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By pivotCE
Well, it’s 2024 and technology continues to advance. The TouchPad isn’t new by any means, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be slightly modernized to be more convenient today. Specifically, it is entirely possible to convert the TouchPad’s Micro USB port to USB C for charging and USB storage access. I’ll show you how.
This is a tough mod which requires micro-soldering and modifying a PCB which you will have a hard time sourcing a replacement for without buying another TouchPad. Proceed at your own peril.
Tools for the Job
To do this mod you’ll need a few things for tools and parts. Here’s a list of what I used:
– Needle nose pliers/tweezers
– USB C boards with 5.1k resistors
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– Soldering iron, solder, flux and a hot air station
– Flush cuts
– Dremel with cutting or sanding wheel
– 28 AWG wire or smaller. 30 AWG is pretty good but any wire around 0.25mm to 0.5mm should work.
– Small file and screwdriver set
– Painter’s and kapton tape
– Metal spudger Disassemble the TouchPad
This is where you’re going to want to get that metal spudger out and be very careful not to snap clips. I can’t explain it better than iFixit already did so go check out their and then come back here.
Modify the USB Connector Board by Removing the Micro Port
There are a few ways to remove the Micro USB port. I added a bunch of flux and coated all the connectors in fresh leaded solder and then used a hot air station set to 800 degrees while wiggling the port very slightly with needle nose pliers. You don’t have to be particularly careful here so if you want to cut the port off with the dremel or the flush cuts or just rip it off with the pliers, (I don’t recommend it but…) that’s fine. We’re not using the pads it’s soldered to anyway. You should STILL be careful not to crack the board. Go slow. Be patient.
Trim the USB C Board
We need to expose the USB C port a bit on this board so let’s cut it down. Grab the painter’s tape and flip the USB C board upside down. You’ll see a small trace between the front and rear anchor points on the right side, which we don’t want to cut. Mark the tape just on the other side of that trace like I did. Dremel along the tape line until you get to the port. You can then use needle nose pliers, a flat file, and/or flush cuts to remove the rest of the board from the bottom of the port.
Prepare the USB Connector Board for the USB C Port
We need to slide the port into the old space so grab the painter’s tape again and mark off the area I marked to make room for the USB C port. You can place the port up to it like I did and use that as a guide. Grab your dremel again or a similar tool and cut out what you marked off. When you’re done, the USB C port should slide easily into the groove. It will fit tighter when we add the kapton tape in a later step.
Make Room in the TouchPad for the Added Thickness of the USB C Board
The USB C board will sit underneath the USB connector board so we have to make room by trimming away the plastic underneath. For this you’ll need to use flush cuts or any other tool you have to chip away. You could use the dremel for this if you’d like. Be careful to not go beyond the first inner layer. Beyond that is the outer shell of the TouchPad. There’s no real method here, just cut out the screw posts and chip away. Use the pictures below as a guide.
Cut the USB C Hole from the Old Micro USB Hole
To open the micro USB hole enough to fit the USB C port, take a rounded file to the left and right of both sides and just file a little bit at at time. Use a small flat file to widen the top and bottom of the port. This process is just trial and error. File a little and then grab the USB C board to test. The port will need to fit inside the hole a bit so you can push it through from the outside to test the hole size if that’s easier. Note: the USB C board will likely not rest on the bottom of the TouchPad and will float a little. This is good because it makes room for your wires and a little kapton tape underneath.
Tape the USB C Board
Since we hacked away at the USB connector board it’s possible we’ve provided the perfect environment for creating shorts! Oh no! So get out the kapton tape because we’re going to add a layer on both sides. You’ll see how I did it on one side below. Do it on both sides. You’ll also notice how I did not cover those two small square contacts just at the bottom of the tape. That’s because we need them.
Where To Get Power and Data
You’ll see the diagrams below which I’ve marked with VBUS (power), data in, data out, and ground. Obviously the old port is gone and most if its pads, but I wanted to show that both sides of the board have the connections. You could possibly do this mod differently, and if you so choose, hopefully these help.
A quick note: this mod can be done with a 4-pin USB C port. That would give you power and data just like with the USB C board I’m using in this guide, however, a 4-pin USB C board will not charge with a USB C charger (ie USB 3.1). The board I’m using in this guide provides the ability to use any charger because it comes pre-built with 5.1k resistors wired to CC1 and CC2 to ground. This is the trick that tells the USB C chargers to send power to the device.
Solder the USB C Board into the USB Connector Board
This isn’t a “how to solder tutorial” so hit up youtube and find a good tutorial that works for you. In general though, use flux, pre-tin the VBUS, Ground, D-, and D+ pads on the USB C board as well as the points on the bottom of the USB connector board.
Now for the tricky part, I didn’t list it in the Tools section above, but it would really help to have magnification or a digital microscope for this. I have these things and I used both. You might have steadier hands and better eyes than me. The picture below was my first attempt of the three TouchPads I modded, and it’s not my best soldering work, but fundamentally, this is what yours should look like.
Put the Pieces Together
You can use a bit of kapton tape to secure the wires in place a bit more if you’d like but it’s not required. It won’t short since it’s only plastic underneath. This is all press fit into place, but if you’re uncomfortable with that, you can add a little hot glue under the board as you put it back into the TouchPad. You don’t have to put the metal shield back into place if you don’t want to. It’s all a pretty tightly fit and if you find the TouchPad screen isn’t as flush as you want, just leave the metal shield off. A little kapton tape right on top would be fine instead.
Congrats, You Now Have USB C
I did this mod on three TouchPads and each one works fine with any USB charger I could find, including USB C port having USB 3.1 chargers. I can also confirm the data connection works just like it should to connect via USB mode on PC. Sadly, this doesn’t do anything to stop webOS from telling you the charger you’re using isn’t the original TouchPad barrel charger, but you can make a custom cable to stop that which I’ll cover in a future article on pivotCE.
#webOS4ever
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By News Reporter
While the appearance of most appliances rarely changes, the television’s aesthetic is constantly evolving through its vibrant display. Positioned prominently in most people’s living rooms, the TV serves as a window to another world, transforming the space into a stadium one moment and providing panoramic views of the great outdoors the next. The atmosphere of the room often hinges on the placement of this essential device.
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Photo credit (from left to right): the_starship from reddit (Model: OLED65G1), @zzomae_home (Model: OLED65A2MNA)
More Thoughtful Living Spaces
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Photo credit (from left to right): @na.g__2 (model: OLED65B1VNA), Nice_Implement_2594 from reddit (model: OLED77G1)
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Photo credit (from left to right): @twetwe_maison (model: OLED65G1), @today_daisy_ (model: 55LX1QKNA)
Seamlessly Blending into Living Spaces
Today’s TVs must be able to blend into their surroundings. While large-screen TVs often look best mounted on the wall, small and medium-sized TVs can be placed anywhere in the room to match the user’s lifestyle.
TV stands are providing people with the freedom to position their TVs where design and functionality are maximized. The simple yet elegant LG OLED Gallery Stand1 accentuates content by resembling a canvas on an easel. Similar to the LG OLED Objet Collection Posé, this design frees up space and can serve as a room partition, offering new perspectives on interior design with a back that doesn’t need to be hidden away.
Flawless Designs Pay Attention to Unseen Elements
As lifestyles diversify and spaces expressing individuality increase, LG is innovating TVs that consider every design element, even the parts that are normally out of sight like the back of the TV. This helps them blend naturally into any space and achieve an unmatched sense of ‘harmony.’ To strike the ideal balance between elegance and functionality, every ornament and piece of furniture, including the TV, must harmonize under one concept. This desire for ‘harmony’ in the home is bringing exterior elements, such as natural light and natural materials, into the home as if they were seamlessly flowing from the outside to the inside. This is known as the “biophilic” design trend.
This image was created to aid understanding
A ‘biophilic’ décor incorporates natural materials like stone, wood and metal while utilizing nature’s most iconic colors and textures, appealing to our innate connection to the natural world. This emerging concept promotes the use of large windows to fill the house with natural light and the ‘planterior’ trend, which employs plants to elevate the ambiance, transforming the interior into a natural space for healing and relaxation. LG’s new design direction for its TVs aligns with ‘biophilic’ values, emphasizing visual comfort in a natural setting.
To keep pace with these trends and accommodate lifestyle changes, LG recognized the need to focus on details it had previously overlooked. This is why LG has redesigned the back panel of its TVs.
This image was created to aid understanding
Inspired by the tranquility found in nature, LG added a rustic sensibility to the LG OLED evo C4’s modern design with the ‘Statement Stone’ pattern. This feature mimics the look and texture of stone, adding depth and elegance to the space, while its natural ‘Umber Brown’ shade reinvents the back panel with a warm, nature-inspired tone. The emotions this design evokes harmonize with emerging trends, such as the ‘biophilic’ concept.
This image was created to aid understanding
The stand design, which has also evolved to suit different usage environments, is no different. With stands evolving with new TV designs, LG added a height adjustment function to some stands.2 Although this may seem minor at first glance, its impact goes beyond expectations by allowing nearby devices, such as soundbars, to be positioned in a way that harmonizes with the TV as well as users’ diverse lifestyles.
This image was created to aid understanding
The same principles have been applied to the LG OLED M, the world’s first wireless OLED TV.3 To conceal peripheral devices and neatly organize the device’s cables, LG has removed every wire except the power cable with its Zero Connect Box,4 which wirelessly transmits video and audio to keep the area around the TV simple and clutter-free. By implementing a design that considers hidden, easily missed design details, the LG OLED M gives homeowners the opportunity to curate a space for their distinctive lifestyles.
By aiming for design perfection down to the smallest details, LG is developing TVs that naturally merge with the interior design without losing sight of the essential elements that make a TV so important in everyday life.
To learn more about how the LG HE Design Lab is providing new experiences that fit unique lifestyle with only the essentials, stay tuned to
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1 LG OLED Gallery Stand requires separate purchase.
2 Applies to LG OLED evo G4 55/65 models.
3 The phrase “world’s first wireless OLED” refers to OLED televisions with 120Hz 4k connectivity.
4 The TV and Zero Connect Box both require a power connection during operation.
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By matesz
Hi
I have LG C3 connected to yamaha A-S501 via optical cable.
When i pair the devices with universal control both power and volume features works as intended.
After pairing i cannot turn on or off connected device, but volume works.
It's like option to send power signal via IR is turned off and i cannot find option in settings to change it.
Please help, i just replaced AMP explicitly to have this feature
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By Mohammad1403
Hello there,
Is it possible to turn off search on the home screen, or filter results to show only apps? Ideally, I'd like to limit content to be appropriate for kids.
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By OnlyCORE
Hey, I have a LG OLED65CX TV (latest WebOS) and some photos from my Synology NAS are not loading, only in thumbnails like this:
Most photos work perfectly but some not. They are scans from a photobook and then individually cut in Zoner but that shouldn't matter right? Here are properties of one of the photos
I really don't know the reason my TV and it makes me really mad since it took a long time co scan these.
Weird thing is I also scanned other positive film photos and they work great on TV.
Do you know what might be the problem?
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Question
nmb1970
Hi,
Just got an LG 55UJ630V and I'm quite pleased. but yesterday tried connecting my gopro directly with usb cable and the tv only sees photos and not movies.
The GoPro records .MP4 h264 clips so the format is not a problem.
If I copy the .mp4 files to a pen drive the tv sees them ok.
Getting the GoPro microSD on a card reader does not work cause the GoPro formats 64GB cards in exFat format.
I know that the gopro usb connection is not usb mass storage device but PTP. but it should work anyway...
Any tips?
10 answers to this question
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