Linux Cyberdeck Design

flux

There’s still a moderate amount left before this is a full manufacturable board. The first-pass schematic is started, but we are not ready for PCB layout/manufacturing yet.
Main things still left to figure out
  1. Display connection
    • Exact Waveshare 6.25" DSI LCD-B connector pinout
    • DSI lane count
    • Backlight power/current
    • Touch interface, if any
    • Correct FPC connector part
  2. Battery and power
    • Exact 10,000 mAh battery pack
    • Battery connector/current rating
    • Battery protection/NTC details
    • Confirm charger settings for that pack
    • Validate 5 V boost converter can handle CM5 + LTE + display + USB-A peaks
  3. Protection parts
    • USB-C ESD protection
    • USB-A USB 3.0 ESD protection
    • HDMI ESD protection
    • SIM card ESD protection
    • Possibly battery/input fuse or protection
  4. Regulator final values
    • Final inductor part numbers
    • Capacitor voltage/package choices
    • TPS61288 compensation check
    • Thermal/current margin check
    • Layout-sensitive switching-node constraints
  5. CM5 details
    • Decide whether to add RTC backup for CM5 VBAT
    • Decide whether to expose nRPIBOOT/service pads
    • Confirm GPIO assignments for LTE, audio, IMU, keyboard wake
  6. LTE/SIM7600 details
    • Confirm exact SIM7600G-H-M.2 hardware guide handling for VDD_AUX and VDD_1V8
    • Confirm LTE/GNSS antenna connector placement strategy
    • Add SIM ESD
    • Add RF/layout keepout rules
  7. Keyboard board
    • Main-board FPC is planned, but keyboard PCB itself still needs to be designed
    • Need switch/keycap sourcing
    • Need keyboard RP2040 schematic/firmware pin map finalized
  8. Mechanical basics
    • Rough board size
    • Port locations
    • Battery location
    • Screen/keyboard placement constraints
    • Mounting holes
    • Antenna placement/keepouts
  9. PCB layout setup
    • Stackup choice, likely 6-layer because of USB 3.0, HDMI, MIPI DSI, RF, and power density
    • Controlled-impedance rules
    • Differential-pair rules
    • Power trace/current rules
    • Thermal copper areas
  10. Bring-up and manufacturing prep
  • Test pads
  • Debug headers
  • Board bring-up checklist
  • BOM cleanup
  • Footprint review
  • DRC
  • Gerbers/BOM/pick-and-place
My estimate
Schematic is roughly 55–65% figured out.
Full board readiness is more like 30–40% complete, because layout, power validation, protection, display details, and mechanical constraints are still significant.
The biggest blockers are:
  1. Exact display connector/pinout
  2. Exact battery pack
  3. Power validation for the 5 V rail
  4. ESD/protection parts
  5. Mechanical board size/port placement
  6. Keyboard PCB design
Once those are decided, the remaining work becomes much more straightforward.
Power, display, protection
Find display pinout
Validate power rail
Add protection parts
Add test pads
Review battery connector

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Battery and Interface Recommendation — Linux Cyberdeck
Status
Updated from the user's confirmed decisions. This supersedes earlier 10,000 mAh and USB 3.0 USB-C data assumptions.
Selected Compute Module
  • Raspberry Pi CM5 SC1598 / CM5108000.
  • 8 GB RAM, Lite / 0 GB eMMC, wireless.
  • Carrier provides user-accessible microSD boot/storage.
Confirmed Battery Pack
Recommended and confirmed pack is 1S2P using verified stocked parts:

Table

ParameterSelection
Cells2x BatterySpace PL-5467100-2C
Cell spec4250 mAh, 3.7 V, 8.5 A / 2C max discharge each
Cell dimensions101.5 x 67.5 x 5.8 mm each
Pack capacity8500 mAh / ~31.5 Wh nominal
Usable energy~26–27 Wh after conversion
Runtime~3.3 h at 8 W, ~2.2 h at 12 W
ProtectionTenergy PCM P/N 32190
PCM spec6 A working, 11 ± 2 A cutoff, 10K NTC B3435
ConnectorMolex Micro-Fit 3.0, 3-pos: B+, B-, NTC
Leads>=20 AWG
Bay design~14–15 mm headroom for tolerance and swelling
Power Architecture
Diagram



  
    
  
  
    
  
































USB-C PD Sink Input
TPS25730D
1S2P Battery Pack
Tenergy 32190 PCM
BQ25792 Charger / Power Path
Battery/System Rail
TPS61288 node_5V Boost
TPS63020 3.9V LTE Rail
TLV62569 3.3V Rail
Raspberry Pi CM5
Waveshare DSI LCD
TPS2553 USB-A VBUS Switch
MAX98357A Speaker Amp
USB2514B Hub
Keyboard RP2040
IMU / Logic
USB-C Charge + Data Direction
Confirmed USB-C behavior:
  • USB-C is PD sink / UFP only.
  • USB-C data is USB 2.0 device/gadget/rpiboot, not USB 3.0.
  • No dual-role/OTG in rev 1.
  • No USB 3.0 mux is needed.
  • PD target: 9/12/15 V, up to ~45 W.
  • USB-C doubles as provisioning/service port with nRPIBOOT.
microSD Instead of NVMe
  • Use user-accessible side-insert push-push microSD.
  • microSD is the boot medium for the selected CM5 Lite.
  • Add ESD array near socket.
  • PCIe is unpopulated test pads only.
Keyboard Interface
Confirmed keyboard architecture:
  • Split 2-layer keyboard PCB.
  • RP2040 + QMK on keyboard PCB.
  • 60-key tactile/keycap matrix.
  • USB HID over 4–6 pin FPC to the main board.
  • One wake sideband line retained.
  • No backlight in rev 1, but reserve PWM + FET + LED footprints as a stuffing option.
  • Power button is not on keyboard; it is side-mounted on base to CM5 PWR_BUTTON.
Remaining Items
  • Keyboard final 60-key legend, Fn map, and tact/keycap part selection.
  • Enclosure CAD kickoff: hinge, SMA bulkheads, antenna keepouts, service hatch, battery pocket, and FPC routing.

  • Status

  • Selected Compute Module

  • Confirmed Battery Pack

  • Power Architecture

  • USB-C Charge + Data Direction

  • microSD Instead of NVMe

  • Keyboard Interface

  • Remaining Items