Attempting a Back Light, call me crazy!!!

Okay guys, bear in mind, im one crazy son of a bitch. Im testing the light(lights) out right now on an old gameboy. Its very simple, as i have no great experience, but i need a challenge and want to play NGPC in the dark. The backlight is simply 8 single cell, mag lite bulbs, tiny little things fitted underneath the screen, out of sight, and powered of a seperate little clip on pack of 8 AA batteries, so it will last a long time anyway. It can be connected/disconnected via a small molx connector or something, its not final yet though. Any input and ideas are appreciated. Thanks guys!

I tried to backlight the NGPC with an Afterburner (simply placing it behind the screen). For some reason it won't work at ALL. The light distorts the picture and it looks like black horizontal lines. If someone could solve this problem it would be easy to use the Afterburner light to illuminate the screen. Any ideas?

Well...

I know the ngpc uses a totally diff kind of screen than gba, and that might have something to do w/ it.

Would sidelighting be possible?

Side lighting would have to be the way to go.
The reflective screen thingy/led thing doesnt sound like it would work on the ngp screen.

Well, ive read all your posts, and im still carrying on with the project. Just a couple questions that keep on boggling me.
What kind of lighting does the Afterburner use? Side lighting, back lighting? Im curious.
And if i were to use a reflecting material, to spread the light a little more inside the screen, what would u reccomend? Even with 8 lights, the middle of the screen still seems a little dark.
Thanks guys.

The after burner uses an LED that is reflected over the whole screen using that reflective plastic thingamabob.

Nesagwa:
The after burner uses an LED that is reflected over the whole screen using that reflective plastic thingamabob. Side lighting would have to be the way to go.

The reflective screen thingy/led thing doesnt sound like it would work on the ngp screen.

Click to expand...

I see you have a way with words Nesagwa loco
Anyhow, thanks for the information.

First of all, the Afterburner is a frontlight. The Gameboy Advance probably couldn't be backlit either. The Afterburner light is composed of two LEDs on either side of a small piece of plastic. The small piece of plastic (encased in metal which further reflects the light outward) has grooves that run vertically and focus the light into the light guide which sits on top of the Gameboy Advance screen. It would be easy to frontlight a NGPC if only the Afterburner light was the proper size. As it is, the light guide is just a few milimeters short and maybe a cm too wide for the NGPC screen (the GBA being widescreen). I've talked with Adam Curtis from Triton Labs and he said development of a NGPC Afterburner light would cost around $80,000. Maybe if someone wants to start a petition we could at least gauge the demand for one?

Here's a brief diagram of the Afterburner light (created with my superior wink photoshop skills):

<img src="http://www.megagate.com/~turtlebmh/Afterburnerdiagram.jpg" alt=" - " />


-Brittney

Here's my limited understanding of the situation. NGPC, like the GBA uses a reflective TFT screen, which relies on light reflected off the screen's surface. If you put a rack of LEDs behind the NGPC's screen you will have a nice light up NGP providing it has a crystal casing. It wont help you see the screen though since it isn't designed to have light pass through it, only to reflect off it. To create a backlit NGP you would have to remove the NGP's screen and replace it with a complete screen unit from whatever donor would fit (game gear, nomad, PCE GT or whatever). Almost definitely requiring major rewiring/surgery. A front light along the lines of an Afterburner or the GBA SP is the only option I'm afraid. And yes, you are crazy loco

You just gave me a wicked cool idea... I could take one of my crystal yellow NGPCs, and stick LEDs in it, and light it up . That would be pretty slick... and maybe a switch to turn them on and off <img src="http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/icons/icon25.gif" alt=" - " />

Ok, im starting to fully understand what im getting into now, but im still determined to make this work.
Now, replacing the TFT screen with a gg screen or something is close to impossible. Infact, i think it is. I had my pop clarify this with me and the ribbon that hooks it all up is just to "funky" to work with. I dont know what that means either, but he says no way. Anyways, now the after burner, from what i understand, uses two led lights, right? But with them, it uses an internal (under the protective plastic lens) reflector of an alloy or metal. So I was thinking this is the secret, i just have to reflect the light off of each light to certain areas on the screen itself. This has got to be possible, i know it

Sigh, I really don't want to explain all of this but if you aren't adept with electronics and don't even understand how TFT LCD screens work, I don't suggest you try it!

The NGPC and the GBC/GBA all have REFLECTIVE TFT LCD SCREENS. That means they are like a mirror, and light reflects off the top. It's designed so sunlight will reflect off the screen so you can see the colors. YOU CANNOT BACKLIGHT A REFLECTIVE TFT SCREEN! The light DOES NOT go through the back.

The Afterburner/Gameboy SP uses either a monoreflective diode tablet or an optical guide (can't remember) that illuminates the screen from the front. The light from LEDs is dispersed through a special angled tabletscreen that is put in front of the LCD screen. The thing is like an 8th of an inch thick and is called the light guide.

<img src="http://www.tritonlabs.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/light_guide.gif" alt=" - " />

This is the technology used in some PDAs like the Compaq I-PAQ and Cell Phones. It has a washed out, distanced look from the screen and has trapezoidal effects if viewed from the side due to angling.

The GameGear, Nomad, and Atari LYNX use TRANSMISSIVE LCD SCREENS. This is the technoogy used in most LCD screens like computers and portable TVs, etc. They are lit by LEDs or cold cathode tubes from behind and the light comes through the screen.

<img src="http://www.citizen.co.uk/oem/lcd/usc220.gif" alt=" - " />
The GameGear LCD was manufactured by Citizen.

They are completely different technologies functioning with different voltage requirements as well as other considerations such as frequency, refresh rate, etc...

Your best bet is to buy an afterburner kit, trim the light guide to fit the NGPC and find a means to power it through the NGPC's current circuitry.

<img src="http://www.tritonlabs.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/kit_big.jpg" alt=" - " />

Goto <a href="http://www.tritonlabs.com/" target="_blank">http://www.tritonlabs.com/</a> for an afterburner kit.

CTH and Moose, simply installing normal LEDs won't work that well, the light will be concentrated on the sides and the corners of the screen making glare and bright spots. You need to light guide to disperse the light evenly over the screen.

<small>[ March 30, 2003, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: Comic-Kaze ]</small>

So it's hopeless?

Candycap was working on one, ask him.

Well thank you for your very in-depth look at this whole epic, comic kaze. Im sure you helped a lot of us wonderers out, including me.
So I guess now, another question comes to mind, where, what and how does one come about finding a light guide, custom sized and fit to ones liking? What exactly is a lightguide made of and does it sit directley on top of the screen? Oh, and i should correct my very first post, when i said: The backlight is simply 8 single cell, mag lite bulbs, tiny little things fitted underneath the screen, out of sight: I meant side light, under the plastic protective lens and out of eye contact.
Keep em comin guys, maybe we could see a home brewed breakthrough!(doesnt hurt to wish, does it)

I think you have to buy sheets of it from industrial suppliers. I think when Adam (the Afterburner guy) was looking for some supplies, it cost like $300 for a 10" x 10" sheet.

Like I said, just buy an Afterburner kit and do it yourself. It's been done before. An afterburner modded on an NPGC was sold on ebay about a year ago.

It's possible. It already exists. Just I can't find the guy anymore who did it in the first place to ask how specifically. What I do know is that he cut off the NGPC's plastic screen, cut the NGPC and the Afterburner to fit the NPGC, somehow wired it so that the light would be internally powered, and then glued on one of the replacement NGPC screens they used to sell on ebay.

I am also working on this project. I plan on attempting an afterburner mod. I will ask if it is possible to buy a larger light guide from Triton Labs and mod the afterburner with it. Of course, I'll post, and/or make a site of my findings.

For those attempting to mod one, I suggest you get a real beat up NGPC (probably not the slimline version since the original is much bigger) so if it dies, you don't get upset. That's what I'm using.

Keep the posts coming. The info is much appreciated!

hey, very cool. i will buy another ngpc straight away. i hope you'll be able to get a bigger light guide. i'm interested in buying one as well. i think many ngpc fans are...as you can see in this forum...
...nervously

hey, what happened with your light guide plans? is anybody stil working on this project. i sent a mail to triton labs as well, but i didnt receive an answer yet. does anybody of you have an idea where else i could get light guides? who produces them? help

hey, what happened with your light guide plans? is anybody stil working on this project. i sent a mail to triton labs as well, but i didnt receive an answer yet. does anybody of you have an idea where else i could get light guides? who produces them? help

The other day I noticed, in order to open up a NGPC you will need one of the GBA Tri-Wing screw drivers. There is one Tri-Wing screw in the NGPC. Here's a link to one on ebay

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3015481508&category=3569" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3015481508&category=3569</a>

Just to update anyone interested in this, I was able to find a proper source inside of the NGPC system to hook the Afterburner light to. It measures in at around 4.8 volts which is the exact same voltage that the Afterburner hooks up to on the GBA. The 33 Ohm resistor included with the Afterburner light will need to be used to bring the voltage down to optimal performance.

The voltage is coming off of AC7.

One question, I was thinking of using a stealth dimmer and was wondering what games force the player to press the Option button while simultaneously pressing another button (is this even humanly possible?). The only thing I can think of is maybe the Metal Slugs while throwing a grenade. Any comments?

Or you could do an A+B hold and like the up and down buttons to change brightness.

i already built a afterburner into my ngpc. only two millimeters on the top and two on the bottom will not be illuminated, which is not so bad, because they never display any important information anyways. but i dont know how to solder the resistor to the ac7 source.

you said the proper source was ac7. but do i have to solder the resistor to the front or to the back of the motherboard? the black cable has to be soldered to a gnd spot i guess?!

i think i´m almost there...please help me to finish it...

Are you documenting the installation with pictures?