Im not sure if it fits into the 'Portabliser' categeory, but I thought id share it with you anyway.
I have been planning on making a 360 laptop, and to become a little more comfortable with the workings of them, ive been purchasing RROD xboxs off of ebay, repairing them and selling them for a small profit. Even so, I thought i would do a few smaller projects first to get the practice in (as suggested by many people on these forums).
I have been looking around for screens, and was able to get my hands on a couple of 7" LCD screens for free. The screens were built into car headrests, and an in-car dvd player with a 7" lcd (I just had to remove them from the car myself).
I found that one of the headrest LCDs was cracked, and I was aware that the the dvd player had died. When i opened the dvd player, the pcbs were completely fried, and had flux leaked over all the components (dont ask how they managed that... your guess is as good as mine).
Anyway, I ended up doing some customisations to the inverter board from the cracked headrest lcd. After some careful modifications, I was able to connect the ribbon cable from the dvd lcd, and bingo! works a treat.
My plans for the two lcds were for a ps2 portable, which has come to a standstill as im having issues with the powerboard (its a fat ps2).
The second screen ive decided to use on an xbox 360. But, as the screen is only small, I thought I would put it directly into the side of the xbox 360 case for something a little different.
The 360 will still require mains power, but the plan is to run it with inbuilt video, say when on holidays without needing the tv, as well as being able to run it through a tv when at home.
So first things first, hard wiring the lcd to the motherboard. I ended up using standard molex connectors to the xbox's 12v power, and also connected a molex plug to the av pinout to the component output. I have run into a problem here though, a pinout guide i found showed that pins 5 and 7 are the component output and ground, but with these connected to the lcd, the xbox flashes the 4 red lights showing that no av source is connected.
If anyone can help me with this, it would be great. Obviously there is another pin that needs to receive a signal, in order for the xbox to register a valid connection, im just not sure which one. Also, the screen only supports 50hz, it runs in black and white at 60hz. It does support s-video, but im unsure if it will make a different, or if the xbox has the output for this on the pinout (i couldnt find anything).
(note the hot glue- can never have too much glue!)
I have been able to get a picture by connecting the av cable and wiring it to the lcd through an rca plug, shown below:
As soon as I get the av issue sorted, the wiring is complete. Also, as the lcd inverter supports an IR remote, im attaching the original headrest panel with the function buttons and ir receiver. The inverter also supports multiple AV inputs, so I will be connecting an av jack on the case for an external input for AV2 (who knows, it may come in handy some day). With the wiring now at a standstill, the next step was the case.
I removed the metal plating on the inside of the case, and cut out the hole for the lcd using a template. This is to be positioned above where the dvd drive sits, to prevent any heat damage from the cpu heatsink.
I have also taken a sheet of heat shield from a ps2 powerboard and cut it to size to cover the lcd inverter to prevent any contact with metal parts on the dvd drive. Another issue I ran into by removing the metal sheeting, was the case not sitting flat. I ended up having to hot glue some stacks of washers to the inside of the case to act as supports when the case is screwed together.
So, thats where im at right now.
I plan on having a sexy glossy black case with the lcd panel. Ive started painting using a painting guide i found on these forums.
Here are some pics of the case in progress:
Ill keep you guys updated with the progress, and I as said before, if anyone can help me with the av issue thatd be great.
Sorry.