Tactile Kindle Remote Control (without Jailbreak)

Tipping incessantly with your finger on your Kindle screen (or on any other ebook reader) is really ennoying, isn't it?...

Today, there are few available options:

• No Amazon remote control available... BOO

• Old kindle version (with hard buttons) allow to hack some wires inside the Kindle and to remote 2 switches.
  It requires to "open" the shell... BOO

• Newer versions don't allow such straight hack.
  More elaborated workaround are yet possible:
  - but it requires to jailbreak the Kindle... BOO
  - to use a smartphone in conjunction of the Kindle... BOO
  
  It's too complicated!

Here is a solution which is

• cheap,
• simple,
• working in any position,
• DIY mechanical approach :-)
• hence compatible with any touch screen ebook reader (Kindle, Globo, tablet, smartphone...)

Step 1: Shopping List <10€

here is the shopping list of the required items:

• 2x micro 5V DC actuators (solenoïd) 1€ each
  
  
• 1 remote control 2€
  

• "touch screen stylus" 0,30 €/2pcs
  

• Battery 9V
  
  

• Breadboard module power supply (Mb102) 0,7€
  to convert 9V to 5V

• Transistor TIP120
• Resistor 6K42
• Diode 1N4007
  
• material to build a small box

Optional: you can purchase or build a flexible arm "lazy bed"

Optional: you can purchase or build foot pedals

Step 2: Principles

Steps:

1. Pressing the remote control's button send an order to the receiver
   
2. The receiver has a dedicated logical pin for each buttons of the Remote Control Unit.
   When button A is pressed on the Remote Control Unit, the pin A shifts from 0 to 1 (5V)
   
3. This shift triggers the actuator via a transistor. The transistor is protected from high voltage solenoïd's kick back by a "flyback" diode.

Technical data:

Solenoïd actuator

The solenoïd has a stroke of about 2.5mm and we'll use a lever to increase the distance.

The force's strength is about 250g (2.5 N): that will be more than needed. Minimal force to activate the tactile screen of Paper White is : xxx

The lever will reduce the force to an unharful level.

A smooth end will be used to preserve the tactile screen.

Step 3: Electronic Design

Dimensionning:

• Transistor

Solenoïd needs a 350 mA current

The remote control decoder (PT2272) can only source or sink 1 to 2mA at 5V

so I need a transistor with a 500 to 1000 Hfe gain.
Therefore, it will be a "Darlington" NPN Power Transistor (known for its high gain) like TIP120 or TIP140

• The resistor should be 6.34K ohms (with safety factor).

For calculus, refer to this website: http://www.ermicro.com/blog/?p=423

or here in french: http://www.sonelec-musique.com/electronique_theorie_relais.html

• Diode: it has to block several hundreds of volt.

A 1N4007 will do the job without doubt.

Step 4: Schematic:

Step 5: Building the Box

You can choose among different options:

1. mod an existing box
2. build it from wood
3. build it from metal sheets
4. build it from thermoplastic sheets (acrylic, PVC...)

Step 6: Actuators and Levers

Tip end from a "touch screen stylus"

Mechanical design - on going, sorry

Step 7: Optional Flexible Arm

Optional: you can purchase or build a flexible arm "lazy bed"

Beware to buy a strong enough arm to support the weight of the whole thing (kindle + box + battery).

Technical data:
Kindle Paper White

• weight: 210 grams
• with hard cover: 300 gr

Step 8: Optional: Pedal Button

You may want to use a wired device instead of wireless remote control unit

in this case, you could use your feets instead of your hands to "flip" the pages

You can build or buy some foot pedals like this

single pedal 2,6€

http://fr.aliexpress.com/item/F98-Acrylic-Tattoo-M...

double pedal metal 31€ Shpping included

http://fr.aliexpress.com/item/FREE-SHIPPING-Gray-N...

Step 9: Links

Comments

[mark142]

You might want to consider a reed relay instead of an actuator. The relay can connect a small electrode to a larger object to establish a change in capacitance. It worked on my Kindle Oasis 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNfeJDhpqjg