Need advice - first Pi project

[DarthyPants]

Hi all, this will be the first time i undertake any kind of build project so i'm not really sure where to start. I have looked at project ideas and have settled on building a mini arcade cabinet. I have found a couple of places where you can buy specific kits with everything you need, but that's hardly a project I can call my own.

What i need advice on is places where I can find the basic extra parts required. I was thinking of trying to harvest the screen out of an old 7" tablet I have at home. The only problem with that is that i cracked the front of it. The screen still works fine, so I think it's just the outer casing that is broken but I don't know much about them. Anyone know if there is an inner screen i can remove and use or if it would be a lost cause? If not i need to know a good supplier (wont necessarily need a touch screen because it wont have touch functions). The next thing i need to source is a small joystick and buttons, basically a mini mame controller.

In time when I have the cabinet assembled and the parts together I may need help with connectors etc but I want to try solve that stuff on my own before seeking advice. Anyone who knows about harvesting tablet screens or sourcing 7" screens and small mame-style buttons would be appreciated, because i've googled it a fair bit and not come up with any definitive answers.

 

[thecellartroll]

Removing the LCD part of the screen shouldn't be too difficult, but finding a controller board that will let you use it with the Raspberry Pi video output might be.

You'd probably save yourself some pain by researching other screen options with standard connections.

 

[salaxi54]

Most probably what you did by cracking the front of the panel is to destroy the touch function of the screen. That shouldn't be a big deal.
What is the specific tablet you're trying to 'sodomize'?
Remember that the Pi has both an HDMI and a composite video output.
Maybe the composite isn't the best choice, but on 7 inches i don't think it would be a big deal... What i'm trying to say is that there are plenty of 7" screens over at fleebay for measly amounts. That's actually what i got me for the Pi. It's supposedly a car 7" camera monitor with a composite input.
As about controls, how small is small enough for you? For example, there are arcade-style momentary switches that have a total of 2 cm outer diameter. Is that small enough? Keep in mind that you would require a USB interface to make them buttons work! Not sure what is compatible in your case, but you probably need something by the means of a keyboard emulator interface.
However, i really don't know what gives with MAME on a Pi, so i can't tell you about the emulator's menus...
Some links from the evilbay, hopefully ok due to the BIN nature:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-MOME...eo_Games_Coin_Operated_MJ&hash=item5ad82cfdb9

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Analog-Jo...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item4179d11c0b
(those are rather small, and you'd have to figure out interfacing!)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-7-TF...mputerComponents_Monitors&hash=item1c37d7a4fc

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[DarthyPants]

Most probably what you did by cracking the front of the panel is to destroy the touch function of the screen. That shouldn't be a big deal.
What is the specific tablet you're trying to 'sodomize'?
Remember that the Pi has both an HDMI and a composite video output.
Maybe the composite isn't the best choice, but on 7 inches i don't think it would be a big deal... What i'm trying to say is that there are plenty of 7" screens over at fleebay for measly amounts. That's actually what i got me for the Pi. It's supposedly a car 7" camera monitor with a composite input.
As about controls, how small is small enough for you? For example, there are arcade-style momentary switches that have a total of 2 cm outer diameter. Is that small enough? Keep in mind that you would require a USB interface to make them buttons work! Not sure what is compatible in your case, but you probably need something by the means of a keyboard emulator interface.
However, i really don't know what gives with MAME on a Pi, so i can't tell you about the emulator's menus...
Some links from the evilbay, hopefully ok due to the BIN nature:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-MOME...eo_Games_Coin_Operated_MJ&hash=item5ad82cfdb9

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Analog-Jo...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item4179d11c0b
(those are rather small, and you'd have to figure out interfacing!)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-7-TF...mputerComponents_Monitors&hash=item1c37d7a4fc

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Cheers, those buttons look good to me. The tablet i'm thinking of harvesting is a Scroll Excell. It has a mini-hdmi port which is probably useless because it's an out port. Might be a lot easier to go with one of those car monitors, but I have nothing to lose by giving the scroll screen a go first since it's completely surplus to requirements. I was looking at this one but i'm not sure where the audio signal is going through the hdmi because there appears to be no audio output. There would also be the problem of having 2 power cables coming out the back to deal with. Probably best off going for the simple option of composite monitor and separate speakers.