Gutting the Toy Cellphone

The Phone and the Tool: Today, we're taking apart a toy cell phone.  All you need, really, is a screwdriver.The Phone and the Tool: Today, we're taking apart a toy cell phone. All you need, really, is a screwdriver.The Screws: Oh, this is going to be easy.The Screws: Oh, this is going to be easy.The Naked Phone: Now we're getting down to brass tacks.  Here the battery case has been removed and the sides of the phone separated.  Also, you can see the button pad and the conductive disks under each rubbery region.The Naked Phone: Now we're getting down to brass tacks. Here the battery case has been removed and the sides of the phone separated. Also, you can see the button pad and the conductive disks under each rubbery region.The Works: Here we see the button board.  Each rubber pad segment hides a conductive disk that connects each side of the button area, completing the circuit and sending a signal to the chip.  You can also see the LED and speaker, which are affixed snugly to the caseThe Works: Here we see the button board. Each rubber pad segment hides a conductive disk that connects each side of the button area, completing the circuit and sending a signal to the chip. You can also see the LED and speaker, which are affixed snugly to the caseThe Juice: Three 1.5V lithium batteries and their former home.The Juice: Three 1.5V lithium batteries and their former home.The Circuit Board: Behind the button leads, there lines in and out for the speaker (top), power (bottom left), and the LED (bottom right).The Circuit Board: Behind the button leads, there lines in and out for the speaker (top), power (bottom left), and the LED (bottom right).The Dreaded Black Dot: Somewhere under that dot is a cool chip that they won't let me see.  Feh!The Dreaded Black Dot: Somewhere under that dot is a cool chip that they won't let me see. Feh!The Screen: The LED shines into this little piece of plastic, which spreads the light out over the whole "screen."  Cool effect for cheap.The Screen: The LED shines into this little piece of plastic, which spreads the light out over the whole "screen." Cool effect for cheap.The LED: Took a little work, but I freed the LED from the front of the case.The LED: Took a little work, but I freed the LED from the front of the case.Liberating the Speaker: Finally pulled the speaker out of its socket.Liberating the Speaker: Finally pulled the speaker out of its socket.The Speaker: 16 ohm, .25 watt speaker.  Not too shabby.The Speaker: 16 ohm, .25 watt speaker. Not too shabby.BuzzzZZZzzz: Hmm, if we add this vibrating motor, what happens?BuzzzZZZzzz: Hmm, if we add this vibrating motor, what happens?The LED Hijacked: Hooking up a vibrating motor to the LED leads adds new tactile sensations to this old phone.The LED Hijacked: Hooking up a vibrating motor to the LED leads adds new tactile sensations to this old phone.It Lives... AGAIN!: A full view of the Frankenphone, complete with new power source and vibrating motor.  Hitting a button now makes the whole thing shake shake shake!It Lives... AGAIN!: A full view of the Frankenphone, complete with new power source and vibrating motor. Hitting a button now makes the whole thing shake shake shake!The Breadboard of the Undead Phone: This breadboard holds the power converter and input power line for the resurrected phone.  The button isn't doing much but hanging out.The Breadboard of the Undead Phone: This breadboard holds the power converter and input power line for the resurrected phone. The button isn't doing much but hanging out.

Copyright Mike Edwards 2006-2009. All content available under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license, unless otherwise noted.