iRiver Story HD eBook Reader TEARDOWN - EEVblog #189

What's more fun that reviewing the new iRiver Story HD Wi-Fi eBook Reader? Tearing it down of course!
Dave cracks it open to see what's inside.
Hi-res photos are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/sets/72157627127757905/
And Yes, the JTAG pins are there, right under my nose as labeled test points. Left side of the processor. Doh.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• iriver
• story
• HD
• ebook
• reader
• ereader
• google
• teardown
• how
• to
• open
• hack
• mod
• jtag
• pcb
• imx508
• arm
• cortex
• e-ink
• display
• epson
• driver
• wi-fi

[astrowanabe]

Perhaps the cutout allows the boards to fit tighter together on a sheet, fitting just a couple more boards per sheet for lower cost?

[EEVblog]

@astrowanabe Yeah, possibly for more efficient panelisation. I wouldn't have though there'd be anything in it at that size though, but maybe optimised for a particular assembly line.

[kildas]

Where did You get this t-shirt "i give only negative feedback" its awesome :D

[EEVblog]

@kildas I designed it myself. Available in my merch chop

[jmolesworth]

Hey Dave, you might want to update your credits, it's still copyright 2010.

[EEVblog]

@jmolesworth Yeah, new editor (sony vegas) I goofed and dragged the old clip in.

[zzzzbest]

Have you looked into a way of liqufying the EEVBlog so I can inject it intravenously?

[EEVblog]

@ceriand Yes, that was noted in my video notes.

[artstamos1]

I think you should work for NASA, just kidding, I am from US, just subscribed

[gryzman]

can you actually use that display for other purposes, if you took it apart ? you can pick up an old reader like that for £80, I would be tempted to get one just to play around with some micro controller and e-ink

[EEVblog]

@Ayrton11000 They aren't that expensive. Correct, I'm only an electronics engineer, I don't do heavy current EE, it's not my area of interest.

[UnimplementedTrap]

@TheEPROM9 Colour E-Ink does exist. Search for "e-ink triton" on YouTube to see for yourself.  The problem for now is the refresh rate and ghosting. As far as I know, there are very few products shipping now, if any, but prototypes have been seen, like the Hanvon reader.

[UnimplementedTrap]

Do they really use an Epson controller? The i.MX508 has an on-chip EPD controller, which might perform better and would probably cut costs.

[mrbatu]

The chip in the top-left corner seems to be more like a TPS65180 PMIC.

[heroineworshipper]

Plug a 12V battery into it & see if it triggers a mouse trap.

[rasz]

smaller samsung chip is RAM,

just as you say JTAG at 7.12 you point at pads marked tck tdi trst and so on :) so jtag is in fact easily marked :)

wonder what that fpc connector is for, mmm the mystery

[AxelTiger]

looking at doing an autopsy on a iPad?! I wanna see that! :D

[AxelTiger]

Hacks & Mods quote: "If you cant open it, it doesnt belong to you"