I bought a used PS1 screen from someone recently and it didn't come with the SCPH-121 power supply. I had a couple of extra power supplies laying around, so I thought I would try them. Both of the power supplies had to be hard wired, as the plug end as well as the barrel power connector and accompanying board were MIA. Here's the deal.
The first power supply that I tried was rated at 7.5V output at 1A. This power supply was originally made for a Netgear 4-port hub. It powered the screen for the mostpart, but there were two very visible horizontal bands that scrolled up the screen. The two bands combined covered about 1/2 the screen in total and slightly distorted the image along with making that section black and white.
The second power supply was rated at 7.5V output at 500mah and is made by Radio Shack. When I plugged it in, the screen powered up, but was obviously not as bright. Also, there was a upwardly scrolling horizontal "area" that darkened the image as it scrolled. It didn't distorted it like the first power supply did, but you could tell that it was there, especially on dark backgrounds (like the menu screen for Project Gotham Racing 2...I was using my Xbox to test the functionality).
I can only attribute the problems to the power supplies. The only other possibility that I can think of is that the barrel connector and/or the circuit board that the connector was attached to limited interference from the input power. The images produced really looked like some sort of EMI. Now, I can say that neither of the power supplies had a ferrite core on the end, like the actual Sony SCPH-121 has.
Could that be the problem? If so, does anyone know where I can get a SCPH-121 or even an SCPH-113 CHEAP? If I end up paying more than $15 for one, then I might as well go to my local Toys R Us store and pick up another brand new LCD screen for $20.
Problems with powering PS1 LCD Screen
Moderator: Moderators
The PSone screen is very picky about its input voltage. Since it consumes almost 1 AMP of current, the power supply voltage tends to sag if it is not rated over that amount. The input regulation is also important, because if you have a "dirty" DC input(unfiltered power supply), it causes the lines on the screen.
Also, if the voltage drops below 7.1v, the screen begins to flicker. This is because it is starved for power.
The best thing to do is to get rid of the hungry backlight and place LED's or other alternative in there.
Also, if the voltage drops below 7.1v, the screen begins to flicker. This is because it is starved for power.
The best thing to do is to get rid of the hungry backlight and place LED's or other alternative in there.
If all else fails, take it apart!