PiProjector 1.x series documentation
Bought a PiProjector Rev 1.x from my Tindie store? Here’s all the documentation to get you up and running.
What does the PiProjector do?
So this is a simple adapter board that allows you to use an ordinary Raspberry Pi Zero W instead of a BeagleBone. The Raspberry Pi is one of the few SBCs around that have a working 8bit RGB LCD interface. The other one is the TinkerBoard.
So, since the DLP2000 was too cool to pass up, I wanted it to work on a Raspberry Pi Zero W and see if I could actually make it the cheapest, smallest pocket projector around.
This adapter board makes it a much cleaner, more permanent install for a Pi Zero W rather than a rats nest of wires. (If you saw my video on this, you would understand.)
If you’re looking for the same PCB, but with LiPo battery charging support, then check out the Rev 2.x series of this board on Tindie. Gives you 1h of continuous video playback per Ah of battery.
Buying it on Tindie
The Rev 1.x series I’m selling as a plain “as is” PCB without the SMD I2C expander and headers soldered on. I do sell the headers on my Tindie store, but not the I2C expander yet.So, you will also need:
- A DLP2000EVM module.
- Two 2x23 pin female headers - or add it to your Tindie order here.
- One Pi male header - or add it to your Tindie order here.
- Short jumper cable to connect 5v power to DLP200EVM.
Who’s using it?
Here’s a small list of how people are using my PiProjector. If you buy one, drop me a note on how you’re using it and I’ll post it here.
- International Space Station (ISS) - Exposing colour patterns on WORF plates.
- Dentists & Orthodontists - Instead of hanging a heavy screen above a patient’s head.
Who’s talking about it?
A bunch of people seem to be interested in this little project of mine for some reason:
Mounting options
So you have your brand new PiProjector PCB. What now? Here’s a couple of mounting options for you.
Also, it is possible to use a Pi2 or a Pi3, but this board has been optimized for a Pi Zero W. Check below for further mounting options.
Soldering up
When mounting the board this way, you’ll need two 2x23 female headers and one 2x20 male header. Solder these up to the PiProjector board.
Then solder this up. To keep the board flat, you can solder one pin while holding the Pi and then let it cool down. Then solder up the rest.
The TI guys didn’t bother to connect up the 5v power lines on their DLP2000EVM board and left it empty. There’s several ways of fixing this:
Making changes to your Pi
Then apply power to the Pi, which will also power the DLP2000. I’m assuming you have a running Pi already with the latest Raspbian or Armbian image. If you don’t, then check out my Pi setup videos.
Once booted, login to your Pi and you’ll need to edit two files.
The first is the /boot/config.txt file. Add the following to the end.
# Added to support DLP2000
dtoverlay=i2c-gpio,i2c_gpio_sda=23,i2c_gpio_scl=24,i2c_gpio_delay_us=2
dtoverlay=dpi18
overscan_left=0
overscan_right=0
overscan_top=0
overscan_bottom=0
framebuffer_width=854
framebuffer_height=480
enable_dpi_lcd=1
display_default_lcd=1
dpi_group=2
dpi_mode=87
dpi_output_format=458773
hdmi_timings=854 0 14 4 12 480 0 2 3 9 0 0 0 60 0 32000000 3
What this does, is to change the I2C interface to other pins so that they don’t clash with the LCD GPIOs, which are configured using the DPI18 Device Tree overlay. The rest of the lines are options specific to this particular display.
Next download the PiProjectorControl.sh script from GitHub, and place it in /usr/local/bin. Don’t forget to make it executable.
chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/PiProjectorControl.sh
Next you need to edit /etc/rc.local and add these lines.
/usr/local/bin/PiProjectorControl.sh setup
/usr/local/bin/PiProjectorControl.sh on
This will configure the DLP2000 to use the Raspberry Pi GPIO lines for the display instead of the default splash screen and turn the display on.
Powering it up
Next add power. You can use either the DC jack or microUSB port for this.
Power requirements
OK. So what sort of power pack should you use to power this thing?
When booting up and sitting idle it drew a max of 673mA with an average of 373mA. Pretty decent, considering the specs both TI and Raspberry Pi suggest for their power packs.
Need a case?
I’m starting to see people making cases for the PiProjector.
Let me know of any others, and I’ll add them in here.
Board Revisions
This PCB is a straight header to header adapter board. With the ability to power from a micro USB connector or from the DC jack on the DLP2000EVM. A nice big ground plane gives a rock solid display, but I’ve left a void so that it doesn’t interfere with the Pi Zero W WiFi signal.
You can also mount the Pi Zero W above or below the PCB and mount the PCB above or below the projector, depending on how small you want the unit to be.
Note: I’m only selling the most recent version on my Tindie store.
PiProjector Rev 1.0
The original basic version. Just a plain PCB so you don’t have to do all the wiring up.
PiProjector Rev 1.1
I added a place for an MCP23008SO SMD, which is an 8 port GPIO I2C expander. This solves the issue of all the GPIOs being used up by the projector. I won’t be shipping this as part of orders, so you’ll have to solder one up yourself. Note: the board still works without it being present. I also added a cut-out on the PCB to allow adding/removing the Pi Zero W SD card easier.
PiProjector Rev 1.2
Small change to the cut-out to allow easier insertion of the SD card and some minor track changes.
PiProjector Rev 1.3
- Moved GPIO headers to the edge of the board.
- Added DLP power pin, so you don’t need a jumper cable.
- Added I2C GPIO expander solder tabs to change I2C address.
- Minor track changes.
Also check out Rev 2.0 of the board.
DLP2000 Specs
- Max resolution: 854 x 480.
- Focus range: 10" to 60" - although I’ve managed to project down to 1" all the way up to 230".
- Lumens: 30 - Visible under most lighting, but better with a darkened room.
- Heat: It does get toasty, but not hot. Up to 40C, (104F), with an ambient temperature of 20C, (68F).
Note 1: There’s no keystone, so the projector has to be parallel to whatever you are displaying it on.
Note 2: The focus adjustment of the DLP2000EVM is a little “flaky”. I’ll be adding in servo controlled adjustment in a later revision.
Linky links
- YouTube video on the PiProjector
- Original video website article
- The PiProjector on the MickMake Tindie store.
- Schematics and other docs on GitHub.
Alternative mounting
If you really do want to mount the PCB on top of the projector with the Pi Zero W underneath the PCB, make sure to get extra long male header pins. The ones I had on hand were just a little short for this unfortunately.
Then go along and solder the rest of the vias. Turn it over and solder on the other side to make sure there’s a solid solder joint.
Doing it yourself - the hard way
It’s not too hard.
Once you have it all wired up, make the changes as noted above, then reboot the Pi and you’re done! Easy!
Except for the big ol' mess of wires…