Original GBA backlight mod, impossible.

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G-force
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Original GBA backlight mod, impossible.

Post by G-force »

How do I know this? Well, after getting some LED's from Digi-Key yesterday, I opened up my old GBA hoping that I could perform a miracle on it. An LED backlight that is. After opening it I saw that the LCD had a metal plate on the back. This would have to go if it was going to be backlit. So I CAREFULLLLY pryed it off the LCD glass. After that I brought over an old light box (a milky colored plastic, light diffusing "box") from a forgotten intec screen. I used a keychain LED for testing (it's white) cause I figured it would save me some trouble with wiring the other LED. So I stuck the GBA screen on top of the light box and then stuck an LED in the end of the light box. Then I turned on the GBA.

The screen was completely washed out by the light. :(

I knew that would happen but I had to try. Aparently it's not made to be backlit so *gasp* a backlight won't work! Reallll smooth...

I know that for the Afterburner light they used some kind of a front light sheet on top of the screen with some kind of a fluoresent tube. I thought I could 1up them with a real back light, silly me :roll:
Anybody know how Nintendo front lit their GBA SP and micro screens? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

I have pics of what I did if you are interested. So while I have it all ripped apart, any other ideas to try?
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vb_master
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Post by vb_master »

How about adding some resistors?
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Post by bicostp »

It's the way the screens are designed that gies you trouble, they can't be backlit properly. (same goes for GBC. GBP and GBO might be able to use a backlight...)

I think for the SP, Nintendo just used the same stuff the Afterburner mod is made out of. :lol:
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G-force
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Post by G-force »

That's what I thought so I moved the light where it could barely light it at all, but any light at all washed it out too much too see :(

So, I decided I'll just come up with some weird front light thing. It'll be better than the current 4" bendy light I have right now at least.
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Post by bicostp »

I've got a Worm Light on mine, it gets the job done.

(I wonder if I could plug the GBC worm light into the GBA worm light's passthru port to get better lighting...)

Another way I found to improve visibility was to take some finish-universal car scratch remover and scrub away at the screen, thus eliminating all but the deepest scratches. Again. it's cheap (already had the polish) and easy (all it needs is a lot of elbow grease).
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atkafighter
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Post by atkafighter »

I don't know of a way to light it other than 3rd party clip on lights. I'm still kind of mad at Nintendo for doing this. The only other GameBoy I had was the OG (the cinder block). So when I picked up the GBA with my hard earned cash (I was like 14 then) I was very mad about not being able to see anything I was doing. I bought one of the 3rd party lights that works pretty well. Its a flourescent tube that doubles as a screen cover. Someday I might just do what Dkap01 did and make a Psone+GBA. I'll call it GameBoyGIGA (because giga is something large...).
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Post by Reaperman@home »

I wonder if the original manufacturer has a backlit version of the screen (sharp, or toshiba, or whoever made it), or if they built it completely to nintendo specs and didn't use it anywhere else.

other than that, I suspect dimming the backlight will eventually work--when it gets about as dim as before...

I also doubt those snazzy new "with new backlit screen" SPs will work--even the frontlit version used a different connector.
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soundwave
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Post by soundwave »

What if you used like, some of that tinted gray anti-static plastic to tone down the LEDs? Or something similar.
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superdeformed
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Post by superdeformed »

soundwave wrote:What if you used like, some of that tinted gray anti-static plastic to tone down the LEDs? Or something similar.
The original GBA screen was designed to have light come in through the front (in other words it's a reflective LCD). Any amount of light going straight through the back will wash out the color, regardless of how bright it is.
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Post by demonofaj »

On a GBC, wait no, when you put iN the case, there is no depth between lcd case or mobo. Making it impossible to put in LEDS. :(
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G-force
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Post by G-force »

superdeformed wrote: The original GBA screen was designed to have light come in through the front (in other words it's a reflective LCD). Any amount of light going straight through the back will wash out the color, regardless of how bright it is.
Exactly. So now we can lay all these different backlighting ideas to rest. My project did have a purpose after all, I guess. :|

The screen absolutely, positively, HAS to be front lit.
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atkafighter
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Post by atkafighter »

Grr.. so the only way you can see anything with the LCD is to have light reflect into you eyes? Then there is absolutely no way to get a non-glared image with a GBA. Thanks a lot Nintendo *feels like throwing his GBA at the wall really hard but restrains himself*.
Yay fixed my banner, but still need a site.
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Post by Reaperman@home »

atkafighter wrote: Then there is absolutely no way to get a non-glared image with a GBA.
well...I can name a couple ways...
but the cheapest is called 'new gameboy'
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Conn
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Post by Conn »

By the way, the GBM is actually backlit, not frontlit.
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sam fisher
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Re: Original GBA backlight mod, impossible.

Post by sam fisher »

G-force wrote:How do I know this? Well, after getting some LED's from Digi-Key yesterday, I opened up my old GBA hoping that I could perform a miracle on it. An LED backlight that is. After opening it I saw that the LCD had a metal plate on the back. This would have to go if it was going to be backlit. So I CAREFULLLLY pryed it off the LCD glass. After that I brought over an old light box (a milky colored plastic, light diffusing "box") from a forgotten intec screen. I used a keychain LED for testing (it's white) cause I figured it would save me some trouble with wiring the other LED. So I stuck the GBA screen on top of the light box and then stuck an LED in the end of the light box. Then I turned on the GBA.

The screen was completely washed out by the light. :(

I knew that would happen but I had to try. Aparently it's not made to be backlit so *gasp* a backlight won't work! Reallll smooth...

I know that for the Afterburner light they used some kind of a front light sheet on top of the screen with some kind of a fluoresent tube. I thought I could 1up them with a real back light, silly me :roll:
Anybody know how Nintendo front lit their GBA SP and micro screens? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

I have pics of what I did if you are interested. So while I have it all ripped apart, any other ideas to try?
aferburner used a light guide as does the gp32flu
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