A project based on UDOO x86 board

Hello everyone!
This an process about how I built my laptop with an UDOO x86 maker board. I haven’t finish it. OK, built a laptop, why?? this is my idea, and I willing to do it, just it. I want to build a laptop belong to me. A hackable laptop, maybe with some other functions. Due to the performance of the board, I didn’t pay much expect on the performace. I just want to coding and interneting, etc. not to run a simulation. Anyway I think this board will meet what I need.

I did some search on DIY laptop about some people done before. Many hackers built laptop based on Raspberry pi, with screen keyboard, battery, etc. I think these laptop maybe hard to use in reality. I want to get a Bunnie’s opensoure laptop, but it’s expensive for me. After I saw the UDOO x86 board, I only have one idea that is built one.

In my previous article I received my UDOO board with 32G emmc. And I installed Ubuntu and tested the wifi card, all of them wordk fine. In my idea, I will use the exited laptop case(like Thinkpad T450, you can find in aliexpress or ebay). This is my finished case and I did a test with raspberry Pi which I used to watch movies on Kodi. I tesed the frame, lcd, interface board, and all of them work well. The only thing I pay a lot of attention is the thickness. Due to the PCI-E slot, the board approach to 2.2cm.

Until now, I prepared something that need:

• motherboard - UDOO x86 Advanced Plus (32G EMMC)
• frame - full Thinkpad T450 case(cover) ¹
• screen - 14’ inch lcd ² with eDP interface
• video interface - HDMI to eDP interface board ³ (with a frameware to control brightness.. ) and flex(FPC) HDMI cable ⁴
• storage - 60G SSD and SATA cable, Power cable ⁵
• power - 12v 3A power adapter
• keyboard - 1.Rii wireless keyboard with touchpad ⁶ 2.T450 keyboard

Something to prepare:  

• battery and charger with power selector circuit 

Here I want to talk about the video interface board, as we know as the UDOO board has 2 MINI DP++, and my Lcd has the eDP interfece. Earily I search the relationship between the MINI DP++ and eDP, I know they has the same 4wire data wire, but the MINI DP++ on board has no function to control the brightness of LCD. If I can used the interface of MINI DP++, I need to add a device to control the brightness. The big problem is I can’t find some example about how to change MINI DP++ to eDP, except a cable can connect the MINI DP++ and eDP all of them. So, I give up to use the MINI DP++ as the lcd source.

UPDATE 1710525
I saw use the dp to edp exmaple on the 51nb bbs. I will check it later. Recently, I finished the test on the video output to the lcd.
In the last blog, becasuse of the bad SATA power cable, I can’t use the SSD yet. I ordered the JST 4Pin cable for the power connector and 2 Pin cable for the speaker connector on the board. I will finished the power cable DIY as soon as received the package. Next I will do is the most challenging thing, put the board in the case.

UPDATE 170611
I received JST cable ⁵ both 4pin for SATA power and 2pin for speaker connector. After solding wire with power connectors ⁷, including SSD driver all of them work fine.
Next, I will plan how to deal with laptop case. I have print the same size of board on A4 page already. I’m looking for another wireless keyboard with a larger and good performance touchpad ⁸.

UPDATE 170924
I’m a lazy man, this update is after 3 months. During the almost 4 months, I just did a little things.

Due to the thickness of laptop cover, the RJ45 socket was removed by a 10 pin adapter cable, then the adapter cable will connect to a RJ45 board ⁹ on the laptop’s RJ45 position. And the SATA data socket also was extended by a 20cm cable. After these changes, I connected my 60G SATA SSD, the board operates good.

On the other hand, I deal with the T450 C,D case, remove some parts which is block the board. And drill a square that the higest PICE socket can through it to close the C,D case. But, after what I think the limit I did, I get a conclusion, the case is very difficult to close. So, I change my mind, I will design a 3D printed D case to fit the UDOO x86 board, which can has a comfortable space to fix and conveient to extend the IO port(HDMI, USB, DP++, power, etc.). Actually, this blog 3d-printed-laptop-case gives me some inspiration. I will design the bone of the D case, to make sure the lowest height needed in this situaion. This is the first step I will go.
Recently, I saw a lot of people viewed this article, I will do this project as fast as I can.

If you have something to say, please leave the comment.

Reference:

1. 3d-printed-laptop-case

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