MediaCow Touch 2 Lite
In March 2025, I decided to come up with a new version of the MediaCow Touch 2 that leaves out complex features that have held me back on the project for the longest time without completely scrapping those extra features from the project altogether. Development of this version started on March 23, 2025.
This version would not only cost less to assemble but it would allow me to get a prototype out much faster. As this is a much more simple version, this would be the first of the MediaCow Touch 2 series to be built. MediaCow Touch 2's development has gone on for way too long and I just want to see the day where I can actually build and use the device.
As a result of all of this, development of anything related to the SP7021 will be put on hold until this project is completed, specifically Block-SP7021 since the main reason why I was developing Block-SP7021 was to have a board I could test the RGB output of the SP7021 with various displays including the side-mounted display module since the Banana Pi F2P does not expose the RGB output.
Overview
MediaCow Touch 2 Lite is basically a MediaCow Touch 2 with the overcomplicated features removed.
The main differences are:
- A common STM32 microcontroller is used instead of the Sunplus SP7021 as SMEC
- No side-mounted display
- Passive cooling for the LattePanda Mu; no blower fan
- No Ethernet
- No WWAN
- Standard set of buttons and kill switches instead of a keypad
- Only one PCB design for the whole device
- Thinner design
SMEC
As the SP7021 is no longer being used, the feature of SMEC loading the LattePanda would not be available. However, a socket will be provided to allow removal of the BIOS flash IC and the SPI flash on the LattePanda Mu will be unused or removed altogether.
Side-mounted display
The side-mounted display will not be present on MediaCow Touch 2 Lite. It was never really needed in the first place and it was only added to MediaCow Touch to increase uniqueness and to make the device more interesting; basically a gimmick.
Passive cooling
Since the LattePanda Mu would be passively cooled, it is likely that only the Intel N100 version of the LattePanda Mu could be used as the i3-N305 has a much higher TDP. Intel lists the TDP of the i3-N305 at 15W and the N100 at 5W. Though TDP would not be a good indicator of the actual power consumption of the CPU.
Ethernet
Ethernet is expected to be instead provided by an external USB Ethernet NIC when it is needed.
I wanted to have Ethernet available since MediaCow Touch had an Ethernet port but since it is not actually needed, it would not be present on MediaCow Touch 2 Lite.
WWAN
Realistically, I did not expect myself to ever use the WWAN module option of MediaCow Touch 2 and it was added to be potentially useful for other users and have it match more features of common laptops.
Buttons and Switches
The amount of buttons will be decreased significantly down to a basic set common to tablets and handhelds including a power button, volume up button and volume down button. Kill switches for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and webcam will be added.
PCB Design
The PCB design will be simplified to a single PCB design for the whole device, this is due to the fact that many of the complex features of MediaCow Touch 2 that would be on separate PCBs are not present on MediaCow Touch 2 Lite.
Though, as the Innolux N140JCN-GS9 is still in use, the eDP adapter PCB will be still be a separate part and would be mounted to the underside of the display.
Thinner design
Since there is no longer a side-mounted display, no keypad with many buttons, smaller heatsink on the LattePanda Mu and no SP7021 to be cooled, the design of MediaCow Touch 2 Lite can be much thinner.
Name and Project Organization
The name "MediaCow Touch 2 Lite" is a working title though it accurately describes that it is a more simple version of MediaCow Touch 2.
The "Paris" codename will be also used for MediaCow Touch 2 Lite as it is considered part of the same project. Also, it would share the same 2021-present date range as MediaCow Touch 2 in its design files.
Repository Organization
MediaCow Touch 2 Lite will share the same repository as MediaCow Touch 2 with the Lite design going under "lite" and the full design going under "full". The "media" directory will be shared between the two designs.
The "kicad" directory that was originally under the "circuits" directory will be moved to the root directory as it would be shared across both designs.
The KiCAD project directory "mct2_disp" was also moved to the root directory since the board would be present in both designs.