You're a freaking genius man, loving your vids! Subscribed. I was a machinist until I was disabled. I thought that was the end of the world until I started researching more the tech side of the world. You have given renewed hope that I can be productive and help myself at the same time! I'm digging both the coding and manufacturing that you do. I'll say it again, genius man.
Love watching these tiny builds. I probably would have gone without the micro USB OTG port on the side and instead, disassembled one of those tiny USB wireless dongles and then wired it directly to the Pi Zero's USB OTG pins to add built-in wireless networking functionality, but I suppose that you could achieve the same thing with a short USB-OTG cable and any wireless dongle that works with Raspbian. Awesome project guys, thanks for sharing!
Hey Ben, what you've made yourself there would actually be considered a fixture. Fixtures locate parts for repeatably where as a jig is what guides your tool during a operation. Otherwise awesome stuff as always!
Upon rewatching it, I have to say that this is one of the neatest projects you have worked on. Super cool. I'd like to see you add a lip around the top part of the device, so as to close the unit better and completely hide the keyboard (edit: kind of like the nintendo ds lite), and make a thicker hinge in order to hide the ribbon cable making it go around and on the outside but not exposed, and also making it (the hinge) stronger.
I liked the Yackity Sax reference during the diode wiring. Also, I'd like to suggest that Ben Heck doing acapella be known as "Heck-apella" from now on.
So cool! Discovered your channel after watching your Nintendo PlayStation repair series :) One quick tip as I heard you mention around the 13:15 mark that when prototyping 3d prints you always have an elephant foot on the bottom. The typical way around that is to print with a raft! They're a dirty word in hobbyist circles but commonplace in industry when you need things that are dimensionally accurate with FDM printing. Ok that's all the wisdom I can share, everything else you talk about is above my pay grade 😂 Keep up the great work!
"we were afraid that no one would be able to get one (pi zero) so that they could build it themselves at home". Yeh, i don't think most of us are worried about whether we can actually get hold of a pi zero. More like, unable to get a lazer cutter, a 3d printer, a vinyl printer, etc. etc. Would be great if you could do more projects using things that dont require large expensive machines to make.
CatTheRigger They're still in stock at Pimoroni, where I ordered. Also, you can always check this site to see if and where they're in stock. whereismypizero.com/
thats a sweet build, I like how you did the keyboard. The idea I have for a Pie Zero is a smart watch type computer. I would try it myself but I can hold the iron steady enough to do those types of builds.
You guys should make a raspberry pi cluster, I'm looking to make one with 10 pi zeros and a pi 3 to make a jarvis home automation system and also a host for my 3d printer
Ben, to avoid the bigger first layer you can apply a tiny draft to the base layer. Effectively the first layer will still be slightly bigger than the model, but the draft would negate this effect.
So, apparently there are configuration options you can change in the composite video output that can adjust the amount of overscan compensation and the proportions of the screen, so that you can avoid getting that horizontally-stretched look, and also avoid any black bars around the edges of the screen. It looks like you guys have taken care of the overscan, but not the proportions.
I wonder if it would have saved time by using those old T-Mobile SideKicks or 2 way pagers and putting in the raspberry Pi Zero. PS the "getting jiggy with it" line was so funny.
So idea I have. What if you did a Raspberry Pi Switch? A handheld raspberry pi running emulation station, that removes the hdmi, usb, and ethernet ports. Then you plug it into a dock, which adds the missing connections, as well as a fan system to safely overclock the pi for higher end emulation.
Ben says that's possible, but the ribbon cable is really short, so it would be difficult to make the different parts fit into the compact design. The LCD itself is still pretty thick.
Ah, I see. If he did that he'd probably end up with something similar to a Pocket C.H.I.P., which seems thin, but thanks to its screen, case and overall component layout (esp. the battery) it's actually a bit bulky. And isn't foldable. We need thinner batteries. Thanks for the reply, ninja Karen! Keep on ninja-ing!
Nice project. Maybe should have printed the bottom a few mill taller to recess the screw heads on the bottom of the unit. Then glue on some rubber feet.
I'd like to see a Rpi used to make a cheap carputer stereo on the cheap. One that can be used to play music, videos, and even access UA-cam through tethered internet.
Curently buiding a 16x4 Raspberry Pi Zero thermal imager. Had the sensor sitting on my desk for a few years now. Thought I might as well put it to good use.
Fastforward to 2018 and we're starting to see commercial ARM-based laptops. It would be nice to have something like this, a more free and open ARM platform, available in a full-sized notebook and running Linux. A more serious and robust version of the Pi Top, I suppose, with proper SATA or NVME storage and all.
Zhao Zhao if he really just connected the composite output then the truth is he doesn't have a working headphone jack because I don't see the circuitry needed to get an audio out from the gpio
The Pi Zero has a composite output - it's not broken out to a connector but it's accessible on a pair of solder points marked "TV". Getting audio out is a little harder - the Pi Zero doesn't provide audio out except via HDMI, so if you want analog audio you either need to get it from HDMI, or recreate the audio circuitry that's present on other Pi models.
Wizard XV Do you mean "good ways"? Basically you just wire up those two pins to an RCA plug or jack, square pad to the center pin, then plug the screen in. (You could, of course, eliminate the connector pair if you needed to save space.) There are tutorials online. Here's a pretty good one: www.modmypi.com/blog/how-to-add-an-rca-tv-connector-to-a-raspberry-pi-zero
can you please make a parts list and where to buy everything and the 3d printing stls please because I love your show and im really interested into making one of these little pi laptops
Hi, Got some question about that : - How did you wire the audio jack ? - How did you wire all the key of the keyboard ? How to bind key to letter ( when you type it type the letter, all thoses things other gpio ) - Where did you buy the screen too ? Thanks if you answer, bye
The keyboard used a matrix with a diode on each key to make them individually addressable. The link for the screen is on github in the Parts folder on the BOM. github.com/thebenheckshow/244-tbhs-raspberry-pi-zero-portable
Too bad that ben didn't care about sound, because the pi zero don't have any analog output for sound. The only way to get sound with a regular pi zero is to use HDMI ... wich isn't accessible in this build ... You can also get sound by making a little circuit plugged into the gpio. I think that it would have been a nice thing to add
Actually i had a idea if you can move that LCD More left you can make room for small speakers and maybe a small amp that can fit adafruit has a small mono amp and speaker.
I'd like to see a keyboard design that is a bit cleaner looking and more comfortable (than tact switches) in your portable devices, and it could also be thinner. Maybe something like what is in Open Pandora or on qwerty mobile phones of yore. If making one from scratch is too big of an undertaking hacking an existing mini keyboard into a smaller form factor would also be cool to see.
I do have some project ideas for the Raspberry Pi Zero, but the problem is I can't get my hands on one! First time I heard about it they were already sold out, so I got put on a mailing list when the next batch was made. I got notified when the next batch was available. Didn't check my email that day until 4-5 hours after the notification. I went directly to Adafruits site and....SOLD OUT. In less than 6 hours! These things are near impossible to get!
Put a sheet of PEI (Polyetherimide) on a glass plate and your ABS won't warp anymore. What etching plastic do you use? Is it Laserbits plastic laminate?
Please make the overall design and code for the keyboard available i would like to make my own keyboard too so i would like to know how to program my pi to work with it.
Would you be able to tell me what screen it is you're using? I had a hell of a time finding a screen that I could transform my Pi into a portable gaming machine, and that thing looks perfect.
Fubukiyo it's one of those screen you use to drive in reverse while in a car, you can easily find them on amazon or ebay, its something like: "car backup display"
“Let’s wait until everyone has a Pi 0 before we make this.” 1st step, “We used our super expensive laser cutter...” At least you tried to do something the average person can do?
I wouldn't have closed off the 'power' port. Reason being that the Pi Zero can now act like a device so... you could have made the Pi Zero PC act as a special device to another PC (or even another Pi Zero PC)
when i build pi or any other small board machine i tend to stay away from the composite video the screen header or hdmi is so much better, don't get me wrong composite works great for game emulation and such, but when you drop out onto the command line the screen can be really hard to see and read. black duct tidies up and strengthens those gold ribbon cables, just cover the front and back of the ribbon.
This is exactly what I have wanted to see since Pi Zero came out. Thank you.
You're a freaking genius man, loving your vids! Subscribed. I was a machinist until I was disabled. I thought that was the end of the world until I started researching more the tech side of the world. You have given renewed hope that I can be productive and help myself at the same time! I'm digging both the coding and manufacturing that you do. I'll say it again, genius man.
Love watching these tiny builds. I probably would have gone without the micro USB OTG port on the side and instead, disassembled one of those tiny USB wireless dongles and then wired it directly to the Pi Zero's USB OTG pins to add built-in wireless networking functionality, but I suppose that you could achieve the same thing with a short USB-OTG cable and any wireless dongle that works with Raspbian. Awesome project guys, thanks for sharing!
That soldering background singing was awesome. That's going to be my new ringtone.
That soldering song, amazing!
"The past, the future, and the present walked into a bar. It was tense." X D I liked your shirt.
Hey Ben, what you've made yourself there would actually be considered a fixture. Fixtures locate parts for repeatably where as a jig is what guides your tool during a operation. Otherwise awesome stuff as always!
Upon rewatching it, I have to say that this is one of the neatest projects you have worked on. Super cool.
I'd like to see you add a lip around the top part of the device, so as to close the unit better and completely hide the keyboard (edit: kind of like the nintendo ds lite), and make a thicker hinge in order to hide the ribbon cable making it go around and on the outside but not exposed, and also making it (the hinge) stronger.
Those are great ideas!
theHeckwithKaren Hey, Karen, thanks!
I read that in your voice, by the way. haha.
But yeah, the NDS has a great design to -copy- get inspiration from.
"$ sudo shit" at 19:10 :D
I liked the Yackity Sax reference during the diode wiring. Also, I'd like to suggest that Ben Heck doing acapella be known as "Heck-apella" from now on.
So cool! Discovered your channel after watching your Nintendo PlayStation repair series :)
One quick tip as I heard you mention around the 13:15 mark that when prototyping 3d prints you always have an elephant foot on the bottom. The typical way around that is to print with a raft! They're a dirty word in hobbyist circles but commonplace in industry when you need things that are dimensionally accurate with FDM printing. Ok that's all the wisdom I can share, everything else you talk about is above my pay grade 😂
Keep up the great work!
"we were afraid that no one would be able to get one (pi zero) so that they could build it themselves at home". Yeh, i don't think most of us are worried about whether we can actually get hold of a pi zero. More like, unable to get a lazer cutter, a 3d printer, a vinyl printer, etc. etc.
Would be great if you could do more projects using things that dont require large expensive machines to make.
Amazing project! Would love to replicate this.
Please make an Electronic skateboard using a Raspberry Pi next!!
Best Non Copyright music On youtube I ever heard
"Like a Gameboy SP"
No, like a fcking Laptop
18:32 I'm no engineer but I'm pretty sure I don't need to be one to use fabric just like a braided cable to sleeve and hide a ribbon cable.
That keyboard is insanely interesting, it would be great to make a write up on how that's done!
Well, I haven't built anything with a Pi Zero, but thanks to this episode, I decided to check if it was in stock again somewhere and ordered.
Wow lucky
CatTheRigger
They're still in stock at Pimoroni, where I ordered.
Also, you can always check this site to see if and where they're in stock.
whereismypizero.com/
+TheRexDark Thanks :D
thats a sweet build, I like how you did the keyboard.
The idea I have for a Pie Zero is a smart watch type computer. I would try it myself but I can hold the iron steady enough to do those types of builds.
kinda wish we could order preprinted parts to make this ourselves like what others did with the pi boy
that'd be pretty cool haha
Anyone else think that Ben and Great Scott! should collaborate or something. Two of my favorite channels
"You could type sudo into windows if you wanted, it just wouldn't do anything." Lol hahaha
That was completely incredible and awe inspiring:O
Thanks for sharing all the amazing technology that has my heart and mind soaring! Just wow!
"Always make something you can take apart" - up there with "Mesaure twice, cut once"
You guys should make a raspberry pi cluster, I'm looking to make one with 10 pi zeros and a pi 3 to make a jarvis home automation system and also a host for my 3d printer
Jonathan Luna sounds cool, if youre not lying
You got my attention
What pins did you connect the keyboard rows and cols to? I was trying to follow the code, but it look like you connected some to the power pins.
Ben, to avoid the bigger first layer you can apply a tiny draft to the base layer. Effectively the first layer will still be slightly bigger than the model, but the draft would negate this effect.
Mr. Ben Heck, I am getting a pi zero soon and you gave me ideas. And for that I thank you
I wish I had a good enough understanding of electronics to do stuff like this.
That's why I'm watching and learning. I understand enough to get me entrenched in more learning. Interesting stuff.
ikr
+The Ben Heck Show that warping on the 3d part, Try buildtac printing surface
So, apparently there are configuration options you can change in the composite video output that can adjust the amount of overscan compensation and the proportions of the screen, so that you can avoid getting that horizontally-stretched look, and also avoid any black bars around the edges of the screen. It looks like you guys have taken care of the overscan, but not the proportions.
Firsty McFirstFace
no one cares :)
what lcd is that
Kudos for the t-shirts, Halo Reach aka the best Halo in my opinion.
I wonder if it would have saved time by using those old T-Mobile SideKicks or 2 way pagers and putting in the raspberry Pi Zero. PS the "getting jiggy with it" line was so funny.
+Lostmuppet Yep
So idea I have. What if you did a Raspberry Pi Switch? A handheld raspberry pi running emulation station, that removes the hdmi, usb, and ethernet ports. Then you plug it into a dock, which adds the missing connections, as well as a fan system to safely overclock the pi for higher end emulation.
reminds me of those good ol HP tiny PCs (like the HP 200LX) except this one can actually do things. I miss good engineering
1:14 - Which Adafruit LCD were you talking about? Couldn't it be disassembled to save space? (assuming it's one connected to a Pi hat board.)
Ben says that's possible, but the ribbon cable is really short, so it would be difficult to make the different parts fit into the compact design. The LCD itself is still pretty thick.
Ah, I see. If he did that he'd probably end up with something similar to a Pocket C.H.I.P., which seems thin, but thanks to its screen, case and overall component layout (esp. the battery) it's actually a bit bulky. And isn't foldable.
We need thinner batteries.
Thanks for the reply, ninja Karen! Keep on ninja-ing!
Nice project. Maybe should have printed the bottom a few mill taller to recess the screw heads on the bottom of the unit. Then glue on some rubber feet.
For a dude who seemed to have just been working his garage, you sure have come along way.
I'd like to see a Rpi used to make a cheap carputer stereo on the cheap. One that can be used to play music, videos, and even access UA-cam through tethered internet.
Curently buiding a 16x4 Raspberry Pi Zero thermal imager. Had the sensor sitting on my desk for a few years now. Thought I might as well put it to good use.
Awesome. I would take a large gauge heat shrink, cut in half and sandwich the ribbon cable.
Fastforward to 2018 and we're starting to see commercial ARM-based laptops. It would be nice to have something like this, a more free and open ARM platform, available in a full-sized notebook and running Linux. A more serious and robust version of the Pi Top, I suppose, with proper SATA or NVME storage and all.
Can you further explain how you connected the diodes to the buttons and how the button internally connects?
Didn't you have to write a keyboard driver for your homebrew keyboard? Source code?
Best build in a while.
Best fast build ever. How did you get the headphone jack to to work from a Pi Zero?
My question too. I know there are ways, it's just odd it wasn't mentioned at all.
yep, mine too. UPVOTE THIS!
The Pi Zero routes the audio through the HDMI to the screen driver board, where there's a headphone jack.
*****
No there isn't. he said the LCD uses composite input, which disables the HDMI on the zero.
Zhao Zhao if he really just connected the composite output then the truth is he doesn't have a working headphone jack because I don't see the circuitry needed to get an audio out from the gpio
Pi 0 huh? Boy do I have an update for you.... from the year 2020 comes the PI 4!!!!
But , that is not working like that
"Felix had a whole real of diodes from school."
I believe those supplies aren't suppose to be taken out of the labs.
You could've covered ribbon cable with vinyl sleeve. And keyboard: little membranes and vinyl sticker over 'em.
How did you get that screen to work on the zero.... Where from.... and would it work with retropie... Thanks
The Pi Zero has a composite output - it's not broken out to a connector but it's accessible on a pair of solder points marked "TV".
Getting audio out is a little harder - the Pi Zero doesn't provide audio out except via HDMI, so if you want analog audio you either need to get it from HDMI, or recreate the audio circuitry that's present on other Pi models.
Tetsujin Know of any good guys for connecting a screen in that way?
Wizard XV Do you mean "good ways"?
Basically you just wire up those two pins to an RCA plug or jack, square pad to the center pin, then plug the screen in. (You could, of course, eliminate the connector pair if you needed to save space.)
There are tutorials online. Here's a pretty good one:
www.modmypi.com/blog/how-to-add-an-rca-tv-connector-to-a-raspberry-pi-zero
can you please make a parts list and where to buy everything and the 3d printing stls please because I love your show and im really interested into making one of these little pi laptops
Hi,
Got some question about that :
- How did you wire the audio jack ?
- How did you wire all the key of the keyboard ? How to bind key to letter ( when you type it type the letter, all thoses things other gpio )
- Where did you buy the screen too ?
Thanks if you answer,
bye
The keyboard used a matrix with a diode on each key to make them individually addressable.
The link for the screen is on github in the Parts folder on the BOM. github.com/thebenheckshow/244-tbhs-raspberry-pi-zero-portable
BTW that son you were singing at 5:11 is called Yackety Sax
probably the best looking build
Could be cool if you could put one of those wireless monitor things in it, so you could use any monitor you were near to use it.
So I have a digital photo frame lcd screen with a 50 pin ribbon connector. Where can i get a cheap driver like the one in the video?
That is some talent. But I wish it was longer; like how did you make the hinge and what are the keys made from? This is like adam savages channel.
That's a quite pretty beast you got there.
would it be possible to squeeze in a trackpoint for this? I think it would be useful.
how is the the audio out and the video out actually made? I mean in terms of the PiZero output.
Ben reminds me of Data from Star Trek, after 1000 years of aging.
Too bad that ben didn't care about sound, because the pi zero don't have any analog output for sound. The only way to get sound with a regular pi zero is to use HDMI ... wich isn't accessible in this build ... You can also get sound by making a little circuit plugged into the gpio. I think that it would have been a nice thing to add
Where is connected the jack ? He did not make pwm audio and there is no audio output except hdmi on the pi zero...
Actually i had a idea if you can move that LCD More left you can make room for small speakers and maybe a small amp that can fit adafruit has a small mono amp and speaker.
I'd like to see a keyboard design that is a bit cleaner looking and more comfortable (than tact switches) in your portable devices, and it could also be thinner. Maybe something like what is in Open Pandora or on qwerty mobile phones of yore. If making one from scratch is too big of an undertaking hacking an existing mini keyboard into a smaller form factor would also be cool to see.
That's my most favourite project you've ever done.
You should sell a kit for this, I would buy one or two for sure.
I do have some project ideas for the Raspberry Pi Zero, but the problem is I can't get my hands on one! First time I heard about it they were already sold out, so I got put on a mailing list when the next batch was made. I got notified when the next batch was available. Didn't check my email that day until 4-5 hours after the notification. I went directly to Adafruits site and....SOLD OUT. In less than 6 hours! These things are near impossible to get!
can you bend it back as far as a ds or does it only go back so far?
Yes, I have waited so long for this!!!
I WANNA LIVE IN A WORLD WITH "BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES" AGAIN!
me too but i'd prefer 'batten' over 'bend'
Fixed ... thanks.
Why do you use diodes when you have tristate scan lines?
Nice Yakety Sax freestyling, Ben!
Is this computer orderable ? I think I'll not be able to make a mini-laptop like this but I'm very interested by this product.
do they have small project keyboards similar to ones on messaging cellphones, i think those would be smaller and look and feel better
Put a sheet of PEI (Polyetherimide) on a glass plate and your ABS won't warp anymore. What etching plastic do you use? Is it Laserbits plastic laminate?
Yes, it's the faux brushed aluminum engraving plastic (1/16") from laserbits.
Hi Ben. What driver do you use for GPIO keyboard? I would like to wire Laptop keyboard to Pi.
Felix says: The Wiwring library. (I think that's how it's spelled.)
I just watch these to see Ben say "Let's get started!". I don't even watch the rest.
Love to get my hands on a diy kit to make that!
Please make the overall design and code for the keyboard available i would like to make my own keyboard too so i would like to know how to program my pi to work with it.
Build files are available here, github.com/thebenheckshow/244-tbhs-raspberry-pi-zero-portable
How exactly did u get an analog audio jack out of the raspi zero? did i miss that part?
Love this project. Why didn't you use ribbon cable for the keyboard? Seems cleaner
what interface was used to connect the lcd to the pi? was it hdmi?
wtf? This is the coolest thing I have ever seen. You should straight up manufacture and distribute that shit.
Love the Benny Hill deedle deet deet song Ben.
What is the headphone jack connected to on the zero?
any LCD screens I found need at least about 7v (they say 12v) how did you find one that runs on 5
how about a pip boy?
+MineBlock :D I think it's a good idea dweeb
MineBlock :D Notice how you commented the same thing 4 times
Would you be able to tell me what screen it is you're using? I had a hell of a time finding a screen that I could transform my Pi into a portable gaming machine, and that thing looks perfect.
Fubukiyo it's one of those screen you use to drive in reverse while in a car, you can easily find them on amazon or ebay, its something like: "car backup display"
How is there no parts list for this?
How did he do the audio with the raspberry pi zero?
how you must feel singing that and knowing tousands will see it.
Does Allison still work there?
great work !! how do you configure so the pi boot directly on the screen ? thank
Hmm, how about just hotgluing some Vinyl swatches in both sides of the case around the ribbon cable? Plenty of Vinyl is just that color.
“Let’s wait until everyone has a Pi 0 before we make this.” 1st step, “We used our super expensive laser cutter...” At least you tried to do something the average person can do?
I wouldn't have closed off the 'power' port. Reason being that the Pi Zero can now act like a device so... you could have made the Pi Zero PC act as a special device to another PC (or even another Pi Zero PC)
when i build pi or any other small board machine i tend to stay away from the composite video the screen header or hdmi is so much better, don't get me wrong composite works great for game emulation and such, but when you drop out onto the command line the screen can be really hard to see and read.
black duct tidies up and strengthens those gold ribbon cables, just cover the front and back of the ribbon.
How did you connect the video feed from the RPi Zero to the display controller board?
can you try putting a 7" HD screen and a pi zero into a Wii u gamepad?
as always looking good