Lynx LCD Replacement/VGA-Out by McWill

[Krip316]

If you don't have chipset 1 (C104129-001) then skip the jumper. It's already open.

[Krip316]

If I'm not mistaken, the jumper is circled. But I've never had to mess with it, so I'm not 100% sure.

 

Take pictures of your work. Maybe someone will catch something???

[markeemark]

Thanks. I will post a pic of the wiring. I also installed the cap kit, so I wonder if I did something wrong. Tonight I'll go back through all the caps and solders joints.

Edited June 5, 2017 by markeemark

[markeemark]

Thanks. I will post a pic of the wiring. I also installed the cap kit, so I wonder if I did something wrong. Tonight I'll go back through all the caps and solders joints.

For anyone following, I think I narrowed down at least one problem to the clk_a1 signal. I tried feeding each clk_a# individually and only clk_a1 seems to be dead at that connection on the Lynx board. I'll look at the schematic and see if that signal is accessible somewhere else.

 

Also a stupid question, if I don't install the vga connector do I still have to remove the backlight knob? Thanks again for any help.

 

Mark

Edited June 6, 2017 by markeemark

[7800fan]

Might as well remove the knob anyway. Wouldn't want a random friend to play your Lynx and complain the knob isn't working.

[McWill]

 

Hi,

I purchased McWill's kit from console5 and installed it in my Lynx II this morning. I also installed the cap kit. I verified 5v on VCC, and all the connections. However when I power it up, I see garbage on half the screen, and part of an image on the other half. See image. Any advice on what to check is appreciated. I also had a question regarding TPR and RES. Where is the jumper that is mentioned in the kit instructions? Thanks!

Mark

 

It's definitely one of the CLK_A1, CLK_A2 or CLK_A3.

You can leave the backlight thumbwheel at it's position, if you don't want to install the VGA connector.

 

[Velocity]

English is the only language I know. I have done my own write up for the Lynx II & gg with pics to clear some things up. I'd be more than happy to help out too if needed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Krip,

 

My display mod is currently in the mail, would you be able to post your write up for me to have a read through before doing the install?

 

Thanks,

Vel

[haightc]

Is there some way to make the backlight adjustable ?

[McWill]

At present not. I will try to make a new firmware in the future.

[haightc]

okay, put one the screen in one of my lynxs, and the screen was very bright. I like playing my portable on the train commute to work, my lynx works fine with the existing backlight as do my none backlight portables. My PSP can sometime be to bright and I am afraid that will be the case your LCD. The stock OEM game gear screen is so bad though, I haven't take the game gear on my train commute yet as I not high on my list of favorite portables.

[markeemark]

It's definitely one of the CLK_A1, CLK_A2 or CLK_A3.

You can leave the backlight thumbwheel at it's position, if you don't want to install the VGA connector.

 

After stepping away for a few weeks this morning I resoldered the wires, and success! What I did was I removed the old LCD panel ribbon connector from the motherboard completely, allowing me to run the wires through the holes before soldering. This evidently fixed the issue with one of the missing CLK signals. I'm very happy with it. Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

Mark

Edited July 1, 2017 by markeemark

[spspspsp]

I have had a McWill screen installed in my GG for a few months now. It worked great at first. However, recently, my Game Gear shows the colored pixels for an extended period whenever I insert a game. I checked all the connections between the screen and the motherboard--I have continuity there.

 

One interesting thing is that although my screen shows the colored pixels, the power LED will either stay off, or rarely flash on and off or stay on. When the LED stays on, SOMETIMES I can get to the title screen of the game. And if the LED turns off while the game is running, the screen goes back to the colored pixels.

 

Thinking this might be related to the capacitors (which were replaced last December), I also removed and reinstalled every capacitor on my main board. Nothing changed.

 

The system behaves the same using batteries or a power supply, and I have 4.95 V between VCC and GND on the main board.

 

Also, I have a Japanese, 2 ASIC GG (837-7398-01). Main board seems to match other editions mostly except for a different part number for IC4. I also have variants of the audio and power boards not listed on Console5 (not sure this matters, but just in case...).

 

McWill or anyone else--do you have any idea about what is going on with my machine?

Edited July 17, 2017 by spspspsp

[spspspsp]

I have a feeling there is a weak connection between where the old ribbon cable was and the LCD. After playing with these connections I have improved stability, but I notice some graphical 'shimmering' and the system resets at odd intervals.

 

Why would the system keep resetting?

[gambler172]

Got my Lynx with new screen today.Marco also repaired it

and added the 5v mod and a new speaker.

Great work....thanx a lot

 

Walter

[McWill]

I have had a McWill screen installed in my GG for a few months now. It worked great at first. However, recently, my Game Gear shows the colored pixels for an extended period whenever I insert a game. I checked all the connections between the screen and the motherboard--I have continuity there.

 

One interesting thing is that although my screen shows the colored pixels, the power LED will either stay off, or rarely flash on and off or stay on. When the LED stays on, SOMETIMES I can get to the title screen of the game. And if the LED turns off while the game is running, the screen goes back to the colored pixels.

 

Thinking this might be related to the capacitors (which were replaced last December), I also removed and reinstalled every capacitor on my main board. Nothing changed.

 

The system behaves the same using batteries or a power supply, and I have 4.95 V between VCC and GND on the main board.

 

Also, I have a Japanese, 2 ASIC GG (837-7398-01). Main board seems to match other editions mostly except for a different part number for IC4. I also have variants of the audio and power boards not listed on Console5 (not sure this matters, but just in case...).

 

McWill or anyone else--do you have any idea about what is going on with my machine?

 

I have a feeling there is a weak connection between where the old ribbon cable was and the LCD. After playing with these connections I have improved stability, but I notice some graphical 'shimmering' and the system resets at odd intervals.

 

Why would the system keep resetting?

Have you an 1ASIC or 2ASIC board?

Have you also replaced the caps of the power board?

BTW: If you replaced the caps did you also cleaned the board after desoldering the caps. The liquid of the caps will eat away the copper of the PCB. So some traces could be damaged.

 

[spspspsp]

 

Have you an 1ASIC or 2ASIC board?

Have you also replaced the caps of the power board?

BTW: If you replaced the caps did you also cleaned the board after desoldering the caps. The liquid of the caps will eat away the copper of the PCB. So some traces could be damaged.

 

I have a 2 ASIC board, and I have also replaced all the caps on the power and audio boards. However, I have a 837-7398-01 version main board, which may differ from the US/European versions listed in your install guide in some subtle way.

I cleaned the electrolytic fluid off the board when I recapped it, and I verified that the board was clean, that there was no corrosion under the solder mask, and that each cap had a good connection when I was looking at it last weekend. The audio and power boards are also clean with no corrosion or leftover chemicals.

The more I play with it, it increasingly looks like my system is drawing more current than is available and resetting because of some kind of fault protection. It is less reliable on cold starts.

When I disconnect the LCD the system will boot, play music, and run games (though I can't see anything), so the GG itself looks okay.

Though, I thought I measured 4.95 V between VCC and ground the other day, but I now consistently measure about 4.8.

I will try and reconnect the LCD over the weekend and see how things go.

PS - Thank you for all your work on these boards and for taking time to respond, McWill.

Edited July 20, 2017 by spspspsp

[bobobear]

Hello McWill!

 

Do you still sell these displays? If so, I would like one for my Lynx II.

 

Thanks!

[McWill]

Hello McWill!

 

Do you still sell these displays? If so, I would like one for my Lynx II.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, they are still available. I've sent PM

[DaveC1964]

I was interested in getting a screen mod for one of my Lynx IIs. I do have one question though. Are the screens tested thoroughly for bad pixels? I would hate to pull the Lynx apart, do the mod, and find a bright white pixel stuck on right in the middle! My OCD would drive me nuts if there was any kind of bad pixel on the screen anywhere. Could the screen mod be exchanged if there were any bad pixels? Obviously I can see no exchanges for a botched mod job but bad pixels are screen defects.

 

Also are there settings for scanline mode? Some emulators let you set the scan lines to 100% (black) but also let you set them to 50% 75% etc.

Edited August 2, 2017 by DaveC1964

[McWill]

Yes, they are tested very thoroughly and have no bad pixels, because I also hate it to have bad pixels. All LCDs are tested twice. But the LCD can be exchanged if they are damaged or so.
Yes, you can select scanlines/retro style by pressing the backlight button on the LYNX-II and by turning the backlight thumbwheel on the LYNX-I. The scanlines have 50% brightness.

[+Stephen]

Yes, they are tested very thoroughly and have no bad pixels, because I also hate it to have bad pixels. All LCDs are tested twice. But the LCD can be exchanged if they are damaged or so.

Yes, you can select scanlines/retro style by pressing the backlight button on the LYNX-II and by turning the backlight thumbwheel on the LYNX-I. The scanlines have 50% brightness.

 

I have one of your first Lynx screens - I don't think it has the scanline option. Is there a way to upgrade this? Sorry if it's buried in this thread. I've tried to follow all posts, but this one's a bit much!

[DaveC1964]

Yes, they are tested very thoroughly and have no bad pixels, because I also hate it to have bad pixels. All LCDs are tested twice. But the LCD can be exchanged if they are damaged or so.

Yes, you can select scanlines/retro style by pressing the backlight button on the LYNX-II and by turning the backlight thumbwheel on the LYNX-I. The scanlines have 50% brightness.

 

Thanks. I see these kits are sold on various online stores, how can I make sure I get the newest version with scanline option and not some old stock?

 

A bit OT here too but was wondering. With all of the portable-izing going on these days how hard would it be to make a screen such as this work for old Atari 2600 systems? Most mods use composite signals I think but that looks pretty awful. I don't know if it is possible to pull out more direct signals for on the 2600 or FB2 consoles.

Edited August 3, 2017 by DaveC1964

[Krip316]

I have one of your first Lynx screens - I don't think it has the scanline option. Is there a way to upgrade this? Sorry if it's buried in this thread. I've tried to follow all posts, but this one's a bit much!

Last time I checked, you send it to him and he updates the firmware.

[McWill]

I have one of your first Lynx screens - I don't think it has the scanline option. Is there a way to upgrade this? Sorry if it's buried in this thread. I've tried to follow all posts, but this one's a bit much!

Yes, that's no problem. You just need to send the game console to my address and I'll do the firmware update. Then you just have to pay the shipping cost back to your country.

[McWill]

Thanks. I see these kits are sold on various online stores, how can I make sure I get the newest version with scanline option and not some old stock?

 

A bit OT here too but was wondering. With all of the portable-izing going on these days how hard would it be to make a screen such as this work for old Atari 2600 systems? Most mods use composite signals I think but that looks pretty awful. I don't know if it is possible to pull out more direct signals for on the 2600 or FB2 consoles.

ALL online stores have the newest firmware at present.

 

Indeed I planned a portable ATARI 2600 (original hardware with 6507 CPU or optional with 6502 CPU) with my own LCD mod 2 years ago, but haven't finished it yet. If some interest please let me know.

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by McWill