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Laptop Screen Question. — Parallax Forums

Laptop Screen Question.

J. A. StreichJ. A. Streich Posts: 158
edited 2007-12-11 20:56 in Propeller 1
I have a dead Wallstreet iBook and I wanted to reuse the samsung LT141X2-124 LCD monitor, and was wondering if anyone has the pin-out for this LCD. Has anyone here done this?

Comments

  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,162
    edited 2007-12-09 03:16
    I think this would be very difficult because you'd have to interface with the LCD controller...
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,162
    edited 2007-12-09 12:30
    Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps the LCD controller on a laptop just inputs VGA signals... Maybe it could work, if you can figure out what goes where...
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2007-12-09 13:15
    I have a lombard, with a dead power board. I do not think they understand vga signals at all. they get something like 6 or 8 pins per color plus sync.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,162
    edited 2007-12-09 14:25
    But, I think the graphics chipsets are basically the same as a desktop card, so I would imagine they put out VGA... A newer computer may have a DVI interface though... But, I don't really know what I'm talking about here [noparse]:)[/noparse] I may have to find a dead laptop to take apart...
  • Nick MuellerNick Mueller Posts: 815
    edited 2007-12-09 15:30
    Forget it.

    Google for LCD-controllers to see how "simple" it is.

    Nick

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    Never use force, just go for a bigger hammer!

    The DIY Digital-Readout for mills, lathes etc.:
    YADRO
  • Harrison.Harrison. Posts: 484
    edited 2007-12-09 21:15
    If I remember correctly, most modern laptop and embedded PC LCD panels use LVDS instead of the digital RGB signaling. Most laptop controllers output this directly to the LCD, skipping any standard external interfaces (such as VGA/DVI).

    Your best bet is to get an older lcd panel that supports 3bit/9bit digital RGB with V/H sync. You can probably get these cheaper than all in one displays that take ntsc/pal/vga/etc video signals.

    Harrison
  • J. A. StreichJ. A. Streich Posts: 158
    edited 2007-12-11 03:52
    Know what era the LVDS started in... This is from a G3 walstreet iBook, so it's quite a few years old. Even if it is LVD, there has to be a pin out somewhere, and I should be able to generate the signals to control the monitor if I have the pinout, granted it'll be a lot more code or perhaps hardware... Hmm..

    Any suggestions on cheap LCD screens?
  • Harrison.Harrison. Posts: 484
    edited 2007-12-11 04:56
    What kind of resolution does this G3 iBook use? From what I have seen in the past, displays between 320x240 - 640x480 (and maybe 800x600) will be digital RGB. Displays with resolutions with resolutions 800x600 and greater will use LVDS (probably due to the high frequency pixel dot clocks required for such high resolutions).

    Anyways, take a look at wikipedia and read up on LVDS. You'll probably have to find a LVDS driver chip and figure out how to generate high speed datastreams for the LCD ( > 40mhz ish).

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_voltage_differential_signaling - General LVDS Info
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FPD-Link - A type of LVDS used in Laptops
    www.national.com/an/AN/AN-1032.pdf - App Note from National Semi about FPD-Link

    Another possible way to figure out the interface type is to look at the actual wires coming out of the display. If there are any twisted pair wires then it is likely to be LVDS.

    Harrison
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2007-12-11 06:31
    Both the wallstreet Powerbook and the Lombard had 1024x768 panels. Mine was manufactured in 1999.

    Very interesting articles. National sends samples, so maybe an ic can be obtained.

    Edit: Well the facts contradict me, not always the wallstreets had 1024x768 screens. Yours, have a 12 or 14 inch display ?

    guides.macrumors.com/PowerBook_G3

    Post Edited (Ale) : 12/11/2007 6:49:02 AM GMT
  • J. A. StreichJ. A. Streich Posts: 158
    edited 2007-12-11 20:16
    The LT141X2-124 is 114.1... Looks like it's 1024x768 and would use LVDS.

    I've looked at the LVDS ICs and adapters and they get expensive fast. I think I'll have to give up on the old laptop monitor... Any suggestions on finding an cheap VGA or DVI LCD display?
  • J. A. StreichJ. A. Streich Posts: 158
    edited 2007-12-11 20:36
    Hate to reply to myself but I thought that this development merited passing along what I found.

    I'm still interested in finding a larger LCD (even a 10 or 12 inch VGA monitor would work), but for the time being I think I'm going to dust off my old Sony Clie: http://palmorb.sourceforge.net/
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2007-12-11 20:56
    Instead of that, why not download one of the many BASIC variants for PalmOS, and if your Clie isn't serial, get hold of an old III or V.
    Should be much easier to customize and build GUIs with...

    Other than that, I suggest you look for one of those 7" LCD TVs they sell for use when camping or in the car.
    If it can take composite, then you'll find all the tools in the already published TV-objects.

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