Hardware GBA Backlight! (AGB-001)

[Cartmanuk]

The two LCDs that are washed out have a white plastic tab on the end of the ribbon whilst the one that works has a black tab on the end. Do you think that is indicative of anything? I thought the LCDs in the AGS-101s were all the same performance-wise.

No wiring, just the adapter cables. Even though the ribbon cable is said to work without soldering the ribbon cable has 4 pads marked R1 & R2.

You are going to have to solder a wire to the far left pin as above and connect it to a ground.

 

[Tye-Dye]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what was the difference between the type A, type B and type AB screens?
I understand the ribbion cables are different (I have seen the pictures) but what does this mean in terms of the mod?
Do certain cables not work or does the mod not work with a certain type of screen?

I am buying a crappy old GBASP AGS-101 and taking the screen off it to do this mod.

Thanks in (gameboy) advance

 

[Monty Kensicle]

You are going to have to solder a wire to the far left pin as above and connect it to a ground.[/quote]

You are going to have to solder a wire to the far left pin as above and connect it to a ground.

Sorry for the late reply. I had an issue at my house and had to root through the garbage to recover important papers.

Anyway I did that and it turned off the backlight completely, as did other Ground points on the board. I also tried soldering it to the left leg of DA1 as is standard with other ribbon adapters and it was washed out just like before.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Success! A combination of soldering that pin from the ribbon cable to DA1, then RECV to GND and V2 to 103 to get a picture that wasn't absolutely hideous.

But now I'm getting some minor ghosting on GBA titles but not GB/GBC games. Is that normal for these screens?

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering what was the difference between the type A, type B and type AB screens?
I understand the ribbion cables are different (I have seen the pictures) but what does this mean in terms of the mod?
Do certain cables not work or does the mod not work with a certain type of screen?

I am buying a crappy old GBASP AGS-101 and taking the screen off it to do this mod.

Thanks in (gameboy) advance

I've thus far encountered 2 different types of LCDs in the AGS-101


Don't know which one is which or which one came first, but I do know that the one on the left works without issue with this 40-pin solder-less adapter.

 

[WarioWaffles]

View attachment 11709View attachment 11710

Success! A combination of soldering that pin from the ribbon cable to DA1, then RECV to GND and V2 to 103 to get a picture that wasn't absolutely hideous.

But now I'm getting some minor ghosting on GBA titles but not GB/GBC games. Is that normal for these screens?

For ags101 screens? yes. I got noticeable ghosting playing warioland 4 on a ags101 vs a ags100 (worth it for the color and clarity)

 

[Tye-Dye]

Is the ghosting issue a big problem when using an AGS-101 screen from a gameboy sp?
Is it extremely noticeable and is there any way to fix it?

 

[Cartmanuk]

Is the ghosting issue a big problem when using an AGS-101 screen from a gameboy sp?
Is it extremely noticeable and is there any way to fix it?

Its not a big problem for me. its same as a GameBoy Micro.

 

[Tye-Dye]

Its not a big problem for me. its same as a GameBoy Micro.

Thanks for your quick reply

I love my gameboy micro to bits and I can't actually notice any ghosting so that sounds good
I'm looking forward to completing this mod

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Is the ghosting issue a big problem when using an AGS-101 screen from a gameboy sp?
Is it extremely noticeable and is there any way to fix it?

I don't get the ghosting at all when I use an LCD with a brown tab on the end of the ribbon cable as opposed to these ones with a white tab on them.

I need to do further research to identify which screen is which, because some sellers of the ribbon cable adapter specify that their adapter only works for either the A, B or AB LCD.

 

[EpicPal]

Guys, where do you buy the screen part?

Is there more than one website to choose from? which one gives the best results?

 

[rainparadesamurai]

Not a waste, I prefer the design and buttons of the original GBA to the SP.

eww I don't. Most people who fanboy over the original fatass gba are typically splergs who simply didn't have the patience to wait for the gba sp.

 

[Tye-Dye]

eww I don't. Most people who fanboy over the original fatass gba are typically splergs who simply didn't have the patience to wait for the gba sp.

You're such an idiot.
When the gameboy advance came out no one knew the gameboy sp was going to come out.
Why would people wait another few years to get something they didn't know was coming.

I'm guessing your hands are the size of 5 year olds and the gameboy advance sp was super uncomfortable compared with the 'fatass' gameboy advance which is comfortable to play in most peoples hands.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

I just noticed that all the AGS-101 screens have ghosting to a degree, but the one with a white tab on the ribbon cable I used in an original GBA had extreme ghosting, like the faint impression of the battle menu in Pokemon Emerald whilst travelling in the overworld. It did not happen with the brown tabbed cable though.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Its not a big problem for me. its same as a GameBoy Micro.

One more question, the brightness I get by default is the same as the first brightness setting on the AGS-101, is there a way to up it a bit? I tried adjusting the potentiometer but that did nothing.

 

[gbaplayer143]

I managed to get an AGS-101 with a broken exterior/case, an AGB-001 with a cracked screen and got one of these cables. During my attempt to assemble this, the ribbon strip with the switch broke off, so I moved the wire from point P2 to where the other trace of the switch goes, which is where L2 is. I tried and the screen does not power on or show an image. Thinking I may have ruined the screen or the GBA, I reconnected the screens to their original GBA units and confirmed that the screens still work on their respective units

Is there any other solder points I can try to get this working? Here's a picture of the cable.

 

[Simon93]

hi all, i'm really confused by all of this, I've just bought a gba advance and i want to mod the screen so it's brighter and after reading most of this thread it's seems that the screens are no longer in production? if not i was wondering if i can use the screen off a gba sp and if so what cable do i need to buy? all help is appreciated

 

[KipMudz]

You can use the original LCD from AGS-101.

 

[Gameboy90210]

Hi there,
I am ordering a Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) console and planning on taking its LCD screen to put into my Game Boy Advance console.
As I have never modified a Game Boy Advance to have a back-light screen, I was wondering if anyone would be able to answer a few questions:
1. Is the GBA LCD screen adaptor cable (32/40 pin) what I need to connect the GBA SP (AGS-101) screen to the Game Boy Advance motherboard?
2. Is a particular watt measurement required for the soldering iron?

This is my first time doing this modification, so if anyone can answer this and recommend any other suggestions/tips that would be really appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Hi there,
I am ordering a Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) console and planning on taking its LCD screen to put into my Game Boy Advance console.
As I have never modified a Game Boy Advance to have a back-light screen, I was wondering if anyone would be able to answer a few questions:
1. Is the GBA LCD screen adaptor cable (32/40 pin) what I need to connect the GBA SP (AGS-101) screen to the Game Boy Advance motherboard?
2. Is a particular watt measurement required for the soldering iron?

This is my first time doing this modification, so if anyone can answer this and recommend any other suggestions/tips that would be really appreciated.
Thank you.

That ribbon adapter and a thin wire running from the adapter to a certain point on the GBA mainboard to draw power for the backlight is all you need.