Why would I want to LED mod the psone screen?

thewise1 · Post by **thewise1** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:24 pm

I actually just found the interest to make an n64p so I'm fairly new to this. So I wouldn't want to risk braking the screen.

I know it saves power but how much power, and does it do anything else?

deviouskoopa · Post by **deviouskoopa** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:39 pm

It can potentially save more space by cutting down the screen's board. If you do it, do it with 8 LEDs for more even lighting instead of just 3/4... even lighting is what you're sacrificing for power saving.

thewise1 · Post by **thewise1** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:59 pm

deviouskoopa wrote:It can potentially save more space by cutting down the screen's board. If you do it, do it with 8 LEDs for more even lighting instead of just 3/4... even lighting is what you're sacrificing for power saving.

Thanks, I won't risk breaking the screen, and I do like even lighting. I can sacrifice a little power.

deviouskoopa · Post by **deviouskoopa** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:05 am

thewise1 wrote:
deviouskoopa wrote:It can potentially save more space by cutting down the screen's board. If you do it, do it with 8 LEDs for more even lighting instead of just 3/4... even lighting is what you're sacrificing for power saving.
Thanks, I won't risk breaking the screen, and I do like even lighting. I can sacrifice a little power.

No problem, but I'd wait for someone with more experience to give a little better advice, especially as to why it's better to LED mod the screen.
Bacteria is the main portablizer who doesn't LED mod as far as I know...

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:37 am

It all comes down to choice.

For a while after Ben put the mod in his book, people used the LED mod and said it was good. I looked at the pics of the screen and thought the lighting looked very bright at the corners and dim in the middle, and uneven. After a while people started adding more LED's as they wanted more even lighting, 4 or 6 normally. Naturally, the more LED's you use, the less difference to the consumption by the batteries. Now the view is perhaps 6 or 8 LED's. People also report that the LED's die after a while too, so obviously don't give thousands of hours of life as they normally do.

The image from the stock light in the screen is fine and quite even, so I am happy with it. If/when the tube in the screen dies and I don't have a replacement, I may well look at LED'ing a screen.

It comes entirely down to the following factors: 1) choice 2) lower battery consumption (although I doubt there is much difference if you use 8 LED's) 3) how critical you are for having even lighting on a screen 4) if you need to remove the top of the screen (although you could always relocate it, just a few wires).

palmertech indicated he was going to post pics of the different results of using LED's and a mylar foil backing (I guess you can have the same result using tin foil and thin plastic sheet?).

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:05 am

The LEDs die after a while because Ben's mod is incorrect. He uses one resistor for all LEDs, when he should have been using one for each LED. He also uses 10 Ω, which, depending on the LEDs you use, may be too less. For instance, mine need 80Ω.

As for the looks, it's really not as bad as it looks on pictures. The camera exaggerates the unevenness.

Bacteria, you are partially wrong. Even with 8 LEDs (let's say each one uses 20mA, that's what mine use) - it's a total of 16mA. The stock backlight uses somewhere around 400, I believe.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:37 am

Kyo wrote:The LEDs die after a while because Ben's mod is incorrect. He uses one resistor for all LEDs, when he should have been using one for each LED. He also uses 10 Ω, which, depending on the LEDs you use, may be too less. For instance, mine need 80Ω.

As for the looks, it's really not as bad as it looks on pictures. The camera exaggerates the unevenness.

Bacteria, you are partially wrong. Even with 8 LEDs (let's say each one uses 20mA, that's what mine use) - it's a total of 16mA. The stock backlight uses somewhere around 400, I believe.

8 x 20mA = 160mA, so a saving of 240mA against using the stock backlight of 400mA (to use your figures). Certainly makes a difference to playtime, sure, by about 15-18%% on say an N64 system, so if you normally get say 3 hours you would get about 2.5 hours instead; assuming you get even brightness across the whole screen it is worth considering - however people seem to post that there are brightness issues but "you hardly notice when you are playing" - I would and it would annoy me, hence my reluctance. I might have to replicate this LED mod at some point in a future project to just see what differences there are, if it is good enough, and if there is a way to make the lighting completely even.

So, out of interest, if you use ultra bright 3v LED's, what resistor would you need to use on each LED?

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:59 am

As how you said, it all comes down to choice. I for one have no problem with using an LED modded screen, I can barely tell the difference.

Bacteria, I can't tell you what resistor you need without knowing the amperage.

R = U/I
that's Resistance = voltage / current

let's use my LEDs as an example. They use 20mA, need 3.4V. I have 5V
so it would be:

R = (U1-U2)/I
that's
R = (5V-3.4V)/0.02A
R = 80 Ω

Don't you learn that kinda stuff in school over there?

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:01 am

Never did electronics at school, wasn't in the curriculum, just the standard subjects. Anyway, I haven't been to school for 25 years - yes, before 90% of you were even born...

Yes, I don't know how to work ohms law, resistors, or other things (if I need to know I Google or ask here), nor can I read schematics in diagram form; my Father finds it rather amusing, given my hobby! What I do use is common sense, experimentation and research - proves anyone without more than basic skills can make good systems (so no excuse, people!).

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:03 am

In germany, you learn that stuff in physics actually. Eh, maybe you did too and just forgot about it.

You should really look into those basics, they're not hard to learn and I'm sure you'd be able to put them to good use!

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:26 am

Nah, can't remember what we covered in Physics in my day, however it certainly didn't involve electronics. Perhaps the curriculum does now, no idea what UK kids get taught these days; although they finish school earlier than I used to have to (15:15 instead of 17:00).

Sure, you are right, however I get by:

I'm not interested in making my own circuits, just trimming relocating and rewiring, which I can do fine.

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:34 am

It'd help with the wii...

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:37 am

Ha,ha, good one. I am kinda hoping by the time I can buy them for next to nothing that there will be so much documentation about modding them that I can cut and paste the documentation and the rest innovate as I see fit!

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:56 am

The main plus is you can chop off a big part of the PSone screen off. My portable would be an extra inch high with that silly inverter. Brightness point is mute when you get 13k mcd LEDs anyways.

When I get another PSone I must do a comparison test. There really isn't a difference at all.

deviouskoopa · Post by **deviouskoopa** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:36 pm

Yeah I'm also waiting to see palmertech's LED mod brightness comparison. And those LEDs that you mentioned die after awhile are most likely because people use only 1 resistor for 4-8 LEDs, which doesn't work for some reason that I should know but can't put my finger on at the moment

Bacteria: You should at least familiarize yourself with Ohm's law, if not anything else. Finding LED resistors are pretty much the only thing you might need to know some circuit laws for. This calculator also helps: http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz