Raspberry Pi Tablet

Here are instructions on how to build a tablet from just a few different parts. The total cost for this project is around $100. If you have any ideas for future projects please put them in the comments and I will try to get to them as soon as I can.

Supplies

Raspberry Pi 3B+
Official Raspberry Pi 7 inch screen
Micro SD Card 8 GB or higher
Raspberry Pi imager
Short Micro USB Power cord and USB adapter

Connecting the Screen

To connect the screen to the raspberry pi, first connect the ribbon cable to the control board. Be careful when you do this because the ribbon cable is very thin and easy to tear. Then insert one end of the white ribbon cable into the control board and the other end into the DSI connector on the raspberry pi. Double check that all the cables are in tightly and also make sure they are straight.

Flashing the OS to an SD Card

First you need the raspberry pi imager software. You can download the imager on Mac, Windows, or X86 Ubuntu. Download it from this website: https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/ After you have done that you can Put your micro SD card into you computer and launch the imaging software. First select the operating system you want. Then choose your SD card in the drop-down menu. Then you can click Write. It may take a couple hours depending on your internet speeds. When it finishes writing to the micro SD card eject it from the computer.

Boot From the SD Card and Make Sure Everything Is Working

So you just flashed the OS to the micro SD card. Now you are ready to boot up the raspberry pi. Insert the micro SD card into the slot on the raspberry pi and then you can plug i the micro USB cord and it should turn on automatically. You are now booted into you new raspberry pi!

Making a Housing (optional)

So you have your raspberry pi all set up and running raspberry pi OS. Now you will probably want a housing for it. I have looked online and I couldn't find any cases that would go around the whole thing. You can try to make a case out of nice thick cardboard or if you want you could try 1/8 inch plywood. You do not have to put on a case but if you do you should have either a heatsink or fan on the raspberry pi. Also add some venting in the case.