I made a Raspberry PI Laptop

[procount]

Thanks, I think the Lapdock 100 is quite different, but I think the HDMI issue is a red herring anyway. Since my screen does come on, the CEC line must be being grounded properly with my cables, as you mention.

I have found that I can get it to boot an OS through NOOBS v1.3, but an external PSU is required.
Here is my procedure:.
1. Enure lapdock is not powered by mains adaptor and is charged sufficiently.
2. Connect HDMI to Pi.
3. Connect USB to Pi. I have a model B rev 2 so the USB will power the Pi directly. The PI will power on, but not the screen at this point. After 5-10 secs, the lapdock will power off.
4. Now it is fully off, with the lid open, pressing the battery button will start the Pi again with the screen on this time.
5. Noobs boots to the OS selection screen. Now attach an external PSU to the PI through its micro USB socket to ride through the loss of power in the next steps.
6. Select an OS. The Pi will now reboot. Loss of the USB connection will turn the HDMI screen off.
7. Disconnect the USB lead from the lapdock to the Pi. Wait 20 secs or so for the Lapdock to turn off the USB power (The battery switch LED appears to flash when the power is turned off).
8. Reconnect the USB lead from the Lapdock to the Pi.
9. If the screen comes on, great. If not, press the battery button.
10. The screen should come on and display the selected OS.
11. Now you can remove the external PSU to the Pi.

[Mortimer]

I concur with this. This was my experience with NOOBS 1.3 and Atrix Lapdock 4G: http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewt ... 50#p431501

[Syliss]

I have the Atrix lapdock that ive used with my pi. I have used both noobs 1.2 and 1.3 without any issues with powering off the device on install. But i do have my power and data cable spliced (y cable with only power to micro), going from the micro usb connector on the lapdock to both the microusb and usb on the pi. I personally don't look having the pi running off power from the normal usb port or feed back thru usb as i have a rev 1 board.

[freebirds]

procount wrote:
"I finally got all my cables to connect it to my Model B rev2 Pi (2 x micro m/f USB & HDMI cables plus 2 micro f to fullsize USB/HDMI adaptors,"
"3. Connect USB to Pi. I have a model B rev 2 so the USB will power the Pi directly. The PI will power on, but not the screen at this point. After 5-10 secs, the lapdock will power off."

Procount and other members, could you please be specific when describing cables and ports. Did you connect a male A USB or a male micro USB to the PI's female A USB port or female micro USB port? Did you also connect a power adapter to the pi?

[Mortimer]

This is how I run mine...




Works fine even with a GertBoard attached.

[samighi11]

This is how I run mine...




Works fine even with a GertBoard attached.

Where did you get the micro hdmi extender? I can't find any.

Also, are you back feeding the power? And it works that with the current draw? Interesting. My cables are all split micro and usb

Let us know the exact details.

[Ninjafishleg]

It is posible to have the pi powered via the usb slot from a usb hub.

Just wanted to throw that out there...

[texy]

Yes. That is what is refered to as 'back feed power' above.
Texy

[fanoush]

Hi. I have both Atrix Lapdock and Lapdock 100. They indeed behave differently in many aspects. One seems to be the brightness control.

On Atrix lapdock brightness control is builtin and work just fine without the pi noticing anything at all (unlike sound volume control keys which send key codes and must be handled by pi in software).

With Lapdock 100 the brightness control doesn't work for me at all. And sadly the keys do not sent any key codes to the pi so I am not sure how this is supposed to work. However when the pi boots once it detects lapdock's usb keyboard/mouse the brightness is automatically set to maximum! So it looks like maybe it can be software controlled?

Anyone with lapdock 100 can verify how brightness control works for him?
Anyone with lapdock 100 and compatible phone can verify if the brightness is software controlled (i.e. you can change it via android controls from the phone)?

[freebirds]

hackaroto wrote: "Edit your config file."

Could you please specify the entire path of the config file? Where is it in the filesystem?

Where in the config file do I copy and paste your script? At the beginning of the config file or the end?

This raspberry pi forum is not newbie friendly nor student friendly. I should not have to ask simple questions for clarification.

[freebirds]

Are members advising to write a script in the config file and open the lapdock to short a wire? Or do one or the other? If the latter, which is the better option?

[freebirds]

To add to my above questions, does this apply to both the atrix lapdock and lapdock 100?

[samighi11]

hackaroto wrote: "Edit your config file."

Could you please specify the entire path of the config file? Where is it in the filesystem?

Where in the config file do I copy and paste your script? At the beginning of the config file or the end?

This raspberry pi forum is not newbie friendly nor student friendly. I should not have to ask simple questions for clarification.

If I understand the question, config.txt is in /boot FAT partition.

I am using 5 Lapdock Atrix with Model A, B 256 and B 512 for a class enviroment. None of them needed any editing and show up in 1300x cleanly. Very rarely does mine come up and not in full screen. I just reboot, and I am fine. i suspect that is due to faulty HDMI connection due to straing. I recently got some better cables and will link and provide my feedback on how to cable better/best.

I am starting to gather the 100 is totally different. I don't have one to test out. If I come across one, I will provide my feedback.

[Jimakos]

Hey guys, few months ago i had made a Lapdock to Pi converter for my lapdock. The story is, my lapdock now is broken, so i'm am selling the converter. Video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGt2EmQEo8), latest photos here (http://share.pho.to/45sw7). Waiting offers.

[tulblut]

I'm trying to connect my Raspi model B 512MB (a chinese RS unit) to an Atrix Lapdock but I have power issues. I'm powering Raspi through the microusb port of the lapdock (I split power and signal cables routing the first to the microusb of the raspi and the second to the Raspi USB).
The raspi boots and everything seems fine, but after a couple of minutes it halts without any reason.
Anyone have a similar issue?

[samighi11]

I'm trying to connect my Raspi model B 512MB (a chinese RS unit) to an Atrix Lapdock but I have power issues. I'm powering Raspi through the microusb port of the lapdock (I split power and signal cables routing the first to the microusb of the raspi and the second to the Raspi USB).
The raspi boots and everything seems fine, but after a couple of minutes it halts without any reason.
Anyone have a similar issue?

Please describe your issue a bit more. Does the system power off? or halt?

I have several of these and they appear to be OK. I have found with several Pi cases, the micro-USB connector doesn't fully fit into the micro-USB power. it powers up and runs, but If I touch the box, the connector becomes loose and power is lost. I resolved this by not touching it or getting a longer micro-SD male connector. If this should close to your situation, remove the Pi from the case and reply back your status.

[johnbeetem]

I'm trying to connect my Raspi model B 512MB (a chinese RS unit) to an Atrix Lapdock but I have power issues. I'm powering Raspi through the microusb port of the lapdock (I split power and signal cables routing the first to the microusb of the raspi and the second to the Raspi USB).
The raspi boots and everything seems fine, but after a couple of minutes it halts without any reason.
Anyone have a similar issue?

You might be having a problem with polyfuse F3 overheating: see RasPi Troubleshooting Wiki. If your Model B has no F1 or F2 polyfuses, you can back-power RasPi through a full-size RasPi USB port.

[Tide]

Is it necessary to physically disconnect Lapdock and Pi after shutdown? My model A Pi is powered via the Lapdock itself but I modified it with a switch to cut power to the Pi. After shutting down the OS I simply switch the Pi off and close the lid. Not sure if the Lapdock is happy with it though, you can still hear it humming and probably wondering why there's still something connected

Obviously I'm concerned about wearing out the connectors vs damaging the Lapdock

[Jimakos]

You must cut the CEC/DEC ground in order to shut down the lapdock without disconnecting the pi.

[Tide]

My solution (can't take credit for actually building it this time though!)

[Tide]

You must cut the CEC/DEC ground in order to shut down the lapdock without disconnecting the pi.

Sounds like a HDMI thing on pin 17, am I right?
How would I do that?

[johnbeetem]

You must cut the CEC/DEC ground in order to shut down the lapdock without disconnecting the pi.

Sounds like a HDMI thing on pin 17, am I right?
How would I do that?

For a summary of Atrix Lapdock interfacing, see the RasPi Hardware Wiki. For gory details of the DDC/CEC ground, see my 'blog entry at element14. I set the comments to start with a very elegant hack by Tim Underwood who installed a small switch in a HDMI Micro D female to HDMI A male adapter and posted photos.

[The element14 links were broken at the Wiki -- I fixed them.]

[tulblut]

I'm trying to connect my Raspi model B 512MB (a chinese RS unit) to an Atrix Lapdock but I have power issues. I'm powering Raspi through the microusb port of the lapdock (I split power and signal cables routing the first to the microusb of the raspi and the second to the Raspi USB).
The raspi boots and everything seems fine, but after a couple of minutes it halts without any reason.
Anyone have a similar issue?

Please describe your issue a bit more. Does the system power off? or halt?

I have several of these and they appear to be OK. I have found with several Pi cases, the micro-USB connector doesn't fully fit into the micro-USB power. it powers up and runs, but If I touch the box, the connector becomes loose and power is lost. I resolved this by not touching it or getting a longer micro-SD male connector. If this should close to your situation, remove the Pi from the case and reply back your status.

The power simply went off. It's not a problem of the microsd connector of the pi or the F3 fuse: I tried connecting the microusb of the lapdock to one of the Pi USB ports and it had the same problem.
Now I'm backpowering the Pi from one of the lapdock USB ports and I have another usb cable (with red and black cables cutted) only for signal going from the lapdock microusb to the other Pi USB port.
I used the Pi all day, turbo-overclocked (700-1000MHz), playing OpenArena and surfing the web and everything seems all right but I'm a bit concerned that the power of the lapdock usb ports will be not enough in the long run. I haven't an amperage tester but I'm expecting only 500mA from the lapdock USB ports (as per USB specs), someone can confirm this?
I'm thinking there's something wrong with the microusb in the lapdock itself, but I don't know how to check further...

[Tide]

Thanks, that looks like really useful info John!
Nice writeup too

[ohashi]

So I see some people talking about cutting the power in the USB cable itself. I did not do this and noticed that my pi stays powered through the USB and not via the normal power plug. Is this a bad thing? Just want to make sure I don't need to cut that wire.

Cheers!