Hardware 40 pin GBA with white tab LCD perfect solution!

[malheur]

Just wondering while I wait for my adapter in the post - I ordered a 40 pin B adapter (Which I assume fixes the issue) and it has a wire coming off it, where do I solder that onto? (I assumed GND but I may be wrong?)

i believe that specified "40 pin B" adapter fixed this issue. and that wire came out is backlight voltage. it works fine even if you don't solder that wire, and if you do it will be brighter than not connect(in my opinion, it is too bright for play long time, but of course it's preference for owner). it should be soldered to one of the leg of "DA1". try search "DA1".

I used a 100k trimpot though, is this a big deal? It seems to work just fine still.

congraturation! thank you for reply. and about the pot, i think it doesn't need to be too much specific. any over 50k will be works fine.

 

[warmo161]

i believe that specified "40 pin B" adapter fixed this issue. and that wire came out is backlight voltage. it works fine even if you don't solder that wire, and if you do it will be brighter than not connect(in my opinion, it is too bright for play long time, but of course it's preference for owner). it should be soldered to one of the leg of "DA1". try search "DA1".



congraturation! thank you for reply. and about the pot, i think it doesn't need to be too much specific. any over 50k will be works fine.

Thanks, although it is kinda late lol, I soldered it onto DA1 but I cant see any difference (or no idea if i even soldered it right) anyway, that was a few weeks ago and my GBA is now fully working! I was annoyed at the beginning thinking I would need to hunt around for a 32 pin console but it wasnt the case in the end!

 

[ghost010]

So what you guys are saying is that i dont need to do all of this if i just get the 40 Pin B ribbon for my boards starting with the 0.

 

[malheur]

So what you guys are saying is that i dont need to do all of this if i just get the 40 Pin B ribbon for my boards starting with the 0.

actually, yes.

consider this guide for theoretical and practical footstep since not everybody can get that specific adapter, and massive amount modder(specific adapter is a bit expensive than usual adapter).

 

[Peeteris]

Great work and a big thank you @malheur
Did this mod Yesterday and it fixed my problems.
I actually used the poti which was already on the GBA motherboard, i got rid of R15 next to it and soldered the 3,3v from the capacitor to the top solder pad of R15, then disconnected the top leg from the PCB, soldered it to C2 on the adapter and insulated the bottom of the poti with some electrical tape, works like a charm.

Anyway i think you could simplify this mod by just connecting REVC to P2-VEE on the CPU side of the GBA Motherboard and remove R16, R17, C33, C54 and Q3 on the other side.
The removal of R16, R17 and C33 would disconnect the P2-VEE on the ribbon connector from the rest of the circuitboard and getting rid of C54 and Q3 would send the unaltered output of the original poti directly to VCOM on the ribbon connector.
No need to get a new poti or cut the ribbon cable this way.

Im not sure which voltage goes out of R15 and into the poti by default, so maybe it would be necessary to unsolder R15 and connecting the 3,3V from the capacitor below to the top solder point of R15 as well.

I am to lazy to try it out with the GBA i just modded (since its an Christmas present for my brother in law, which is already wrapped) and have no other flying around so it would be nice if someone could test this out.

This method literally saved me. It's relatively easy mod and it worked out great for me.
Thank you!

 

[doubledenim]

Is it still necessary to solder the wire between the ribbon and the motherboard (P1 to DA1) when doing either malheurs or gaggis mod?
Also, can I solder the wire to R11 instead of DA1? I already have a wire soldered to it.

Thanks to everyone for doing all the research and instructions to these mods

 

[Peeteris]

Is it still necessary to solder the wire between the ribbon and the motherboard (P1 to DA1) when doing either malheurs or gaggis mod?
Also, can I solder the wire to R11 instead of DA1? I already have a wire soldered to it.

Thanks to everyone for doing all the research and instructions to these mods

Screen will be dimmer than when there's soldered P1 to DA1 in either of these mods. It's just about brightness.
Yes, you can solder to R11, but make sure you solder to the right leg.

 

[EddyRodz91]

First! awesome job.

I tried to make this mod on my GBA and i got this issue "Washout screen" I tried with the built-in potentiometer and i screwed it up :S What that type of potentiometer I need to used for this mod???

 

[malheur]

I tried with the built-in potentiometer and i screwed it up :S What that type of potentiometer I need to used for this mod???

if you lost your built-in pot, i suggest you mod with my method in the thread.

its just for reference voltage, not transfer high current, so any small physical size with 50k+ 3 legs will be fine. i used 100k for sure.

 

[Stremon]

wow man you're on fire!
After solving the sound noise problem you solve this one, that's crazy
Thank you for reviving the gba mod scene!
Merci!

Edit: I also have the 40pin B type GBA, but I got the brightness mod ribbon for it, does your mod still apply to it? It's this one:
http://s.aliexpress.com/naEfYZBJ

 

[doubledenim]

I did the mod by removing the components on the motherboard and the screen works perfectly. However, the start button doesn't work. At first I thought it was just dirty and didn't get contact because that was the case of some other buttons, but after cleaning the silicone pads and metal parts beneath it still doesn't work. Is it possible I messed something up with the soldering? Anyone had a similar problem?

Edit:
I had also previously soldered a wire to R11 which I removed.

 

[Peeteris]

I did the mod by removing the components on the motherboard and the screen works perfectly. However, the start button doesn't work. At first I thought it was just dirty and didn't get contact because that was the case of some other buttons, but after cleaning the silicone pads and metal parts beneath it still doesn't work. Is it possible I messed something up with the soldering? Anyone had a similar problem?

Edit:
I had also previously soldered a wire to R11 which I removed.

seems like you accidentally touched something that you shouldn't had to with soldering iron. Inspect motherboard, maybe you accidentally connected or damaged something, because components that are shown in instruction as removable ones are related only to display(-ing picture).

 

[doubledenim]

seems like you accidentally touched something that you shouldn't had to with soldering iron. Inspect motherboard, maybe you accidentally connected or damaged something, because components that are shown in instruction as removable ones are related only to display(-ing picture).

How about R11 or DA1? They are pretty close to location of the start button on the other side, could it be anything close to there?

 

[Peeteris]

How about R11 or DA1? They are pretty close to location of the start button on the other side, could it be anything close to there?

Check if there's no excessive solder on R11 where you had wire before.

 

[doubledenim]

Check if there's no excessive solder on R11 where you had wire before.

Not much excessive solder but i think i soldered to the wrong point of R11. Didnt notice anything before though

Edit: i think i found the issue. There is a really thin, almost invisble layer of dried LOCA over the conductors. I installed a frontlight kit before and spilled all over the place.

 

[Peeteris]

You have soldered to the right point of DA1. In the picture it looks that R11 is missing. If i'm wrong, I don't see anything wrong with the MB.

 

[doubledenim]

You have soldered to the right point of DA1. In the picture it looks that R11 is missing. If i'm wrong, I don't see anything wrong with the MB.

Its working! I scraped the metal conductors of start and select and cleaned with alcohol. Thanks for the support

 

[Z80]

Just finished my own mod after reading a lot of stuff here, thx for all the previous work, my gba is a [10 1-1] and i paired it with a white tab screen i have been testing it and I think it looks awesome but in certain games im not sure if im noticing some kind of lever fading... humm I would like also to upload some pictures to know what u think about the final results.

another thing I would like to ask is, if it is normal when putting everything back together to need to apply force when re-assembling the GBA since the adapter connector gets between the screen and the motherboard... I dont know if I could be stressing the GBA :/, i think I cut the plastic properly when fitting the LCD screen (it has more height than the original GBA screen), Did i do something wrong or is it normal to have to apply some force with the screws?

 

[malheur]

I think it looks awesome but in certain games im not sure if im noticing some kind of lever fading...

another thing I would like to ask is

1 fading thing, i dont get it. you could adjust LCD frequency by potentiometer there is.

2 thickness thing, you should remove the original LCD guide thing on the front housing. then fold twice the ribbon properly, and it is supposed to between LCD and the board. if still thicker than housing you think, remove (or replace with thinner) double-side tape on LCD front side.

 

[doubledenim]

Just finished my own mod after reading a lot of stuff here, thx for all the previous work, my gba is a [10 1-1] and i paired it with a white tab screen i have been testing it and I think it looks awesome but in certain games im not sure if im noticing some kind of lever fading... humm I would like also to upload some pictures to know what u think about the final results.

another thing I would like to ask is, if it is normal when putting everything back together to need to apply force when re-assembling the GBA since the adapter connector gets between the screen and the motherboard... I dont know if I could be stressing the GBA :/, i think I cut the plastic properly when fitting the LCD screen (it has more height than the original GBA screen), Did i do something wrong or is it normal to have to apply some force with the screws?

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My shell didnt completely close, i had to push hard when reassembling. Just make sure there are no wires or cables getting squeezed