A maker has built a new mini computer with a 5-inch LCD using the Pimoroni PicoVision development board and a handful of components. Mini computers built using DIY development boards are gaining traction among hobbyists, educators, and tech enthusiasts. This trend is driven by the flexibility of open-source hardware, low power consumption, and the increasing accessibility of advanced microcontrollers.
The Pimoroni PicoVision dev board features dual RP2040 microcontrollers. One acts as a GPU while the other acts as a CPU. This dev board is marketed as a “digital video stick” and is ideal for developing projects involving displays. The board features an HDMI connector to easily interface displays.
The maker [Abe’s Projects] has demonstrated in his YouTube video how he designed a suitable 3D printed frame for the portable PC which houses an LCD with 800×480 pixels resolution. The mini PC runs his self-made firmware written in MicroPython. Users can interact with the device via custom apps which can be navigated via a GUI.
The maker went to extensive lengths to design the keyboard he wanted. He found a TV remote online featuring a keyboard that he could repurpose. He researched the schematic of the keyboard online and designed a custom PCB with an I2C GPIO expander IC to interface with the keyboard, thereby reducing wire clutter in his project. He also wrote custom MicroPython code to read the keyboard.
Users can also add expansion modules to the mini computer to enhance its capabilities. The maker demonstrated a simple expansion board consisting of the SeedStudio XIAO dev board and an LED that can be controlled via an app from the mini PC.
As more makers experiment with custom-built mini PCs, the line between embedded systems and traditional computing continues to blur, opening new possibilities for innovation.
Leave a Reply