1/7/2026 3:46 PM - I just finished the CAD of the winXport

The CAD file for this project was designed to plan the physical layout and arrangement of all components before actual assembly. It includes the placement of the LattePanda board, 7-inch display, battery pack, BMS, and buck converter inside the enclosure. The CAD design helps in understanding the size, spacing, and alignment of components, ensuring proper fit, ventilation, and accessibility to ports. Since no PCB is used in this project, the CAD file mainly focuses on the mechanical design of the enclosure and mounting points rather than circuit routing. This step reduces assembly errors, improves the overall structure of the project, and makes the system compact and portable.

1/7/2026 3:49 PM - Next step of winXport : The component sourcing

LattePanda was chosen for this project because it is a compact and powerful single-board computer that can run a full Windows operating system, which is not possible with many basic development boards. It combines a mini PC and an Arduino co-processor in one board, making it suitable for advanced projects like a portable Windows tablet. Another major challenge in this project was sourcing all the required components at an affordable price. Components such as the display, touch panel, battery, BMS, and power modules had to be carefully selected to stay within the budget while maintaining reliability and safety. Finding compatible parts at reasonable cost required extensive research and comparison, making component sourcing a significant and important task in the overall project development.

1/7/2026 3:51 PM - Now a greater improvement of the winXport : wiring

The wiring of this project was done carefully to ensure safe and proper operation of all components. The battery pack was first connected to a 3S Battery Management System (BMS) to provide protection against overcharging, over-discharging, and short circuits. The output from the BMS was then connected to a buck converter to reduce the battery voltage to a stable 5V required by the LattePanda board and the display. Power connections were made using jumper wires with a common ground. HDMI cable was used to connect the LattePanda to the display for video output, and a USB cable was used to connect the capacitive touch panel for touch input. Since no PCB was used, extra care was taken to ensure proper insulation, secure connections, and correct polarity, making wiring an important and critical part of the project.

1/7/2026 3:53 PM - The finale : BOM

In the final stage of the project, a complete Bill of Materials (BOM) was prepared, listing all the components used along with their specifications and approximate cost. The BOM helped in keeping track of the required parts and ensured that the project stayed within the given budget. After successful assembly and testing, all project details including wiring diagrams, explanations, and observations were properly documented. The final project was then submitted with the necessary records, diagrams, and conclusions. This stage marked the completion of the project and demonstrated the practical application of hardware integration, power management, and system-level understanding achieved during the project work.

1/8/2026 5:40 PM - Reason for Not Using a Custom PCB:

Designing a custom PCB for this project would significantly increase the cost and complexity, as the LattePanda board is an industry-level single-board computer that uses high-speed processors, memory, and power management circuits. Creating a PCB for such a system requires multi-layer boards, precise signal routing, and professional manufacturing, which is not suitable for hobby or school-level projects. This would also require advanced tools and expert knowledge, making it expensive and impractical. Additionally, the main requirement of this project is to run a full Windows operating system for easy access, wider software support, and more practical usage, which is not easily achievable with basic hobby-grade boards. Therefore, using a ready-made LattePanda board is the most cost-effective and practical solution for this project.
While considering alternative boards for this project, devices such as the Raspberry Pi 5 were also evaluated. However, the cost of a Raspberry Pi 5, along with the required accessories like storage, power supply, display, and peripherals, comes close to the cost of the LattePanda board. In addition to this, the Raspberry Pi mainly supports Linux-based operating systems and does not provide the same ease of running a full Windows OS as LattePanda. Since this project requires Windows for easier access, broader software compatibility, and practical daily usage, LattePanda was found to be a more suitable choice. Therefore, considering both cost and operating system requirements, LattePanda offers better value for this project compared to other alternatives.

When comparing the LattePanda V1 2GB variant with the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB variant, both options fall in a similar price range once the additional accessories (like storage, power supply, and display adapters) are included. However, the Raspberry Pi 5 uses Linux-based operating systems, which do not provide the same level of compatibility and ease of use with Windows applications as the LattePanda. Since this project requires running a full Windows operating system for better software support, practical usage, and user familiarity, the LattePanda board is a more suitable choice despite similar cost. Therefore, even though the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB variant is a powerful alternative, LattePanda V1 better meets the project’s goals for OS flexibility and overall experience.

1/8/2026 5:47 PM - Reason for using lattepanda over other altenatives :

yes, you can run Windows (specifically the ARM version of Windows 10/11) on newer Raspberry Pi models (like the Pi 4/5 with 4GB+ RAM) using third-party tools like WoR or BVM, but it's not officially supported, performance is limited, and driver issues can occur, making it better for experimentation than daily use.

While the [LattePanda V1] is aging, it and its successors like the LattePanda IOTA
run Windows more smoothly than alternatives like the Raspberry Pi primarily due to their native x86 architecture. Most common alternatives, such as the Raspberry Pi 5, use ARM-based processors, which are fundamentally incompatible with the standard version of Windows. Running Windows on these ARM boards requires a specialized "Windows on ARM" version that relies on emulation to run standard x86/x64 software, leading to significant performance hits, lag, and severe driver issues for essential components like GPUs and Wi-Fi. Additionally, Windows is a resource-intensive OS that requires higher power and thermal headroom; while the LattePanda is designed with higher TDP (up to 15W-35W) and active cooling to handle these loads, ultra-low-power ARM boards often struggle with the "bloat" of a full desktop OS. Consequently, even a low-spec x86 board like the V1 provides a more stable and predictable Windows experience than much newer, faster ARM-based competitors.