures wireless operation, adding to the monitor's portability and ease of use. Whether you're traveling, presenting, or simply seeking a second screen, this portable monitor provides a reliable and efficient solution.

We tested this monitor by connecting it to our laptop and streaming the movie Dragon Ball Super Broly. The visuals were spectacular, as expected for an LCD panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This display is rather usable, and because of its compact size, it is best used as a secondary monitor with a laptop.

The second application for this display is with a single-board computer. We connected one of our ongoing projects, which includes a Raspberry Pi CM5 board, to our portable display, and it produces an excellent Pi display.

Overall, this project is now concluded and requires no further revision.

Leave a comment if you need any help regarding this project. This is it for today, folks.

Thanks to Seeed Studio Fusion for supporting this project.

You guys can check them out if you need great PCB and stencil service for less cost and great quality.

And I'll be back with a new project pretty soon!