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Written by Jason Owens
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Saturday, 30 June 2007 |
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Page 1 of 2
Product sample purchased at Parts Express.
Many times I have wanted the ability to watch a movie while typing a paper, or be able to view Motherboard Monitor without intruding upon whatever application I happen to be running. Not having the desk space to place a second monitor, I looked for an alternative and settled on using a small LCD screen of the type often seen in cars and SUVs as headrest televisions.
In searching of an appropriate LCD screen there were several factors to be considered: size, depth and input type. Another factor to consider depending on the mounting location of the LCD is the amount of heat that will be produced by the screen. The screen that met all of these requirements is a 5" LCD from Parts Express. Even with the mounting brackets it's only 3/4” deep, and its 5 inch width makes it the perfect size.
Parts
- 5” LCD screen from Parts Express
- 3ft. RCA video cable (male-to-male)
- Spare molex pass-through connector
Tools
- Dremel rotary tool
- Reinforced cut-off disks and grinding stone
- Automotive grade 3M masking tape
- Double-sided tape
- Wire-cutters
- Electrical tape
The first task is to find a location in which to mount the LCD screen. My first thought was to mount the screen on a movable arm to swivel around and make viewing from any angle a possibility. The logistics of this made it impossible to pull off using the resources I had on hand. Instead the space to the side of the drive cage provides the perfect mounting location.
Before doing any cutting in the case side panel, take the time to wire up the LCD and test it out. The RCA video cable simply hooks to the output dongle of the ATi Radeon 8500 AIW. It is then routed through a PCI slot that has had the cover removed and up the side of the case. The power connection is fairly simply, but requires some splicing of a molex pass-through connector. Splice the two power wires to the bare leads of the LCD screen and the RCA video in to the cable that has been routed up through the case and the screen is ready to use.
After making sure the LCD works it's time to cut the opening for the screen. Adding 1/8” on each side to make sure the screen has clearance I then taped off the surrounding area and started to cut. In a future article a lighted frame will be built and installed around the screen, so a surgically precise cut is not as important as it could be in other instances. The cutting is just your usual Dremel type cutting and grinding. Be sure to wear eye protection.
Once the hole has been cut it's time to mount the screen. As you can see the screen and the control board have been separated from the mounting rails on which they came installed. The mounting rails are then reinstalled on the screen to give a mounting point. Two layers of double-sided tape are then applied on the sides of the cut, as well as off to the left so the control board can be mounted. Make sure when mounting the screen that it's square with the case.
When the screen is mounted the side panel simply slides back into position after having connected the power and video cables. Now that the installation is complete it's time to adjust the settings.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 30 June 2007 )
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