EEVblog
Vložit
- čas přidán 12. 10. 2012
- What's inside the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Ebook Reader?
Forum Topic: www.eevblog.com/forum/blog-spe...
EEVblog Main Web Site:
www.eevblog.com
EEVblog Amazon Store:
astore.amazon.com/eevblogstore-20
Donations:
www.eevblog.com/donations/
Projects:
www.eevblog.com/projects/
Electronics Info Wiki:
www.eevblog.com/wiki/ - Věda a technologie
The Kindle turned on and off due to a magnetic sensor. Also, the rf covers just pop off the fences, they are not soldered on but the fences are. The extra shielding is probably required so they don't have to be turned off when on an airplane.
it's hollo sensor
Man even if you filled up all that extra space with battery, do you really want a battery large enough last a quarter of a year? You'd forget the thing even needs charging!
Absolutely enjoy your blogs! As an engineer and as a nerd! You hit the spot with every topic!
Great teardown mate, love your work, spot on.
The serial flash chip on the flex board contains the waveform information needed to drive the eink display. Each display is different, so they'll calculate the waveform in production and program the chip. It'll be on the flex board so it's physically attached to the screen to make tracking easier.
Can you post links to more reading on that? I've never heard of that, thanks.
That little 4 pin device has to be a hall effect sensor or a tiny reed switch for it to cause the kindle to turn on like that in response to the (presumably magnetized) screwdriver. It's probably the sensor that let's the kindle turn on and off when you open and close the cover/case.
"Look at this strange looking sh*t, I have no idea what's all about, but it's just awesome!"
No offence, I love that guy, he is terrific! =)
LOL, I was just going to say something just like that.
Awesome vid! My 2014 Paperwhite stopped responding and wouldn't reset by holding the power button. I suspect it had to do with leaving it to charge overnight on a USB dongle powered by a USB-C power brick. I just needed a visual guide on getting inside safely. Once I did I unscrewed the battery and left it out for 1-2 minutes before reseating it. I was able to restart my Kindle before reassembling. Saved me from having to upgrade to a new Paperwhite / Oasis
Love this teardown, very interesting. Keep em coming!
The SD-like connector could be exactly that, an SD connector. The SDs have nine pins, but one of the pins 'pin 8' (actually just past your pin 1) is a half-pin. Pin 6 is the ground, but the far side numbering starts at 7 (9 is weirdly on the other side), so would be in the pin 2 position you pointed out if the card was inserted upside down... which since the Kindle was on its back at the time would make perfect sense.
Weird that they've apparently gone to a lot of effort to make the guts of the machine easily serviceable, and then glued the whole thing together in the end.
BTW, is there a good reason not to heat the glue first before trying to pry the front off? You know, with a hair dryer or something?
+PassiveSmoking A few months ago I replaced my GPS's broken touch screen and the only way I could get the old one out was blowing hot air. A heat gun was somewhat of an overkill, so the wife's hair drier did the job nicely.
+PassiveSmoking If you use a hotplate it becomes easy to separate.
***** Sad to hear your bad experience. I fixed my GPS with no problems using a hair drier to get the old touch screen off.
***** I hear you. I once had a smartphone whose WiFi stopped working about a week after warranty expired and everywhere I took it attempting to fix they said it was not worth it because of cost. Technology is great when it works, but sometimes it just turns around to bite us.
Cheap to service for warranties, but impossible to fix yourself.
15:30 The iPad's uses a similar sensor (its magnetic based) for use with their magic covers, so when you open up the cover, the device wakes up without you having to push anything.
The Thing that made it switch on at 15:40 was for the cases. so probably magnetic as the paperwhite turns on when i open the case.
The "magic screwdriver" is a magnetc Sensor for the protecting case
Here in Denver, CO, we have a toll road that, like most of them these days, has the option of setting up and account with them and getting a transponder that a scanner reads as you drive under it without stopping. They've switched to using these sticker tags which are just RFID tags much like this that you stick in the corner of the windshield, its pretty cool!
Dude, I know nothing about electronics but your narration was totally entertaining. You could do live commentary of grass growing and I'd sit spellbound. BTW, where would the "storage" be? I have a broken paperwhite and I want to destroy it properly.
Good point, didn't think of that!
A real state of the art design!!! That part that you were touching to turn on the Kindle is a magnetic sensor for the flip-shell (or whatever name might have). There is no flaw in the design. And the LEDs are Osram (CUW Y3SH). And thank you for not tearing it down. It would be a pity to break it.
hardly any review have i ever seen with such precision .. and the guy has a good presentation style too.
The Kindle case has a magnet to switch it on when the lid is opened. Probabaly a hall effect sensor. Your screwdriver is slightly magnetic.
You make the BEST teardown vids
It possibly hold calibration data for the E-Ink display, so makes sense to have it on the flex. That way a separate test jig can be used to calibrate and store the data for each one.
Looks like a well engineered product. hats of to kindle. thanks EEVblog
very interesting! can't wait to buy one!
No, it's a standard US model, shipped from Amazon US.
Always was impressed by Kindle. Great video Dave.
another wonderfully done episode and very entertaining, too - THANKS!
Has anyone an idea if it would be possible to tint the leds a bit in order to give the paperwhite an even but warm light color? I always color my clip on reading lights for a very warm, orange light using colored film for studio lights.
Would be a blast for me to have that relaxing light color for a paperwhite, but built in :D
Any advice highly appreciated - thanks!
I agree, from an electronics perspective very nice design and great attention to detail. I'm guessing as this this will get used just about everywhere including aircraft and hospitals RFI/EMI was a major concern.
This is very informative for the most part, though most of the extra space mentioned at 7:28-7:50, with a suggestion that it be utilized by installing a bigger battery, is actually occupied by a transmitting module - probably the 3G receiver- in the units that I've seen. The 3G module (if my guess is right about it being that) has a snap-in connection, mounted on the MB at the upper tip of the board at the center right next to the battery.
i love eink, the screen reads "repair needed" while your holding the main board in your hand!
I replaced my battery in my PaperWhite thanks to your teardown, thanks Dave!
Love the way he keeps saying "I have no idea what that is."
great videos man,TQ very much. :)
Could the black shroud over the LED be there to keep the light from bleeding onto the display?
You're so curious I love it.
Great video. Interesting and educational. Subscribed.
All Kindle displays have a flash chip on the flex - this is for data to normalize out production variations - I read the one on the original Kin and it didn't have enough to be per-pixel cal. Read somewhere it contains firmware for the Epson controller
That new office lighting is definitely working well.
Few years ago you could buy "Afterburner internal light" for gameboy advance. It was designed to be mounted on the screen and not behind the screen. The idea is the same, but screen is much bigger.
Just like a regular kindle. But I didn't have not done a side-by-side comparison yet.
They probably made the power switch easily detachable, as usually they are the first things to fail in such devices. Would be super easy to replace with how they've set it up.
Amen! I've been a Kindle user for years, no complaints about battery life here, and I read a LOT!
BTW, for those following along, this video was done with the same built-in mic as the last video, but without the "automatic gain" (compressor/limiter) turned on.
I remember folllowing the whole Triton Labs saga about building a kit to light the screen of the game boy advance, it worked pretty much like the light in the kindle
Maybe the unpopulated qfn chip near the power button is something for testing, like something like a micro controller that is used for remote manipulation. We used to do something similar but run off to an external board rather than have it built right onto the pcb.
Clock is optional , so power, data, reset - looks like clock is optional for GSM type SIMs. The used pins on the footprint correspond to an interleaved sideways SIM footprint as well.
I was wondering if you could either make an instructional video or direct me to one in replacing the usb charger port on the paperwhite. I've had my kindle a little over a year and the port is so loose, I can't charge it. This video is great. I now know how to take the unit apart in general, but not how to replace that one thing.
Excellent tear-down, thank you! Your accent is great, too, lol.
A win for HD!
EEVblog With powering it up with the screwdriver were you triggering the reed switches for the auto sleep/wake on case close/open?
Hey Dave,
Great tear down, thx. Love the enthusiasm for the magnetic switch. Am I right in guessing that all of the shielding is because readers like this are used in sensitive areas such as hospitals and on planes?
Also, I'm a Kobo user (don't have much love for Amazon), I wonder how Kindle and Kobo stack up against each other. Have you done any side-by-side testing?
Cheers,
Kaine
A heat gun set to a low temperature will help immensely with those adhesive attachments.
Thank god, I was so bored and then you uploaded this
the MXIC flash memory contains panel specific parameters, like the common voltage and the waveform file associated with the EInk material build of the foil that's laminated on the backplane.
Great video. I just have one question if anyone could answer it.
Is there any chance of the plastic power button falling out when I open the case because the button itself only pushes onto a tactile switch. If I open the case and remove the main board, how does the plastic power button stay inside? Is it held in place by something?
Kind Regards
Always loved the screens on the Kindle's very clever idea and design.. but never personally owned one or saw much point in them. My mother is a huge fan tho has one and 100s of books on it.
Loved the teardown, really interesting to see how they made those backlit screens. That is really strange how the screen came on by some metallic contact with the circuit and/or LED!
Did you ever figure out why caused that? If it happened with your finger too my guess would be some design feature, like a sensor of some kind so if you powered off in dark and wanted to use it again, you have a few minutes to touch the panel bezel and it comes back on..but obviously not if it's only metallic and there's no metal plating over that area on the bezel underside?
I wished they had used six LEDs instead, which would have made the lighting more uniform. But I think that would both increase the Kindle PW price and also the decrease the battery life.
Might do something smart where they use the LED driver short circuit detection to detect the on or off button press, seen that implementation before.
Didn't seem to have enough connected pins for that either.
It's a tool term, but it applies to any number of probes/wedges used in different industries for probing, prodding and exploration.
I forgot the spare battery for the lapel mic AGAIN! Wasn't going back home to get it...
Love to see Dave baffled by a simple reed switch :)
All right I will. Thank you.
At around 7:35 there is a square 7 pin space on the bottom (as seen)edge of the board that looks almost like it could fit a Sd card slot? Do you know what those pins are connected to or what this unpopulated footprint is?
My thoughts exactly. It would correspond to a magnet fort the "Auto Wake and Sleep" functionality of the official covers for the ting.
The EEPROM on the flex might be to store factory calibration data for the display.
Yep, this seems like the most likely scenario.
Nice tip on the hair dryer! :)
a tip for removing the glue as you pry it open, i use a craft knife just after seeing the glue. as you pull the plastic away you can gently cut the glue this prevents over stressing the plastic as you pull it apart,
You're genius, I just did not think of this.
Hey, what is the part number for the e-ink display? From the specs I see its a higher resolution than the previous EInk displays (1024x768 as an upgrade from 800x600), just wondering what model it is? Also, is the light diffusing layer bonded to the eink display?
Your new LED lighting makes a helluva difference to your vids Dave,. Really nice
Yeah I've got one of the cases as well, but didn't know how it worked. Wasn't sure if it was a magnet or some other sensor. :)
The chip on the screen flex is the EEPROM storing the waveform to drive the screen.
Apparently it is some voltage drop detection to detect covers and shut the device down when the cover is closed.
+drkastenbrot Sorry but it's not what the chip on the screen flex is for.
interesting the machining rework on the inside because the back cover mold was not properly designed.
i remember getting the simcard in the amazon 3 kindle work for free in a cellphone with setting change
It's not a reed switch. I completely forgot about these magnetic cover things, and my mind naturally gravitated toward a more technical interference issue.
perhaps it was the magnetiv field of your srcrewdriver that turned on the kindle
Awesome Video...Can you suggest the best charger for this Paperwhite? The battery shows 3.7V..Can I charge it with my 5Volt Galaxy S4 Charger? Which charger is best for Better Battery maintenance...
What a super sensitive Hall effect sensor, some metal screwdrivers have a low magnetic field on them and it’s just enough to trigger the sensor. Must be a transistor voltage amplifier around hidden to make it that sensitive. I think the sensor may be for a special cover case that when closed it triggers the sensor with a small magnet.
Is there any possibility to extract the e-ink display and use it with Arduino?
certainly possible if you can find the datasheet of the screen part.
If one turns of the WiFi and/or 3G connection, a Kindle can be used for 2-4 weeks if one is reading without an internal light. I understand the battery life is even greater with the paperwhite. I've used Kindles for 3 years, they are amazing!
Do you think it's possible to replace the LEDs with a warmer led?
My guess is - the LEDs are running on a set of parallel resistors with an IC controlling which resistors are active. That's how I'd do it mainly for simplicity.
Exactly my point, the battery charge time on the Kindle is already pretty long, ie. overnight. That can help maintain battery lifetime. You'd have to either increase the charge time or reduce the lifetime.
Love the t-shirt :P *attaches inverter to output* there. Now you can only give positive feedback!
Exactly...! In layman terms, its the actual thing that puts your kindle to sleep when you close the kindle magnetic cover...! That screw driver tip was magnetised too...
I have a more basic kindle without the backlight. I love it.
Exactly what I was thinking. The LED's should be brighter in darker conditions, and practically off for a bright room. The GUI labelling seems incongruous to this. (13:00 ish)
I have the leather case and it does have this feature. Similar to the ipad smart cover magnets.
Footprint and connection lines match a side load latching SIM socket and 3G modem. Pre-planned future version when they rewrite the firmware for a cost-effective modem supplier. Being it will be GSM, I suspect world wide distribution.
LED rubber probably to stop leakage to screen
Dave, that small device next to the LED's might be a magnet sensor of some sort. My blackberry had one in the phone and a small magnet in the case and it would shut off once it went in the case. Plus it would explain why you could turn it on with the screwdriver and not your finger.
Is the screwdriver magnetic when it switches on at 15:22 when you wave it over it?
Can you set the screen black and the text white? That makes for really nice reading at night in a dark/pitch black room. Less screen energy means less eye fatigue.
Not sure were the term originated. There are many terms for the same tool.
Really cool stuff mate, its a shame it won't be available in the UK until 12th of November. They must be kidding really !
Actually, I was really worried I busted it. When put back together the touch screen didn't work and the display was ghosting really bad. Turns out I reconnected the cables *after* the battery. That's a no-no for some reason. After removing that battery again it worked fine.
Does the backlight use pwm flickering?
I was thinking I wonder if they made the front that closes together like that to make the case thinner. What is the thickness of the other kindle compared to this version of the case?