Hardware Buying GBA Backlit Screen. Couple Of Questions.

[OldSchoolTech]

I got it working. I filed the front down as far as I possibly could and the mainboard still kind of just about fit while slightly pushing the tab into the back of the screen but it seems to work fine. That's without the cable soldered but it seems bright enough to me anyway. As you said it will just take more power anyway, then if I played it at night it would be too bright.

It looks much better to me than the front lit SP does anyway. The colours are way better

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Oh and one more question as I just noticed sorry. When you play an original gameboy cart without soldering that wire is it normal for the screen brightness to keep flickering? It's fine with GBA games.

 

[zfreeman]

Ya know, I don't think I ever tested it with GB/GBC. I assume it has something to do with the games' different voltage requirements. I can check in 3 weeks when I get home.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Ya know, I don't think I ever tested it with GB/GBC. I assume it has something to do with the games' different voltage requirements. I can check in 3 weeks when I get home.

Cool thanks. I think you're right about the voltage but GBA work fine for now. If I was going to use that wire I'd like to find an alternative point as I feel like I'd break it using that one.

 

[zfreeman]

I think we're gonna have to solder that wire.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/40-pin-gba-with-white-tab-lcd-perfect-solution.448597/

"Made the P1 to DA1 connection and my GB cart flickering is gone."

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Damn my soldering iron is huge. I'l give it a try

I successfully soldered it. Took me a while to get it to actually catch the leg. Anyway it completely minimised the problem. I think it still does it to the very slightest amount on a GB game but it's not noticeable anymore. It was actually very annoying how noticeable it was beforehand. Looks much better than the SP frontlit screen

Edit: I don't have washed out colours they look fine, but do have a slight motion blur effect. I think that's normal though as I'm nearly sure even the DS looks like that with a GBA cart.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Not there's probably much that can be done but is it normal for the screen to have a lot more motion blur than the original frontlit SP ones or is that something you need to address with more soldering?

 

[zfreeman]

It depends on what your hardware is. I've been told a 32-pin system and a white-tab LCD will work perfectly without any modifications. A 40-pin system with a white-tab LCD will have ghosting/bluring without any modifications. If you have the newer 'Type B' flex cable adapter, it will work perfectly without any modifications. I don't know what screen or system you have, so I'll just tell you my experience.

I had a white-tab Aliexpress aftermarket LCD, a 'Type A' flex cable adapter (one without the extra capacitors on it), and a 40-pin GBA. Initially I did have washed out video, but then I did some soldering which I will note below.

40-pin GBA + white-tab LCD screen
remove: R16, R17, C33, C54, Q3
connect: REVC to P2-VEE
https://circuit-board.de/forum/index.php/Thread/9546-UR-GBA-Backlight-Screen-Mod-AGS-101-Display/?postID=593578 https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/5r8i0e/ags101_gba_mod_image_retention_fix_40pin_white

 

[OldSchoolTech]

I also have the white tab 40 pin but I don't have washed out colours. I don't know if I'm just being fussy because of the changes in display technology but playing Mario it looks a bit blurry when you're running along compared to the SP I have. My SP is only an AGS 001 though.

Soldering that cable to DA1 stopped the GB carts freezing and not working but it does still flicker slightly on GB games. Might that be related to using NIMH batteries as they're 1.2v vs 1.5v?

Either way it's the advance games I want to play so that image thing has me wondering what I'm going to do now.

This is the one I bought but it probably doesn't really help unless I take apart the GBA and look at the cable.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/173054045086

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Here's a short slow motion video of what I mean. Is this normal for an AGS-101 LCD?

 

[slaphappygamer]

youve got the screen stretched on that gameboy game. he will look like that when stretched. try with no stretching.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

youve got the screen stretched on that gameboy game. he will look like that when stretched. try with no stretching.

I was only thinking that afterwards because the Gameboy is 160x144 but the advance is 240x160 so that's 1.5x stretching. It's definitely not as noticeable without stretching and it's probably only noticeable at all because it's backlit instead of frontlit meaning it's bright enough to notice ghosting. I think it's just there because they'e older type LCD with a lower pixel response time. Even my 4K TV has the blurring slightly if I play Rayman Origins or Legends on it and run fast. I think I'm probably just over thinking it, even the S8 does it as far as I know.

 

[zfreeman]

Tested today with genuine carts, Chinese repros, Jack-DIY flash carts, El Cheapo v1.9, and a 2010 or 2012 SmartBoy flash cart. I'm getting no blur/freeze/flicker. I have not soldered to DA1.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Tested today with genuine carts, Chinese repros, Jack-DIY flash carts, El Cheapo v1.9, and a 2010 or 2012 SmartBoy flash cart. I'm getting no blur/freeze/flicker. I have not soldered to DA1.

Yeah that's exactly what mine was doing. After soldering to DA1 it seems to be working. There's still some slight backlight fluctuations in GB/GBC games from what I guess is the change in voltage since the GB/GBC games draw 5v instead of 3.3v like GBA. Either way at least it works.