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Hey everyone,
I’m trying to explore whether it’s feasible to reuse the display from a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and drive it using an ESP32 or a similar microcontroller. I know this is probably not straightforward, but I want to understand what it would actually take from a low-level perspective.
Here are the main areas I’m trying to figure out:
- Display interface:
What interface does this tablet display typically use (MIPI DSI, eDP, something custom)? Is there any realistic way an ESP32 could interface with it directly, or would bridging hardware be mandatory?
- Communication protocols:
If it’s MIPI DSI (which I suspect), what are the challenges in implementing or interfacing with it from an MCU? Are there existing chips that can convert simpler protocols (SPI/I2C/RGB parallel) into MIPI DSI?
- Driver IC / controller:
Does the display panel have an onboard driver IC, or is it dependent on the tablet’s main SoC? If I wanted to “replace” that functionality, what kind of controller or FPGA-level work would be required?
- Documentation / datasheets:
Is there any way to find datasheets or pinouts for such displays? Or is reverse engineering (probing signals, identifying flex cable pins, etc.) basically the only route?
- Power requirements:
What kind of voltage rails and sequencing would typically be needed for a tablet display like this?
- Feasibility check:
Realistically, is this something that can be done with an ESP32 at all, or is this firmly in FPGA / Linux SBC territory (like using a Raspberry Pi or dedicated display controller board)?
I’m not necessarily looking for a plug-and-play solution — I’m more interested in understanding the architecture and constraints. If anyone has experience repurposing smartphone/tablet displays or working with MIPI DSI in general, I’d really appreciate your insights.
Also, if there are better alternative approaches (like using a driver board), feel free to suggest — I’m open to rethinking the direction if this is a dead end.
(Plz don't mind the chatgpt writings😂😂)