DIY: GW Instek GDS-1000B 7-inch to 8-inch Display Upgrade (with pics) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 12:42:47 am
content: Well, I decided my GDS-1054B's 7-inch display was just too damn small.The later version of the GDS-1000B series 'scope has a case already molded to fit an 8-inch display, but with a glass insert having a black-masked surround to hide the smaller display's edges, so I googled around and found an 8-inch display with the right resolution and proper 50-pin ZIF connector here:https://www.buydisplay.com/8-inch-tft-lcd-display-module-screen-wvga-800x480-at080tn64-at080tn52.Having no idea whether it would work or not, I figured for $40 with shipping I'd take the chance.Well, it's working quite awesomely, and on the off-chance that it did work, I took some pics so I could post them here. For disassembly tips, see Dave's GDS-1000B teardown video on YouTube.(NOTE: Dave's teardown *does not* show this newer version, with the larger opening; instead it shows the older version with a smaller opening, as seen in this post on the EEVBlog Forum:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-review-of-the-gwinstek-1054b/msg1091613/#msg1091613.The newer version's plastic case is already molded to fit 8-inch screens, so all that's needed is to remove the glass mentioned above.)Here's the display's *smoked glass* (I assumed it was plastic— it ain't plastic!) bezel insert— with the black surround to hide the smaller 7-inch display's edges— inside view:Since the rear connector come up just a *hair* on the short side of installation convenience, I pulled the old display (easy: four screws, pull connector) and tacked the new display on with very small pieces of 3M foam mounting tape (because I didn't want to over-attach, and I was right to be cautious, as even very small pieces stuck surprisingly well):...having connected the thing (and I'd highly recommend removing the rear connector board to do this, and being very patient with your pliers/ grips)...(EDIT: I stupidly didn't understand how these ZIF connectors worked— they release by *sliding out*, drawer-style. The little black section extends (loosened) and retracts (engaged/ tightened). See my later post with pictures, if you're unfamiliar with these as I was:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/gw-instek-gds-1000b-7-inch-to-8-inch-display-upgrade/msg3449302/#msg3449302)...I booted up the 'scope, and it worked. This was a very nice surprise.I then decided it was time to remove the "plastic" (I erroneously believed) bezel insert:...and, applying pressure I thought appropriate for plastic, I broke the nice glass insert:Oh well. Try being more patient than I was; of course you'll be more materially-cognizant than I was, if you're reading this.It was coming apart nicely, until it wasn't. The adhesive tape they used is fairly strong stuff. It didn't shatter into a bunch of tiny shards, though (though there were a few smaller bits), and it was easy enough to peel off the remaining pieces over the trashcan and toss 'em in.Right! So I'd thought I'd be modifying the original display's mounting frame, since it raises/ pushes the 7-inch display out to the bezel, and the two displays are nearly exactly the same thickness.However, after seeing how well the 3M tape stuck, and realizing that modifying and shifting around the original frame/ bracket was going to be a bit of a pain, I opted for Plan B: 3M foam mounting squares, cut to fit, surrounding the plastic bezel and making alignment (and, when you get it wrong the first time, realignment) much easier.To make fitting even more easy, I decided to again use a bare minimum of mounting squares, until I could eyeball it and get the alignment about right:I wasn't actually firing up the screen to align it; at this point that was really an inconvenient option, since I was just tacking the display into the plastic bezel. I figured if I got it where you could peer in through the gap between the bezel and outer display edge, and see the display frame was about even on all sides, that would probably do it.It did, in fact, do it.Here's the way I ended up "stacking" the mounting tape so it would fill in the gaps and stick to the actual display's frame:The way it wants to sit— and the way it's sitting in this picture, below— isn't quite right. From this perspective, I ended up shifting the display over about 3-4mm (maybe 1/8th inch) to the left (of this picture) and 3-4mm or 1/8th inch toward the bottom of this picture....and that was just about perfect:One last note: the first time I connected the display, it fired right up. But after disconnecting, handling and reconnecting the 50-pin ZIF connectors a couple of times, it didn't immediately work on the second fire-up. I decided to try re-seating the white cable first, since it was the most accessible and easily replaceable. This did the trick.So if you give this a go, don't think all is lost if the display fails a power-up. I'd actually ordered a replacement 50-pin ZIF cable from eBay for about US$8, just in case I mucked it up, but luckily it wasn't needed.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 12:46:52 am
content: Well, clearly, even after much attempting to make the post easy to follow and the inline attachments actually apear in-line, I've made some noob mistake.The "preview" function didn't show me what to expect, graphics-wise, so my apologies for what's now a bit of a mangled post.Hopefully it's easy enough to follow. If anyone can assist with making these attachments truly appear in-line, thanks very much in advance.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 12:53:26 am
content: Great hack! Maybe replacing the glass with a piece of thin lexan makes it a bit nicer and the display fit better.Unfortunately inline image attachements are broken for the umpteenth time so don't bother.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 01:10:34 am
content: +1 for a thin lexan sheet, or you could put an ipad / tablet screen protectoryou wont have to dismantle everything again ?

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 01:20:02 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 24, 2021, 12:53:26 amAh, thanks! I feel much better then. And as for extra screen protection: not a bad idea at all. I'm not terribly worried about the screen, but then again you never know when a careless moment may lead to an erroneous screwdriver stabbing, or something like that.

author: pidcon
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 02:27:32 pm
content: That's cool. Does it have better resolution? Any issues with the scaling of the text and graphics on the larger screen?

author: akimmet
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2021, 10:56:01 pm
content: The original screen is the same resolution as the new screen. Therefore, there is no scaling.

author: ResistorRob
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 05:18:11 am
content: Quote from: Triode71 on January 24, 2021, 12:46:52 amAttach means "add to" just like sending an email with an attachment. What you need is "insert image". On my computer it's the first button on the bottom row.You can correct your post. There is a button that says "edit" or "modify" or something like thatI like how you increased the screen size. If I ever got a similar oscilloscope I think I would definitely copy what you did.

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 12:25:32 pm
content: It definitely gives it a more nicer look!Well done.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 01:50:34 pm
content: Actually the casing is designed for a bigger display than is fitted in the GDS-1000B series so no wonder it looks better.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 09:48:25 pm
content: If the glass bezel had survived, how difficult would it be to remove the black border around its edge?Also, does the glass bezel have any sort of anti-reflective coating on it?

author: Elasia
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 10:08:29 pm
content: Props.. this is pretty cool... i never realized how small its screen was till i did a double take... i thought yours was the original

author: Anthocyanina
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 10:31:19 pm
content: are there two versions of the 1000b series? the one in dave's teardown has a much thicker plastic bezel and no glass with the white marks, i think one of those couldn't be upgraded with a larger display because of that.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2021, 10:42:46 pm
content: I think Dave got a very early model (could even be called a prototype) which he used for his video.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 07:10:46 am
content: Quote from: Triode71 on January 24, 2021, 12:46:52 amWhat you can do is expand a thumbnail by clicking on it, right-click, copy the image location.Now edit the post and put in an image with that URL.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 08:27:18 pm
content: A question about the replacement display itself: how good is it with respect to off-axis viewing, particularly vertically, and how does it compare in that respect against the original 7" display?The datasheet (https://www.buydisplay.com/download/manual/ER-TFT080-1_Datasheet.pdf) claims that the viewing angle limits are:Code:Viewing Angle RangeLeft:70.0 , Right:70.0 , Up:50.0 , Down:70.0 degreeBut it's a TN type of display:Code:LCD Type TFT-LCD / Transmissive / TNand those aren't well-regarded for their viewing angle range (seehttps://www.howtogeek.com/658701/tn-vs.-ips-vs.-va-whats-the-best-display-panel-technology/). The limits in the datasheet are probably absolute visibility limits, and thus aren't likely to be indicative of the useful viewing angle range.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 04:47:08 am
content: Quote from: pidcon on January 24, 2021, 02:27:32 pmNone at all; I made sure to get an 8" screen with the same resolution as the 7".It seems to be sharper, actually, even though it's larger. Much better legibility!

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 04:51:02 am
content: Quote from: Anthocyanina on January 25, 2021, 10:31:19 pmYes indeed, there are two versions; the older version doesn't have the newer, larger bezel which accepts the 8" screen (hence the absence in Dave's teardown video of the glass and the surround/ mask with white marks).I meant to add this in my original post, but as I was fiddling with cutting and pasting it seems to have been left out. I've corrected it for clarity now.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 04:53:26 am
content: Quote from: ResistorRob on January 25, 2021, 05:18:11 amAh thanks a million! Much nicer, easier-to-follow post now.It's like a picture book. (Cue: "Picture Book" by The Kinks)

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 05:25:25 am
content: Quote from: kcbrown on January 26, 2021, 08:27:18 pmHere are some hi-res pics from above, and side to side. Very readable, I’d say.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 05:34:18 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 25, 2021, 10:42:46 pmYeah, it seems I've seen some earlier promo literature or brochure somewhere with Dave's version, having the smaller 7-inch bezel/ opening. Maybe a YouTube video. Not sure if they were in regular production or not.Hopefully most of them are this easy to upgrade. Maybe we could ask for a hands-up from those who've seen this thread and own a small-window version.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 05:43:34 am
content: Quote from: kcbrown on January 25, 2021, 09:48:25 pmThe black surround is apparently printed on the rear surface. I'd say it wouldn't be *impossible*, just a gigantic pain— unless one had a media-blasting apparatus. I hadn't even thought of keeping the glass, actually, though I probably should've at least considered it.The glass did seem to have an anti-reflective surface. It was also slightly tinted/ smoked, as I think the pictures kinda show. The 8-inch replacement screen is anti-reflective, however.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2021, 06:12:05 am
content: I just realized there wasn't a truly hi-resolution photo of the display from the front; the forum limits the size of images, so in the original post they're the highest quality I could use, but still lower-res than the originals.Here's a post just for that one image, showing how nice the thing actually looks:

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2021, 02:11:03 am
content: Quote from: Triode71 on January 30, 2021, 05:25:25 amThat looks great. Enough so that I went ahead and ordered one of these panels.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 11:23:58 am
content: Quote from: kcbrown on January 31, 2021, 02:11:03 amNice! Yeah, I think you'll dig the results.Hit us with some pics when you're done!

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 11:41:45 am
content: Quote from: Anthocyanina on January 25, 2021, 10:31:19 pmOK, I've found the answer to this, and it appears that yes, there are in fact two versions; the earlier one is seen not only in Dave's teardown video, but in this EEVBlog Forum post from a GDS-1000B-series owner:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-review-of-the-gwinstek-1054b/msg1091613/#msg1091613

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 12:47:51 pm
content: Quote from: Triode71 on February 02, 2021, 11:41:45 amUgly as hell...That's why yours is so nicer. If I ever would think on buying something in this price range, your mod would be a MUST factor to consider.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 01:42:54 pm
content: Quote from: Triode71 on February 02, 2021, 11:41:45 amThat is a good find. If you have that version then you'll need to do some milling to make it fit.

author: tv84
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 02:44:21 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 02, 2021, 01:42:54 pmI don't see any milling solution for the right side buttons.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 03:34:18 pm
content: Quote from: tv84 on February 02, 2021, 02:44:21 pmYou are right. After a more carefull look at the 'older' version it seems that the bottom keys are also placed closer to the display (in comparising with the GDS-2000E series). So I guess there is much more going on than just a bezel on the older versions. The circuit board for the buttons has to be different as well.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2021, 08:18:57 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 02, 2021, 03:34:18 pmTriode7's photo of the button circuit board shows that they're now using the same board for both the 2000E series and the 1000B series:Check out the silkscreen next to the variable function knob at the top of the board.I'm actually rather surprised that Instek didn't settle on this approach initially, for cost reasons. But maybe they came out with the 1000B series before the 2000E series.

author: pa3hfu
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 01:12:07 pm
content: Quote from: kcbrown on January 31, 2021, 02:11:03 amSo did I

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 01:24:02 pm
content: Quote from: pa3hfu on February 05, 2021, 01:12:07 pmNice. Glad I could contribute a little here, since many contributors to this forum helped me "modify" (some might use the "h" word) my 'scope in other ways, all *very* helpful.A quick note: see my next post below for a "gotcha" that some may run into with the ZIF connectors (if they're as thick as I am, that is; hopefully, most aren't).

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 01:43:17 pm
content: OK, just a quick update: I did run into a problem yesterday, which turned out to be self-inflicted because apparently, I can't remember that "ZIF" in "ZIF connector" stands for "Zero-Insertion Force".Yeah, I've messed around with ZIF connectors before, but they always were the hinged type, I guess you'd call them. These weren't, so instead of being patient and figuring out how they worked, I just sort of assumed that perhaps another corporate bean-counter had once again tried to make life miserable by failing to spend a tad extra on a connector that worked well.Alright, so these work *just fine*, but differently. I won't embarrass myself further by going into detail, but let's just say I didn't exactly use these as intended.Just in case you're as slow-witted as myself and forge ahead without first noticing that *these ZIF connectors work by sliding out*, like a drawer, I offer you the following pictures as a little precautionary tale.As you can see below, turning on the scope the other day I got a disappointing result. The colors were all off, and the menus were fairly unreadable.To sum up, this was caused by a poor connection, which was caused by my abuse of the ZIF connectors. Luckily, the abuse was not fatal, and the problem was cured with a little investigation and a lot of connector re-seating.Below, see the malfunctioning display's color scheme, and then the ZIF connectors in both their extended (that is, released) and retracted (engaged, connected) positions.Hopefully, no one else must suffer needlessly, as I have. However, all is well now, and the display looks great again.I bid you good day and good luck.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 07:14:21 pm
content: Quote from: Triode71 on January 30, 2021, 05:43:34 amMy plan actually is to take a razor blade to the black surround, and attempt to remove it by scraping it off, on the theory that the glass underneath is very smooth (optically smooth, presumably) and would thus make scraping it off relatively straightforward. Since the glass is glued to the front bezel, I'll probably just attempt the surround removal with the glass in place, and not bother to attempt to remove the glass from the bezel unless I somehow can't remove the surround.I'll post pics of the attempt once the display arrives and I can begin to work on this.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 08:20:17 pm
content: Quote from: kcbrown on February 05, 2021, 07:14:21 pmCool, and an interesting approach. I wish I'd saved the broken glass so I could sorta scrape away at it as a test. Let us know!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 09:58:35 pm
content: Quote from: kcbrown on February 05, 2021, 07:14:21 pmMaybe a strong solvent also works.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2021, 10:18:54 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 05, 2021, 09:58:35 pmYeah, I'll end up trying that if the razor blade approach doesn't work. The problem with a solvent is that it could damage the bezel, which is obviously something I'd like to avoid if possible.Much to my surprise, the display arrived today! That was fast. I did pay for tracked shipping (FedEx), and that probably played a role, but even so, I'm impressed.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 02:57:39 am
content: I got the display installed.Here's the back end of the scope after opening it up:I used a razor blade scraper to remove the surround on the glass. This worked a treat. Here you can see that I've scraped off a small portion of it, and you can see the razor scraper I'm using to do this. I used a brand new blade for this, and that almost certainly made a significant difference:Here's the finished result of the surround removal process:I thought I'd show what the original display looks like when viewed through the glass without the surround:Here's the new display mounted on the backing plate. @Triode71 was right: the ribbon connector isn't quite long enough to make it possible to sit the display as high off of the backing plate as the original display was.Here's the stuff I used to mount the display onto the backing plate:I dida lotof positioning in order to determine the exact right location for the display, because once you attach it using the double sided adhesive gel, it isnotcoming off. So it's important to be very precise here. I ended up marking the backing plate at the top edge and left edge of the display once I had it positioned correctly. Part of the positioning process involved looking behind the plate at the ribbon as it enters the connector to ensure that no horizontal strain was being placed on it.Because the edge of the display would be visible through the glass, I ended up using some black "Duck Tape". Electrical tape is a little too glossy. The ideal stuff to use would be some black cloth tape or, if they even make such a thing, black felt tape. But I didn't have anything like that, so this had to do. The nice thing about tape, though, is that you can always remove it and use something else. Here's how I applied it:And here's what the display looks like through the glass with the tape applied (this is before I removed the protective film from the display, as that's thelastthing you want to do immediately prior to reassembly):Here's what it looks like powered up after reassembly:One interesting thing about the display is that there is a slight amount of bloom in it:It's not terribly noticeable from working distance, really, unless you're looking at it carefully, or already know it's there. It's difficult to miss it if you know it's there.All in all, this looks pretty good. It would have been nice to be able to mount the display further forward in the case, to match the positioning of the original display, but either way, it is certainly an improvement over the original.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 01:22:39 pm
content: Quote from: kcbrown on February 06, 2021, 02:57:39 amNice! And just a wee bit more profesh than my kinda kludgey approach. Really glad it worked out for ya.Thanks for the pics; it's interesting to see the mod done "through the looking glass", if you will.

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 10:14:58 pm
content: Quote from: Triode71 on February 06, 2021, 01:22:39 pmYou're welcome. Wouldn't have even tried it if you hadn't led the way first!It was an interesting experience. For final mounting, I attached the adhesive strip sections to the backing plate first, then exposed the adhesive on the front. At this point I had, with a black sharpie, already marked on the plate where the edges of the screen needed to be. You can actually see one of those marks at the top of the display in this shot:Well, when doing that final mounting, I dropped the display, and wasverylucky that it didn't stick hard in that position. But fortunately I was able to lift it back up and reposition it properly before finally pressing it onto the adhesive.The 2000E series uses a bracket to secure the display, similar to the 1000E series but, obviously, larger:(the above is from the 2000E teardown thread here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/gw-instek-gds-2000e-teardown-short-review-comparison-with-rigol-ds2000(a)/)It turns out that the Hannstar HSD0801DW1-C01 display that the 2000E series uses can be purchased on places like eBay and AliExpress. For instance:https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-8-inch-LCD-Display-Screen-Hannstar-HSD080IDW1-C01-GPS-DVD-Repair-Repalcement/224047029034But, of course, they don't come with the bracket that Instek uses for mounting the display. Even so, at least the ribbon should be long enough to make it possible to mount the display in the location that Instek intended it to be mounted.Knowing that, if I were to do this exercise again, I'd probably acquire a Hannstar display and use that, since I'd then be able to mount it in such a way that it would look like a factory installation. I could still do that, of course -- nothing says that I have to stick with the current display -- but I think I'll leave well enough alone for now.

author: Triode71
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2021, 07:02:45 pm
content: Quote from: kcbrown on February 06, 2021, 10:14:58 pmAh! I wouldn't do that.I thought the same thing, at first, and found the same pics and made the exact same screenshots myself.I started searching for it; found it; *almost* ordered it... but then I double-checked, and the GDS-2000E's Hannstar 8-inch display uses a different ribbon connector. It's a 60-pin ZIF, not a 50-pin like the GDS-1000B.Below, see the 2000E connector and board, and then the 1000B (early version, but with the same 50-pin ZIF):

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2021, 07:38:10 pm
content: Quote from: Triode71 on February 07, 2021, 07:02:45 pmIf you install the 60 pin ZIF connector then that problem is solved (unless there are other differences in the adapter board).

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2021, 11:39:30 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 07, 2021, 07:38:10 pmTriode71 is correct. One of the differences is that the Hannstar display has a separate connector for (I presume) the backlight. You can see that connected to the adapter board in the 2000E shot. The 1000B's adapter board lacks that connector.Then there's the problem of the fact that the adapter board supplied with the 1000E has the 50 pin ZIF connector on it and the pads on the board are for that connector. What happens to the extra 10 pins if you try to mount the 60 pin connector to the 50-pad row on the adapter board?Finally, it looks like there are a lot of active components on the 2000E adapter board that just aren't present on the 1000B board, which tells me that the two displays really are fundamentally incompatible.

author: pa3hfu
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 04:00:17 pm
content: After 5 weeks of waiting, I yesterday received my new 8" displayI'm very pleased that the upgrade was successful. Many thanks to Triode71 and others who shared pictures and experiences!Mathieu.

author: bladerunner
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 01, 2022, 08:35:11 am
content: hello,I'd like to perform the same upgrade to my instek, but the first link above to the lcd replacement is broken.Could anyone point me to an lcd that would work? I would like to upgrade to an 8 inch display also

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2022, 10:12:28 pm
content: Quote from: bladerunner on June 01, 2022, 08:35:11 amThe link seems to include a trailing ".". If you remove that, it'll work. Here's the working link:https://www.buydisplay.com/8-inch-tft-lcd-display-module-screen-wvga-800x480-at080tn64-at080tn52