TFT display, separate from PCB? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2022, 06:45:34 pm
content: Anyone know if these displays can be separated from the PCB? I just need to separate it from the board, but still keep it connected. The location I want to put it can probably fit the display but definitely won't fit with the board attached. I didn't know if these were SMD soldered from underneath.

author: julian1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2022, 12:39:31 am
content: The rgb panels are normally attached to the pcb with double sided tape. The tape can be filleted/cut with a thin blade, taking care to avoid accidently cutting the flex.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2022, 01:11:53 am
content: I have a few of the 160x128 displays from Adafruit; they're soldered (hot bar?) to the board, and the body is double-stick-taped down. If those are the same way, beware.Tim

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2022, 01:35:58 am
content: Thanks guys.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2022, 06:38:28 am
content: You could warm the PCB slightly to make the tape release more easily.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2022, 01:20:47 pm
content: And I'm thinking unwaxed dental floss might help.

author: HwAoRrDk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2022, 01:01:56 pm
content: The FPC cable is probably hot-bar soldered directly to the board. Take care desoldering it as it's easy to ruin the pads.You can also just buy the bare LCDs from places like AliExpress.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2022, 05:07:01 pm
content: FYI, I am very happy with the BuyDisplay (EastRising)240x320 2.8" IPS with ILI9341 controller, aka ER-TFT028A2-4; I recommend getting both the capacitive touch panel and the connector in one go. If you don't mind the 50-pin 0.5mm pitch FPC connector, you can choose which interface (parallel or SPI) you want to use with it. They also sell at eBay (ER-TFT028A2-4 with capacitive touch panel and FPC connectors).Funnily enough, the most trouble I've had is trying to do the backlight efficiently. (This one has four white LEDs in common cathode configuration: four anodes (LEDA1 through LEDA4) and a common cathode (LEDK). The LEDs have a forward voltage of 3.2V to 3.4V at 20mA each, 70-80mA total max. through the common LEDK pin.) I've been looking for a suitable chip, but at this time, nothing seems to be in stock... A charge pump one would be nice.The240x320 2.4" IPS with ST7789V controller(aka ER-TFT024-3) also looks good, but I haven't used them myself yet. (It too has four white LEDs, but in common anode configuration: four cathodes (LEDK1 through LEDK4) and a common anode (LEDA). The LEDs have a forward voltage of 3.2V to 3.4V at 20mA each, 70-80mA total max. through the common LEDA pin.)Both ILI9341 and ST7789V are well supported by many display libraries especially in the Arduino environment. If you do bare-metal or non-Arduino programming, they still have the detection, setup, and communication code you can look at for inspiration, although the documentation at BuyDisplay is pretty sufficient, too.I do also have an OLD display module somewhere that looks extremely similar to the one in OP's picture, and I did detach the display module from the two-sided tape (just a couple of mm wide strips along the long sides) without issues. It had such poor view angles (good image only from 6 o'clock direction, display in portrait/vertical orientation) I never used it much, though.Full disclosure: I'm just an uncle bumblefuck hobbyist, with much more experience on the software side, so consider my opinion accordingly.

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2022, 10:09:19 pm
content: This is it... Just double-side tapeHeat the PCB from below with hot hair to about 70°C, it'll come off easy.