How to make GBA lcd work?

kaz254 · Post by **kaz254** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:12 pm

Does anyone know how to make the LCD from the GBA work..

I'm completely new to this... but I have a broken GBA and it just seems easier to use the speakers, pad, buttons, and LCD from the GBA to make this than anything else.

The LCD is a ribbon cable connected to the board.

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:13 pm

No! You can't do it!

daguuy · Post by **daguuy** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:19 pm

you can't use the screen unless you have a GBA and TV tuner but you could use the butons and speaker if you want

chozen wun · Post by **chozen wun** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:52 pm

you can use the screen but u need a tv tuner. look around at lik-sang.com. they have a tuner somewhere on their site. you got to use the whole entire gba to use the lcd.

kaz254 · Post by **kaz254** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:38 am

Well the fact that I can use the buttons/speakers is good.

Using the entire GBA would be a lot better than the alternative way I had planned (100x more bulky)

Could I make it use the GBA cartriges AND another system's?

x24 · Post by **x24** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:58 am

umm.. U could get one of those cart selectors.. with the 3 cart slots in it.. one of them could the av-in within it use one for games and the other on.. I dont know, the movie player(??). that would make it even bulier tho.. you could always put an NOAC or mini SNES into it or something and It woudn't be that big.

u just need all these

A GBA
+

3 Cart Selector
(I think these a better brand of this tho)
+

AV In Port
+

Movie Player

that would be sweet

Klefmung · Post by **Klefmung** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:55 pm

what about the top screen of a DS, I inquire? Could that be used, saying "would you only need to hack the top half?"

Post by **marshallh** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:58 pm

No, those screens use Digital RGB. It's most likely encoded in a proprietary format that is only generated by the DS/gba and the screen is useless for anything else (unless you're Kevin Horton.)
Better off to use a PSone screen (ebgames.com has them for $30, use the coupon code PPLAY15.)

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:22 pm

http://portablesofdoom.org/screens.php

Here's a bunch of screens you can and can't use.

Quick summary: basically you can't use most portable electronics screens. This includes, but is not limited to, pagers, cell phones, game boys, ds-es, the Atari Lynx, Nintendo Game and Watches, and laptops*.

*a laptop would work with a video input USB thing, but you would have to leave the entire laptop intact)

You can use GBA and (theortically) DS screens... sorta. You have to buy a video input cartridge for the GBA/DS, and leave the entire console intact.

Your best bets for screens are ones that are advertized as console screens and pocket TVs with AV inputs.

akadewboy · Post by **akadewboy** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:27 pm

Go with the PSone screen if you want a big one,or go with the Hip Gear Screen if you want a small 2.5 inch one.

A.J. Franzman · Post by **A.J. Franzman** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:47 am

Or go with a Casio EV-680 or higher numbered model, or RCA/Radio Shack "Cinevision" model for in-between sizes.

I'm using an EV-4500 that I got from the 'Bay - it was one of those surplus/returned item deals, missing the antenna and flip-out stand, with a grungy beat-up case, but it works great and only cost about $21, shipped! 4 inch diagonal, 122k pixels, TFT active matrix, smaller motherboard than a PSOne (not by much, but I'm working on cutting off the CCFL inverter "extension" [the motherboard is sort of "L"-shaped] and connecting it back with wires to make it easier to fit into a case).