Making a Mini Monitor for Raspberry Pi

In this instructables, I am going to show you how you can build a DIY mini monitor for raspberry pi. This monitor can be used as a computer monitor because it has VGA and HDMI inputs so it can be easily connected to any CPU. This monitor also has a composite video input, so you can also use it as a mini LCD or LED T.V. but this monitor has neither any speaker inside and nor audio input so if you want to use it as a mini T.V., you have to use speakers separately. This monitor has a 10.1" LCD pannel. It operates on 12V/2 Amp DC Power supply. You can supply power to it through a 12 V/2 Amp adapter. This monitor also has some buttons on the right side to select the video inputs(AV1, AV2, HDMI, or VGA) and change the settings of the monitor. Although an infrared remote can also be used here for changing the settings and selecting input but here I am not using It. Now let's get started!.

Hardware Requirements:

Robu In

LCD pannel with Driver board

https://robu.in/product/10-1-inch-ips-lcd-screen-1280x800-with-driver-board-kit-for-raspberry-pi/

HDMI Cable

https://robu.in/product/hdmi-to-hdmi-cable-1-8-meter-round-high-quality-copper-clad-steel-black/

12V, 2Amp SMPS(Adapter)

https://robu.in/product/orange-12v-2a-power-adapter-with-dc-plug-bis-approved

Amazon

MDF

https://www.amazon.in/MSGH-Board-Wood-Sheets-Thickness/dp/B08LKWBMTY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2XQOZUUAA34PY&keywords=MDF&qid=1684513499&sprefix=mdf%2Caps%2C498&sr=8-6&th=1

Glue

https://www.amazon.in/Fevicol-Squeeze-Bottle-100-grams/dp/B00I03VKNU/ref=sr_1_6?crid=283YQ4J4ND1TL&keywords=Fevicol&qid=1684513590&sprefix=fevicol%2Caps%2C296&sr=8-6

Tools:

1. Screw Driver
2. Saw
3. File
4. Drill
5. Screw
6. Soldering Iron
7. Pencil
8. Scale
9. Soldering wire and Flux

Before start cutting the MDF, you need to draw the cutting marks on MDF sheets with the help of pencil and ruler so that you can easily cut them. If you will not mark the MDF sheets then you may destroy your MDF sheets. You can take the help of given pictures in which you can see how I have marked the cutting marks on the MDF sheets. You have marked for all 6 MDF sheets.

You have to cut out the MDF pieces of the following dimensions.

1. Front sheet for making display frame(26cm x 18 cm)
2. Backward sheet for making the case(26cm x 18cm)
3. Right side sheet(16.6cm x 2.6cm)
4. Left side sheet(16.6cm x 2.6cm)
5. Top side sheet(26cm x 2.6cm_
6. Bottom side sheet(26cm x 2.6cm)

You have to cut out also 9.5cm x 1.8cm part of the left side sheet. This is because at this side of the monitor You will mount the driver board so you can easily connect the power input cable and video inputs to the driver board. You can see the picture of left side MDF sheet in the image-3 of this step.

I have also cut out 4 small pieces of MDF(you can cut them according to your experience) for using them in display frame so that our display would not be able to shift.

For making the display frame, cut out a 22cm x 13.9cm rectangular sheet from the front sheet as shown in the pictures and fix the 4 supporter with the help of glue so that display could not move.

After making the display frame, fix the display in your frame carefully. I have also used some ideas to fix the display in the frame in a precise way. you can understand the idea after watching all the images of this step carefully.

You can take the help of given images to create your own case. You have to connect the pieces of the MDF together using the glue and then wait until glue dries.

I am connecting the button PCB to the right side sheet. So I marked the 7 holes on the right side sheet of the MDF. Five for button and two for screws. Then I drill the seven holes on the marked point and then fix the button PCB on it with screws.

I decided to place the driver board at the bottom of the left side MDF sheet. I have selected this position because at this position of the driver board you can easily connect the input cables to the driver board. So I carefully place the driver board at this place and marked the 4 necessary holes, Then I drill the 4 holes and then fix the driver board with the help of screws and screwdriver.

Wiring of the monitor is easy because here we have to connect the button PCB and display pannel to the driver board. To connect the button PCB to the main board a white ribbon wire is given here. During connecting the white ribbon wire to the button PCB, I found that If I shall connect the white ribbon wire to the button PCB then the Display frame and case cannot be jointed together. To get rid of this problem I cut the one side of white ribbon wire and directly soldered it to the button PCB and connected the other end of this white ribbon wire to the driver board.

Now connect the display and driver board together using the LVDS cable. Please connect this cable carefully otherwise your monitor would not work.

Before connecting the display frame and case together check that you have connected the LVDS cable to the Driver board properly. For this connect the 12V DC supply to the power input of the the driver board and look at the display. If the display is displaying the no signal that means your connections are right.

If your display does not shows above message then disconnect the power cable from the monitor and also remove the LVDS cable from driver board and display and then connect it again in a more precise way and then again connect the power supply cable to the monitor.

Now after testing the display connect the display frame and case together using glue. You can also take the help of tape and when your glue is dry out then you can remove the tape.

For final testing of the mini monitor, connect the 12V DC power supply wire to the 12V Input of the mini monitor then connect your monitor to your laptop or computer using HDMI or VGA cable. Since my laptop has only HDMI port so I am using a HDMI cable here.

Now connect the composite video signal to the monitor using an RCA cable. Here I am using a digital video player to take the composite video signal. This video player operates on 5V so here I am using a 4.2 V li-Ion battery for powering it.

If your setup is completed as mention above then switch on the power. You can select which which video input you want to use this time. you can use only one video input at a time. You can select the video input using the upper push button on the right side of the the monitor. If you are able to watch the video from both of the input simultaneously then your monitor is working properly.

If you are not able to watch the video then please make sure that you have connected the connector in a the right way or not and then again power the system.

This projects is not completed yet. There are many improvements that is necessary to make in this project and these improvements are.

• This mini monitor does not have any stand so it is difficult to place it any where.
• The mini monitor also does not have an Infrared remote to change the settings.
• The mini monitor does not have any internal power source or battery
• The mini monitor does not have audio input.
• The mini monitor does not have any USB Port for connecting a pen drive.

If the above improvements would make in this project, the project will look really awesome and can be used to fulfil many tasks but now a days, I am very busy so I have not added these features to this projects. I promise you that I will surely add these features to my DIY Raspberry Pi Mini Monitor. So please wait for it. Until you also try to add these features by your own.