[draft] Pi Box (raspberry Pi In A 7'' Display)

[jrga]

Hey Guys! This probably isnt a build log you are used to seeing since its not an uber liquid diamond cooled octo titan Xeon computer but It was a little day project i set out for myself and is a lead up of a better made product later. The Aim:  a Raspberry Pi box that I will use for emulators, etc.

So clearing out the house when I come over an old DVD player that has two external screens. The DVD play part was broken but the screens worked perfectly and had an AV plug, perfect for a Raspberry Pi!

This log is my draft build, I have two of the screens so this first one is more of a test build, getting things in place, trying fitting things etc, the second build will be in the next few months and will include much cleaner wiring, holes, and a paint job for the screen!

 

Hardware used:

• 256MB Raspberry Pi Model B
• Proline 7'' LCD Monitor (From DVDP270W)
• 8GB Sandisk Extreme SDHC

 

 

 

 

The Screen: 

Proline 7'' LCD Monitor 

 

 

The Pi:

Model B 256MB RAM Version

 

 

 

Storage: 

Sandisk Extreme 8GB SDHC

 

 

 

 

 

The Build:

 

Step 1: Disassembling the Screen

 

8 screws holding the back on.

Had to take elasticated strap off the back first.

Proceeded with other screws.

Back lifts straight off revealing the panel board behind the screen and the IO interface board in a separate section below.

Botton IO interface:

Panel board:

 

4 screws holding Panel board in place: unscrew to move the board and make room for Pi.

Board slides to the right and stays with ease, no need for any adhesive to hold in place.

 

Perfect fit for the Raspberry Pi! Again, No need for adhesive to hold in place.

 

 

Step 2: Raspberry PIO

 

 Board out ready for Dremmeling.

Dremmeling left side for Composite video.

Clearance made

Video fits through but 3.5mm jack for audio needs clearance also.

More dremmeling done. 3.5mm jack now accessible.

Out line for Network / USB ports,

Dremmeling the clearance.

Clearance made on inner wall.

Both fit through well.

Planned clearance for Video/audio on back.

Clearance made, Wire fits through now.

Clearance made for Network/USB on outer wall and Back

 

 

Step 3: Reassembly

 

Power into the Raspberry Pi (only just fits.)

 

Back back on, Wires trail out.

 

Final Result:

 

 

 

There it is! The Pi Box Version 1. 

Stay tuned for Version 2.0.

[W-Junk]

Nice build, Love the raspberry Pi,

Can't wait for Version 2.0 :D

[David89]

Looks great! What are you running on the PI? Looks like some Linux with LXDE...

[jrga]

Looks great! What are you running on the PI? Looks like some Linux with LXDE...

Raspian Wheezy! its kinda like the stock Debian kernel for the raspberry pi and it gets the most support for emulators which is my main concern. I just wish the Pi could run android!

[David89]

Raspian Wheezy! its kinda like the stock Debian kernel for the raspberry pi and it gets the most support for emulators which is my main concern. I just wish the Pi could run android!

 

Hm, well, i know a friend of mine who is running android on his Pi, with an Wiimote. His Android is based on the Cyanogenmod9

 

EDIT:

 

Ah, well i just asked him: it works but barely...to bad :/

[jrga]

Hm, well, i know a friend of mine who is running android on his Pi, with an Wiimote. His Android is based on the Cyanogenmod9

 

EDIT:

 

Ah, well i just asked him: it works but barely...to bad :/

 

Ahahah yep, ive seen it done but it was always unusable.

[jrga]

That looks cool. Any chance you can make some covers for the cables, or even run the video camera inside the unit?

 

Next build there will only be the power cable coming out of the deice, the rest will be internally routed. 

 

Ahh yes a webcam! ill see what i can do but that would be incredible! Thanks for the idea!

[jrga]

Wow. That was a typo. I wanted to type cable, not camera. Best type ever.

 

And while your at it, maybe a microphone too?

 

Or if your really ambitious a touch screen.

 

Ahaha incredibly lucky typo! Id get a camera/mic combo so it only takes up one USB, adding a usb hub will be pretty much the only option, not that its a bad thing. I might route the Pi's power cable off the screen power so you only need to use one plug. Im basically going to have to strip the inside as much as I can to fit it all in!

[jrga]

Maybe you could by a piece of acrylic, make it into a box. Use your dremel and cut perfect holes for everything. Glue it together and paint it. That way it can be your own housing.

 

Maybe you could get a touchscreen digitizer, put it over the screen, and somehow hook it up to the pi?

 

I was thinking of just popping into the workshop at school and laser cutting a case, problem is I really like this screen case, and fro the effort of making another case it wouldnt look as good. Im just going to try my best and cram as much as I can into this baby!  Im going to do some research on a touch overlay also and see if it can use the universal IO pins on the Pi to control it. save having to plug a mouse and keyboard in. then again it becomes just a tablet and ive got plenty of them!

[jrga]

While your at it install a battery into it.

 

This screen's a power hog! really old and requires constant power like a wall plug or car plug. I might try a solar panel however, just for fun! not that the sun is very reliable here in Britain.

[jrga]

A rasberry pi tablet would be really cool.

 

£25 tablet! exciting

[jrga]

Plus the amount of work that goes into it, and any materials that you need to buy.

 So yeah you might as well buy a tablet ahah oh well good project!

[TicTac]

Ha looks awesome smart idea nice job man!

[MrAnderson90]

You should really consider making your own frame out of wood for the screen, for a vintage look!

[prodigydoo]

Very impressive. I have always wanted a pi so I could do something like this.

If it were me making this in particular I would have tried to figure out a way to run that video wire internally but overall very u nice job

[jrga]

But, can it run crysis?  :P

Just kidding man, it looks sweet, very nice!

I totally forgot to put that spare GTX Titan in! Damn!

[jrga]

You should really consider making your own frame out of wood for the screen, for a vintage look!

I think it would amazing but my wood working skills arent the best...

[jrga]

Very impressive. I have always wanted a pi so I could do something like this.

If it were me making this in particular I would have tried to figure out a way to run that video wire internally but overall very u nice job

Next build will hopefully only have one wire coming out! everything else will be internal