Turnkey Openframe Design with RK-Android-A64-11 + 7” TFT-LCD

1. Introduction – Why Build an Openframe?

In many embedded projects, combining an Android Single Board Computer (SBC) with a TFT display is a common requirement—whether for control panels, kiosks, or industrial interfaces. However, developers often spend unnecessary effort designing mechanical structures to mount these boards securely, wire them properly, and ensure electrical compatibility.

To simplify this, I designed an Openframe solution that structurally integrates the Android SBC (RK-Android-A64-11) with a 7-inch TFT LCD (RK070CU01-CTG), along with a custom adapter board to handle power and signal compatibility. The result is a self-contained display unit that users can treat as a single product. All they need to do is mount it—no need to worry about wiring, voltage translation, or structural alignment.

This Openframe structure can serve as a drop-in display module for a wide range of applications, such as home automation, industrial HMIs, or rapid prototyping with Android. It dramatically reduces integration complexity for engineers and makers alike.

2. Hardware Components Overview

The Openframe is built around three core hardware components:

RK-Android-A64-11 (Android SBC)

At the heart of the system is the RK-Android-A64-11, an HMI-oriented SBC designed to run Android 6.0. It features an Allwinner A64 quad-core Cortex™-A53 processor, with 1GB DDR3 memory and 8GB eMMC storage, making it suitable for UI-rich embedded applications.

Key features include:

• TFT LCD interface supporting 7” and 10.1” displays via RGB/LVDS
• CTP support through I2C for capacitive touch panels
• Serial interfaces: UART, RS232, RS485
• Audio I/O with speaker and microphone support
• Networking: Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth
• GPIO x5, HDMI output, dual USB 2.0 ports, TF card slot, and RTC support

This board offers an ideal Android platform for industrial displays, smart control panels, or kiosks.

RK070CU01-CTG TFT LCD Display

For the display module, I chose the RK070CU01H-CTG, a 7-inch TFT LCD panel from Rocktech. This display is specifically designed for embedded and industrial applications, offering a great balance between resolution, brightness, and power efficiency.

🧾 Key Specifications:

• Size: 7.0 inches
• Resolution: 1024 × 600 (RGB)
• Interface: LVDS (4-lane)
• Brightness: 800 nits (typical)
• Viewing Angle: IPS, 85/85/85/85 (U/D/L/R)
• Operating Temperature: -20°C to +70°C
• Touch Panel: Capacitive (CTP), using GT911 controller
• Backlight: 21 LEDs (3S7P), driven by constant current, 80mA typical

These characteristics make it ideal for usage in daylight environments, kiosk terminals, HMI systems, and medical interfaces where high readability and wide-angle viewing are essential.

🧩 Why It Needs an Adapter Board

Although the SBC (RK-Android-A64-11) provides LVDS output, the pin mapping, signal voltage levels, and power supply demands of the RK070CU01-CTG are not directly compatible. For instance:

The panel requires 3.3V for logic, but the SBC may offer 1.8V or 5VLED backlight needs a regulated constant current, not a simple voltage sourceLVDS signals must match in pair order and polarity

That’s why I designed a custom interface adapter board, acting as a bridge between the SBC and this TFT panel — handling signal routing, power conversion, and touch controller integration (via I²C).

🔌 Designing the Interface Adapter Board

To seamlessly connect the RK-Android-A64-11 SBC with the RK070CU01-CTG TFT display, I developed a custom adapter board. This board ensures full electrical and functional compatibility between the two components — without requiring the end-user to worry about complex wiring, voltage mismatches, or pin remapping.

🛠️ Key Responsibilities of the Adapter Board

Pin Mapping & Signal Routing

The SBC and LCD use different pin orders for the LVDS data pairs, power lines, and control signals (such as DE, VSYNC, HSYNC, and CLK). The adapter reorders and routes these signals properly to align with the display’s requirements.

Voltage & Current Level Conversion

The SBC typically outputs 1.8V or 5V, while the TFT module requires 3.3V logic and constant current for the LED backlight.The board includes a step-down regulator (e.g., a 5V→3.3V LDO or buck converter) for logic supply, and a constant current LED driver to drive the 3S7P backlight array at 80mA.

Touch Panel Integration (GT911 Controller)

The CTP interface requires proper I²C routing (SCL, SDA), plus control lines like RST and INT.Since the GT911 controller expects a specific reset sequence and voltage, the adapter also translates or buffers these signals accordingly.The touch FPC pinout may differ from the SBC’s touch header, so the board reorders those lines to avoid requiring a custom FPC cable.

Connector Strategy

Input Side (SBC):A standard 40-pin FFC connector matches the SBC’s LCD header.Output Side (Display & Touch):Two connectors:One LVDS + backlight FPC to the TFT panel.One 6- to 8-pin I²C CTP FPC to the capacitive touch.

This adapter not only simplifies development but makes the entire display subassembly reusable across different embedded systems, as long as they expose similar LVDS output.

📸 Live Demo: SBC + Adapter + Display Lit Up

Below is a photo of the working system, with the RK-Android-A64-11, custom adapter board, and RK070CU01-CTG display all connected and fully functional:

🛠️ Openframe Structure: Designing the Metal Mounting Frame

To ensure a compact and modular integration of the Android SBC (RK-Android-A64-11), 7-inch TFT LCD (RK070CU01-CTG), and interface adapter board, we designed a custom metal mounting frame—the core of our Openframe concept.

This structure not only simplifies the assembly process but also provides a robust mechanical base for developers and integrators to mount the entire unit into a larger housing.

Front View: Screen and System Integration

The front side of the frame is engineered with metal flanges and side stoppers, which lock the TFT display securely in place without the need for adhesives.

Side holes on both edges allow for external housing mounting using M3 screws.Cutouts on four corners ensure proper cable clearance and ventilation.The outer contour matches VESA-like screw patterns to allow integration into standard enclosures or wall-mount systems.

📸 Front View of the Mounting Frame:

🔧 Rear View: SBC & Adapter Mounting

The rear side of the frame features precision-aligned standoff pillars, designed specifically for fixing the Android SBC and adapter board.

The SBC is mounted with four screws aligned with the pre-welded standoffs.The adapter board is fixed close to the TFT signal cable, minimizing signal loss and improving EMI performance.

📸 Rear View of the Mounting Frame with SBC Mount Points:

🔌 Final Assembly and Display Integration

After mounting the RK-Android-A64-11 SBC, RK070CU01-CTG TFT display, and the interface adapter board onto the Openframe metal bracket, we proceeded with the final electrical and mechanical assembly.

The result is a fully functional Android-powered display unit that can be used as an HMI panel, smart controller, or embedded GUI terminal.

🔋 Cable Routing and Connector Access

During integration, the internal wiring includes:

40-pin FPC connection between the adapter board and TFT LCD6-pin touch panel I²C cable routed through the adapterUSB and HDMI lines for optional debugging or expansionPower input (DC 5V) via USB or dedicated barrel jack

All cables are neatly routed underneath the bracket, ensuring good EMI shielding and no interference with front or rear mounting.

✅ Powered-On Front View

Once powered on, the RK070CU01-CTG panel displays the Android 6.0 system UI, confirming correct signal timing, voltage levels, and touch panel functionality.

📸 Fully Assembled Front View (Screen On):

🔄 Rear View (Wiring and Mounting Completed)

The rear image shows the completed hardware integration, including all mounting screws, signal cables, and thermal clearance. This side is designed to be covered or embedded into a plastic or metal enclosure depending on final use.

📸 Rear View of Fully Assembled Unit:

🧪 Functional Testing and Use Cases

With the full system operational, the Openframe module has passed initial boot and touchscreen tests. It can now serve as:

A smart control panel for home automation or industrial equipmentA diagnostic display for machinery or IoT gatewaysA development kit for Android GUI applications

🧾 Conclusion

This Openframe project showcases how an Android-based SBC, a TFT LCD display, and a custom interface adapter can be seamlessly combined into a modular, production-ready HMI solution. By designing a tailored metal mounting frame, we’ve transformed individual hardware components into a clean, easy-to-mount system that simplifies integration for downstream applications.

Whether you’re building industrial touch panels, smart appliances, or development kits, this kind of integration approach offers:

✅ Ease of deployment – no need to rework structure for every project✅ Component upgrade flexibility – SBC or screen can be swapped with minimal redesign✅ Mechanical and electrical stability – reliable under various usage conditions

If you’re working on a display-driven embedded product, the Openframe design strategy offers a proven, efficient path to get your idea off the bench and into real-world deployment.