Hardware GBA Backlight! (AGB-001)

[spinner]

Hi, I joined this group as people in here seemed to know some of the finer aspects of this conversion.
Ughh...some of the information seems to be contradicted probably by newcomers like myself.
I have a brown tabed 101 screen and a 40 pin GBA, I was hoping to buy a "2 switch position adaptor cable" from lee_chang screen but he doesn't seem to do one for this brown tabed screen? Is that right, can anyone recommend an alternative ?
Thanks

So the ribbon came today, I fitted it and it worked great first time, I connected up the fly lead and the brightness switch works great.
The screen looks great, I was expecting to do some adjustment as I've seen a friends conversion that does a little ghosting but it seem fine.
Expecting a lot more bother but it went ok

 

[Kazzie]

Any tips you/anyone can give about this? I have an otherwise finished AGB-001 mod that I just can't get properly closed. Very frustrating, as I'm so close to having my perfect GBA--screen is hooked up, working, looks good, but the thing is just bulging, and there's pretty much no additional plastic that can be removed. As far as my amateur eye can tell, the real problem is the slip connector on the new [40 pin] ribbon cable, which creates a noticeable gap I can't seem to do anything about. Is there a specific place it should sit to reduce the spacing? Under the battery compartment maybe?

As I recall, the biggest problems I had was routing my long power wires into safe locations. As you can see from my pictures earlier in the thread, I originally had them quite long to make testing easier, but could have shortened them a bit for assembly.

I got the 'slip connector' of my setup to sit in betweeen the CPU chip and the solder points forthe cartridge: essentially where "Nintendo" is printed on the PCB. Other than this, shaving the plastic surround of the lens, and removing every bit of adhesive foam from the LCD, and a few rounds of trial and error did it in my case.

I don't know quite what to do, so it's been sitting for weeks (the guy who sold me the kit bailed and stopped answering my questions or communicating with me at all once I got to this point). I can provide any number of pictures of anything if that helps.

If the above doesn't manage to help you along, please feel free to shar some images of your GBA.

 

[roozx]

Yo Guys, thanx a Lot for this amazing thread! With Your help I've stared to freely experiment and finally been able to get the screen quality I really love, unfortunately it appears to inflict some trouble to the audio output - now with the headphones connected i can hear silent constant noise - i guess that's the effect of soldering on the mainboard, do You have any idea is this can be fixed?

 

[roozx]

Please ignore my question it was the headphone's fault

 

[Jubash]

My ribbon cabe adapter came today and I'm a bit lost. The screen is connected to the device but nothing shows up when I turn on the GBA. I am only able to see anything if I already soldered the other cable? My skills aren't great and I'm afraid of frying the board. Since I need to ask to someone else do it for me, would like to see if there's any way to know if the screen is working properly
Still reading through the topic to see exactly where everything needs to be connected/soldered

nvm
I've made a dumb mistake, everything's working fine now

 

[SuperRey]

Hey, I have been following this thread for a long time.

I have a couple of questions, may be some one can answer.

1. These ribbon cables have two spots to solder (P1 and P2), and two spots to fit (I suppose) a capacitor (C1 and C2). Does anyone know what configurations require this spots to be connected? And where in the motherboard?
2. It seems these cables can be used with AGS-001 and AGS-101 screens, of course, with different wiring. Does anyone know the exact wiring configuration for each?

I'm right now trying to fine tune two configurations:

1. An AGS-001 screen on a ice blue GBA, with a 40 pin connector. I managed it to work with a wire from cartridge power supply to P1 through a 75 Ohm series resistor (as explained in this forum), but front light seems a bit weak to me.
2. An AGS-101 screen on a spice orange GBA with a 40 pin connector. This work connecting the cable as is, but picture is two bright. Adjusting the potentiometer does not help, and connecting to GND some pins (P2-VEE, VCOM, REVC), but then the image has too much contrast.

Any ideas?

 

[BobWoggle]

Just quickly checking in here, is anybody selling the screens at anything resembling a reasonable price? The cheapest I can find are used consoles in the $100+(USD, so near enough $140 for me) range at the moment, and the screens alone are going for about the same on aliexpress. Kind of a bummer because my AGS-101's screen is busted (due to a combination of clumsiness, gravity, and an unfortunately placed staircase or two), and I'm debating whether or not to switch the 101 screen in my modded AGB back into my SP and put the original screen back into the AGB.

So, any decently priced screens?

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

Hi All, signed up as I am interested in modding my GBA. Seems I have come to the right place, but at the wrong time. Prices for doing this mod are outrageous. Seen screens on ebay from the US but they had a $40 import charge (over and above the item price and shipping). Seen fully modded options from Russia but would worry about the import charges on those too. Oh well, maybe time to visit car boot sales for the elusive AGS-101!

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

Does anyone know if a 40 pin mobo will fit into a 32 pin GBA? Only reason I ask is that I have sourced a cheap GBA 40 pin model (simply because I don't want to solder and a guy is selling a 40 pin adapter on ebay which will give brightest setting without soldering - the 32 pin does still need soldered). The 32 pin GBA unit I have is immaculate so would rather use it's casing.

Cheers

 

[pelago]

I'm sure the cases are the same for both the 32-pin and 40-pin GBAs.

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

I'm sure the cases are the same for both the 32-pin and 40-pin GBAs.

Thanks for clearing that up. One more thing, the seller of the 40 pin adapter says it must connect to a brown screen connector. Unfortunately when I buy my donor SP I won't be able to tell what colour the connector is when I buy it. Why are there white and brown screen connectors for the same screen?

 

[pelago]

I think the screens with the brown connector are actually different from the ones with the white connector. In other words, it isn't the "same screen", and the colour of the connector allows you to work out which type of screen it is. I've never been entirely clear on the differences, though.

Best to wait until you have the donor screen and GBA before buying the adapter.

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

So, let me see if I have this right (not interested in the brightness switch adapaters)....

Gameboy SP AGS-101 Screen (brown tab) > 40 Pin adapter > 40 Pin GBA ('0' on mobo) > No soldering req'd

Gameboy SP AGS-101 Screen (white tab) > 32 Pin adapter > 32 Pin GBA ('1' on mobo) > Soldering req'd

So, if I am correct, the AGS-101 screen determines everything. So, when buying parts I must begin with the screen first, then buy my parts. Am planning to build a few of these if the first one goes to plan.

 

[BobWoggle]

So, let me see if I have this right (not interested in the brightness switch adapaters)....

Gameboy SP AGS-101 Screen (brown tab) > 40 Pin adapter > 40 Pin GBA ('0' on mobo) > No soldering req'd

Gameboy SP AGS-101 Screen (white tab) > 32 Pin adapter > 32 Pin GBA ('1' on mobo) > Soldering req'd

So, if I am correct, the AGS-101 screen determines everything. So, when buying parts I must begin with the screen first, then buy my parts. Am planning to build a few of these if the first one goes to plan.

There are adapters for either screen to either mobo. Mine is a white tabbed screen on a 40 pin, no soldering and everything works. Just make sure to ask the person selling you the ribbon what screen and board it's compatible with.

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

There are adapters for either screen to either mobo. Mine is a white tabbed screen on a 40 pin, no soldering and everything works. Just make sure to ask the person selling you the ribbon what screen and board it's compatible with.

Hmm, interesting. I don't suppose you have a link because the guy I am keeping tabs on said not to trust sellers who say they have 40 pin adapters which work with white tab. Of course, he may be pulling a fast one to keep my business. I just really would prefer not to have to solder, regardless of screen. Would I be right in saying that 32 pin adapters will always need soldered?

 

[BobWoggle]

...Would I be right in saying that 32 pin adapters will always need soldered?

Unfortunately, I have no experience with 32-pin GBAs or backlight modding thereof.

However, just judging by the fact that the SP screen is 34 pins, two of those pins being devoted to the light, whereas the 32-pin GBA is, well, 32 pins, all devoted to the pixels on the screen, I would assume that's correct.

 

[Ben Ten's Dad]

Unfortunately, I have no experience with 32-pin GBAs or backlight modding thereof.

However, just judging by the fact that the SP screen is 34 pins, two of those pins being devoted to the light, whereas the 32-pin GBA is, well, 32 pins, all devoted to the pixels on the screen, I would assume that's correct.

Sounds entirely logical!

 

[Fressshhh]

Expensive kit on eBay: http://www.ebay.fr/sch/gamersworld213/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
10 units on Alibaba: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/backlight-LCD-Screen-Replacement-For-Gameboy_1886914880.html

These are not good deals, if I find a good one, I'll post it here.

Do anyone knows if the Aalibaba still have screens in stock?

 

[BobWoggle]

Do anyone knows if the Aalibaba still have screens in stock?

I am incorrect.

 

[ker]

If the listing is still visible, the screens are in stock.

This is not true. If you ask seller you will receive a real answer.