Custom LEGO Computer Brick Has Working OLED Display (tomshardware.com) 17
Developer James Brown created a custom LEGO computer terminal brick, complete with "an actual processor and a working screen to help bring the fictional computer to reality," reports Tom's Hardware. From the report: The iconic computer terminal brick it's based off of is made using the 2 x 2 slope brick. James has created this one entirely from scratch with the help of a 3D printer and an ARM-based microcontroller. It powers up and features screen animations that look like lines of terminal code scrolling by as well as a loading animation. The screen used inside this custom LEGO is super tiny -- less than half an inch across -- and Brown appears to have ordered tons of these things. Just last month, he used a handful of them to create a custom mechanical keyboard on which each key has its own OLED display. The keyboard can be programmed with a demo video showing the letters changing from lowercase to capital on the fly.
Rather than using a Raspberry Pi to power the tiny terminal, Brown had a custom PCB printed just for the project using a different ARM-based chip. On this board is an STM32F030F4P6TR -- an ARM Cortex M0 series microcontroller with a 32-bit single core and 16KB of flash. An RP2040 SoC could be used in its place, should you wish to spin your own PCB. It's connected to a .42-inch OLED display which has a resolution of 72 x 40px. Brown explains that it gets power from an old LEGO 9V system that uses conductive strips inside the studs.
Instead of taking apart an existing brick, Brown opted to design one from scratch. This process involved 3D-printing a mold in which he could cast the brick with the electronic components fit inside. The final product is a semi-translucent blue brick that illuminates with the light from the OLED display.
Rather than using a Raspberry Pi to power the tiny terminal, Brown had a custom PCB printed just for the project using a different ARM-based chip. On this board is an STM32F030F4P6TR -- an ARM Cortex M0 series microcontroller with a 32-bit single core and 16KB of flash. An RP2040 SoC could be used in its place, should you wish to spin your own PCB. It's connected to a .42-inch OLED display which has a resolution of 72 x 40px. Brown explains that it gets power from an old LEGO 9V system that uses conductive strips inside the studs.
Instead of taking apart an existing brick, Brown opted to design one from scratch. This process involved 3D-printing a mold in which he could cast the brick with the electronic components fit inside. The final product is a semi-translucent blue brick that illuminates with the light from the OLED display.
It's just a matter of time (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
yes but all ads will contain colorful subliminal "you will vote for me" flashes, you insensitive clod!
Re: (Score:1)
How to make a chip shortage worse. (Score:1)
How to make a chip shortage worse.
STM32's are one or the worst for availability.
Getting them in more products amplifies the problem, and the environment consequences.
My 12 year old made one too (Score:1)
He made a cellphone case in Lego. Voila! A Lego computer brick with an OLED display.
no wireless? (Score:3)
So sad that James Brown tweeted "I feel happy", and not "I feel Good".
https://twitter.com/ancient_ja... [twitter.com]
STM32 is nice, but its a pity he did not use something like the nRF52 with bluetooth LE.
The OLED display is just $1 on Aliexpress,
https://aliexpress.com/item/33... [aliexpress.com]
So sad that James Brown tweeted "I feel happy" (Score:1)
Beowulf cluster (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
You're definitely not new here.
Well played, I haven't seen a proper use of this phrase in a long long time!
- Yo Grark
Re: (Score:2)
Bravo!
Where's my Optimus Maximus? (Score:2)
Lego Brick receives update, becomes actual brick (Score:2)
Sounds just like any other computer, right?
Imagine... (Score:1)
"based off of" (Score:2)
Nice (Score:2)
If it wasn't for delivery times of 1-2 years...