The Tool Desk
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How the screen brick works
James Brown, who publishes maker projects as Ancient, built the device around an RP2040 microcontroller and a miniature OLED display. Hackster’s project report describes four interlocking sections of custom circuit board, assembled into a brick-like form. Brown used 3D-printed jigs to help solder the sections together, then fitted the electronics into a dark, translucent resin-cast shell. The build is shown above an actual LEGO power brick, but the reporting does not provide a complete parts list or step-by-step construction guide. Hackster.io’s project report describes the original build.
The board geometry is central to the design. A conventional RP2040 development board may be useful for exploring the software and components, but it is not a drop-in replacement for the compact, segmented PCB that lets the reported project fit the brick form.
Display, controls, and sensing
The miniature OLED
The first reported version displayed moving, space-themed imagery, and tapping the brick’s studs changed the display. Later coverage gives the screen format as a 0.42-inch monochrome OLED with 72×40 resolution. That is a reported display format, not a confirmed commercial module or part number. The available descriptions do not establish a compatible replacement module, its interface, or exact wiring.
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Stud touch input
Later reporting says two studs serve as capacitive controls, while also noting that their calibration was not complete. The interaction is therefore part of the project’s reported experiments, not evidence of a polished or reliably calibrated control system. NeoTeo’s account of Doom on the brick describes the controls and their calibration status: Doom on a LEGO brick.
Motion sensing
An accelerometer appears in later experiments, but the demonstrations should be distinguished from the first animation-focused version. In the Doom iteration, an accelerometer in a second block supports tilt control. A separate Hackaday follow-up shows an accelerometer-based artificial horizon tracking the movement of a LEGO craft. The reports demonstrate different uses of the underlying idea, not a single brick that necessarily combines every feature. See Hackaday’s March 20, 2023 report for the artificial-horizon demonstration.
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What later versions demonstrated
The project evolved from showing simple moving imagery into experiments with interactive software and motion. NeoTeo reported a Doom demonstration on February 23, 2023, combining tilt control and stud touch controls. Hackaday’s March 20, 2023 account covered the artificial horizon. These reports establish that the RP2040 brick concept was used for more than one demonstration, but they do not establish a complete public build recipe or show that all capabilities were integrated into the same version.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to consider if you want to make something similar
The reporting is useful as a design reference, but not as a reproducible construction guide. It does not establish the exact bill of materials, PCB files, resin type, precise dimensions, or validated casting process. Treat any adaptation as a new design that needs its own component selection and testing.
Quick Recap
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- Start with the form factor. A standard RP2040 development board is easier to prototype with, but the reported brick geometry uses a custom PCB divided into four interlocking sections. A compact custom board is the route toward that shape; it also makes the design and assembly more demanding.
- Choose the display by fit and interface. Compare the panel’s physical dimensions, resolution, interface, and controller support against the space available on the brick face. The reported 0.42-inch, 72×40 monochrome format does not identify a verified module SKU, so a similarly sized generic OLED should not be assumed compatible.
- Plan input circuitry separately. Stud-based capacitive touch and accelerometer input are reported features, but the public descriptions do not provide exact wiring or a complete implementation. Allow for calibration and testing rather than assuming the touch controls will work immediately.
- Prototype assembly before casting. The reported build used 3D-printed jigs and LEGO rods to assist assembly before the electronics were cast into a translucent resin shell. The resin and process are unspecified, so the report does not provide a validated casting procedure.
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