Screen disassembly

pi-top [3]
#1

So something is wrong with my pi-top[3]'s screen, it lights up but nothing displays. I am already sure this is not a software error because it persists after reinstalling the OS. I’m suspecting a bad connection inside the screen assembly itself, however I’m not sure how to open the screen. It seems it uses plastic snaps (those suck!). I have already tried basic troubleshooting such as checking the cooling bridge and reconnecting the display cables to the hub. This would be the next logical step.

So TL;DR, how do I disassemble the screen on the pi-top[3]?

#2

Hi @dominic03,
That is strange, but the next test would be to check that the OS on your Raspberry Pi is working fine.

When you press the power button on the pi-top, you should be able to see three things:

  • The green light on the hub (solid green with no blinking)
  • The red power light of the Raspberry Pi (solid red with no blinking)
  • The activity light of the Raspberry Pi (intermittent blinking)

If you can’t see all three then you may need to reflash the OS on your SD Card. However, if you can see all three then take the Raspberry Pi out of the pi-top and connect it to another screen and see if that works.

If you can see the RasPi boot then it sounds like you’ll need a hub replacement. Let me know the results of the tests above and then if you need a hub replacement I can arrange that for you by email.

I hope that all makes sense, just post back here if you’re unsure about anything else
-Rez

#3

Thanks for the response.
I’ve confirmed the Raspberry Pi and its OS is fully functional. Through further testing I’ve found that with the screen fully connected the large metal piece on the hub labeled “120” heats up significantly, however if I disconnect the display data cable (leaving the display power cable connected is OK) it does not heat up nearly at all. So I’m suspecting there’s some sort of short in the display. I’m not sure how it happened, but I don’t see what else could be wrong.

I’ve contacted the support email to try to get a replacement screen, but no response yet.

#4

Sorry I can’t seem to find your ticket for asking for a replacement screen. Did you email support@pi-top.com or visit our support page on our website here?

#5

I went to the Support Page and filled out the form. I used a DuckDuckGo (duck.com) email address so there’s a chance it was caught by some filter since it’s not a popular domain. I can try again with my Gmail later if you can’t find it.

Thanks

#6

Could you send a photo of the large metal piece that says “120” ? I’m not sure which part you’re referring to?

#7

Sure

image
image4032×3024 3.1 MB

#8

Hi.

It’s been a while – I’ve dug out my pi-top to repair it again, and the same problem currently persists – display backlight lights up, but no picture on the display. The “120” mystery component is also still getting hot.

There’s 2 ribbon cables connected to the bottom of the pi-top hub. One seems to give the display power, and the other seems to output the video signal. With only the power cable connected, the display shows solid white and “120” does not get hot. With both cables connected, the display only lights up and “120” gets hot. With only the video cable connected, the display does nothing but “120” still gets hot.

At this point, I’m really not sure what is going on, other than an internal short in the display. If I were to get an out-of-warranty display replacement, how much in terms of price would I be looking at for that?