After noticing the gradual decline of my much-beloved Android tablet I decided that the world of SBCs, 3D printing and all-the-things has progressed enough to warrant making my own. I figured... why bother paying for the convenience, power and elegance of a new tablet when I can enjoy many days of anguish, frustration and failure? Well, after nearly 4 months of questionable decision-making and getting high on soldering fumes, I present to you the fastest DIY tablet to date: the sexiest, most elegant 7" car-phone-sized brick based on the ODROID N2+. With up to 8+ hours of gaming battery life, this thing is the powerhouse of DIY tablets (since most are based on the RPi). It's got almost everything you want in a tablet... like, a screen! And much less. Here's all the juicy stuff if you want to make your own, I use mine every day and love it.
BOM
- ODROID N2+.
- ODROID-VU7A Plus.
- A compatible eMMC card for Android. Example.
- An eMMC-to-USB adapter for installing Android.
- Some kind of large, 12v battery solution. I used this one.
- A power button.
- 2 x HDMI connectors & 1 x cable.
- Some kind of USB solution for hooking up the touchscreen.
- Hot glue, M3 screws, etc.
NOTES:
In the 2022 world of ARM-based SBCs the ODROID N2+ is a powerhouse of a machine. Running on 12v, the mainboard of this tablet eats battery like nobody's business, but in exchange it is very fast and runs almost anything. This means it also gets warm, so to address the heat issue without resorting to a fan, I exposed the heatsink out of the rear of the tablet. This works very well, but can get uncomfortable after extended hours of use. This is the trade-off I make for a fully hackable, Open Source tablet that can grow with my needs over the years to come. If you choose to make one, then feel free to message me.
As for printing, this is a mildly complex print requiring supports. For settings, I used 20% infill with 2 extra walls and PETG for its greater heat tolerance and strength than PLA.
Tinkercad: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/kckWfklVucB