Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: galannthegreat on March 22, 2009, 07:36:03 PM

Title: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 22, 2009, 07:36:03 PM

I have a dead iPod with the LCD still intact and I want to eventually use it as a display on the next robot I am planning with a buddy, any ideas on how I could go about this?

Actually about the datasheet thing, I just asked a buddy of mine and he said he found one that outlines the LCD of my ol' 5th gen, thanks for that suggestion. I've also got quite a few cell phone LCD's in which I've figured out the connections.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: TrickyNekro on March 23, 2009, 04:01:57 AM

If you can find the datasheet of the controller then, I guess that ok...
But companies like Apple, Sony Ericsson..... don't easily give out their datasheets,
even if the product is long discontinued.....
It's all about the datasheet....

BTW, you can also get the LiPo battery if you know how to use it and charge it!!!
Else.... fireworks... :-p

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: SmAsH on March 23, 2009, 04:03:51 AM

are li-po's the ones that go boom if exposed to water?

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: Razor Concepts on March 23, 2009, 06:02:33 AM

Or if you puncture them, discharge them too fast, or overcharge them. People have lost their homes due to lipos so they aren't to be messed around with.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 23, 2009, 09:34:00 AM

I know how to work with LiPo's, and yes the dangers are extreme, so if possible I try to use LiIon.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: SmAsH on March 23, 2009, 12:59:09 PM

yeah, at cadets we got a 25min lecture about how not to do anything like that to those batteries in our radios or it would most definitely take out our whole squadron. i still dont know why they still use those batteries? do they last long? small? 

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 23, 2009, 02:03:39 PM

They are very cheap to manufacture, so I guess that would be a good reason.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: want2learn on March 23, 2009, 02:11:06 PM

Li-po's are relatively cheap to manufacture and have a high capacity to weight ratio which means more punch for your pound

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: SmAsH on March 23, 2009, 02:15:12 PM

im still scared of using them :P

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: want2learn on March 23, 2009, 02:58:26 PM

properly cared for li-po's are the best investment battery wise in my opnion

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: SmAsH on March 23, 2009, 03:12:01 PM

i do agree but i have heard really bad stories from my corpral and a guy i know in the raeme of people dying of some kind of acid being in their lungs from these batteries exploding. but i will look into them and use some kind of protection circuit like trickys.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 24, 2009, 08:49:56 PM

those are usually what I call "extreme" cases of people doing dumb stuff, if you use it under normal situations there should not be a problem

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on April 07, 2009, 10:04:11 PM

I found a site where a guy has hacked the screen and got it work on an MCU, check it out if you're interested in doing this yourself:
http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/ipodlcd.html (http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/ipodlcd.html)

I hope this will be helpful to some!!! ;D

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on April 07, 2009, 10:29:08 PM

and now I seem to have found the connector for this one:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=HFK132CT-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=HFK132CT-ND)
 EDIT
don't mind that link, it seems to be the wrong connector, if anyone can find the connector w/o having to order mass amounts of it, it would be much appreciated to send the info my way.

Thanks, Kurt.

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: TrickyNekro on April 08, 2009, 05:06:23 AM

My lab has an Logic Analyzer that can be of great help!!!
Generally, have a logic analyzer and a good scope and you can do anything.... Anything!!!

I get to look for a connector.... How many pins do you read?

Title: Re: Is there anyway to hack a dead iPod's LCD to use for a display?
Post by: galannthegreat on April 08, 2009, 10:19:29 AM

The connector is a 32pin, 0.3mm pitch connector, the manufacturer is DDK, but they require you to buy lots and I only need 2 or 3.
 
Thanks