I have a likely perfectly working spare LCD panel. Help. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 06:05:34 pm
content: During my quest of upgrading my laptop, I ended up with a likely perfectly working LCD panel with LVDS signaling and built-in CCFL backlight and inverter. The panel in question uses LVDS signaling and have a resolution of 1280x800x24, a TN monitor made probably in late 2003 to early 2004. Due to the CCFL I cannot dispose of it easily, and I don't feel like discarding a perfectly working panel. What can I do with it?I have seen $10 kits that supposed to provide a HDMI to LVDS bridge, however using such kits needs specially spliced high speed adapter cables, and I have no idea how to get the built-in backlight inverter work. Also how good of a monitor would such a kit give me?Any other ideas?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 06:33:32 pm
content: Those universal kits work just fine, the monitor looks just like it did in the laptop it came from. You have to get the right cable to connect to your panel, and you can get universal CCFL inverters to go with them if you don't want to figure out the one you have. Usually lighting up the tubes requires 12V and a logic level enable but working out the pinout can be tricky.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 06:39:10 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 08, 2018, 06:33:32 pmHow about the monitor chassis - will CNC routed acrylic panes work? Or do I need a piece of machined metal for structure integrity?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 06:45:11 pm
content: The one I was playing with I just attached it to a cardboard box, it depends on the panel but generally just about anything should work.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 06:50:01 pm
content: What about other purposes? How powerful of a processor is it required to pump out such amount of pixels in time? I have this idea of attaching this display to a single board computer of some sort, but not so sure what would I do with the resulting device.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 07:01:35 pm
content: I've driven TFT panels with FPGA boards running recreations of classic arcade games. A Raspberry Pi is probably the easiest source. You can calculate the data required to feed a display based on the resolution and desired refresh rate, you won't get an Arduino or other 8 bit micro to do it without external hardware.Think of it as a VGA monitor or TV, you can use it for the same applications you'd use one of those for.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2018, 07:19:57 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 08, 2018, 07:01:35 pmI also have a FPGA board but it does not have proper differential wiring. Whoops.So in your opinion the best bet of dealing with such panels is get one of those kits and build a HDMI monitor out of it? My desk can no longer accommodate another monitor though...

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2018, 03:51:35 am
content: Well one of those universal driver boards is certainly the easiest. If you wanted to drive it with an FPGA that lacks a suitable LVDS interface you could use a separate LVDS interface IC.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2018, 05:07:12 am
content: Quote from: james_s on February 09, 2018, 03:51:35 amI have seen some computer motherboards that have an internal LVDS connector. I wonder if one of those would work? I do need to cook up a chassis should this type of solution is used though.The motherboard, Asus H110T, uses the H110 chipset. I wonder if an i3-7100 would be a good fit for the board and the panel. Also is there any standalone monitor mount that uses the VESA mounting system?

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2018, 02:06:04 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 08, 2018, 07:01:35 pmOh now there's an idea for a project. I also have a spare panel left over from when I upgraded my old work laptop to a higher res screen. Mine's not as high res as the OP, but it is a more modern LED backlit one. Using it in portrait mode with a Pi for a retro arcade game would be perfect. Kind of an in-between size, smaller than a big floor standing one, bigger than those tabletop size ones.Just what I need, another project!

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2018, 02:40:36 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on February 09, 2018, 02:06:04 pmWhat is the interface of the panel you have? If it is LVDS, the Asus H110T I mentioned above will work too, otherwise you might need some adapter boards to get Pi or PC to work with it.I have read the spec sheet of the H110T and found out that for a small all-in-one machine it is almost perfect. The Core i3 processor comes with a low profile stock cooler, its two onboard M.2 slots allows one Wi-Fi module and one M.2 SSD so nothing except the monitor need to hang off the board, and it uses external 12-19V power brick instead of standard ATX power supply so one further less thing to mount on the chassis.I was trying to lay the items out on my mind - a mini-ITX motherboard, a laptop optical drive and a desktop hard drive mounting point, all behind a 14.4 inch display panel. This thing can look like a mini iMac. I wonder if adding a touchscreen is overdoing it, and am I pushing it by bolting steel plates together to form the chassis.