PS1 LCD VGA mod Summary...

odin836 · 08-22-2003, 12:45 AM

After several hours today of reading the past threads etc. I think I understand everything required to hack this LCD screen to accept VGA.

My understanding is that VGA connection offers a better resoultion than TV out.

After viewing MPRO's website, and seeing his layout diagram things seem almost too simple...

Parts Required:

D15 Pin Plastic Backshell.
15 Pin Male Connector.
1 x 270r Resistor.
Suitable shielded cable.
Graphics card: ATi Radeon series, Matrox Millenium Series (up to G200).
Powerstrip v.3.45 (english) shareware
And lastly a steady hand to solder...

Is this correct? And will it work with all PS1 LCD screens (not just SONY)?

And why is it that this mod onlyseems to have been done on the PS1 LCD screens and not any of the others around?

Lastly to all Aussies, where are these still available, Harvey Norman and Dick Smith no longer stock them...

Thanks MPRO and Starfox for your contributions so far.

I wish to run Media Engine...

Currently all I want is MP3 and DivX features in my car, but later GPS as I already have software for ALL Australian states... Will the monitor suit my requirements now and later on?

Odin836

doig · 08-22-2003, 08:33 PM

the sony ones should still be available at electronics boutique for ~120 or so. Good luck with the mod!

oh - where'd you score gps maps for aus?

ob1 · 08-23-2003, 04:02 AM

yep i still see them in Electronics boutique and other game focused computer shops.

PS: i did my psone VGA mod using an old VGA cable, cutting one end off and sodering on a psone AV connector. I got the connector off a GCon gun cable (http://dstore.com.au/?action=view&id=2102).

aphesis · 08-23-2003, 05:08 AM

do you think the 5" lcd would be big enough to actually be able to navigate windows through it? Might be something to look into for my car pc seems cheap enough.

Also would you be able to tell us what australian gps software and maps you are using? Does this allow for street level navigation?

odin836 · 08-23-2003, 05:16 AM

I have not used or built any of the project yet, it is all hypethetical and in the planning stages.

The GPS software I will be using is Raster 250k along with another software package to connect to GPS. I believe I also have another program that a friend used to navigate perfectly from Perth to Melbourne using his laptop and hanheld GPS!

As for the size of the LCD screen we need MPRO and Starfox for their opinion on how well it performs, they after all are the pioneers of the mod from my understanding...

aphesis · 08-23-2003, 05:55 AM

Where abouts did you find Raster 250K and how much does it cost? Also do you know what this other program is called that your friend uses that allows street navigation?

thanks

odin836 · 08-23-2003, 05:58 AM

I have all the programs here, I have to find them becuase untill now I have had no need for them.

I'll see what I can find and keep you posted.

aphesis · 08-23-2003, 06:33 AM

any chance off me getting those programs off you?

odin836 · 08-23-2003, 06:39 AM

Aphesis Check your PRIVATE MAIL

doig · 08-23-2003, 10:11 AM

if there's GPS maps floating around, feel free to share the love

starfox · 08-23-2003, 10:08 PM

In terms of performance? Mine's not actually mounted in my car yet due to lack of time and lack of 12V -> 7.5V DC DC converter.

Comparing it to some LCDs i've seen at Strathfield here, the image quality is much better if you use a proper composite sync from an ATi video card.

If you look at the display straight on perpendicular to the image, it looks great. If you deviate and rotate the panel along the horizontal axis, the image disappears quite quickly, so you'll need to arrange yout mount so it's perpendicular to the person who wants to look at it.

Bear in mind that your GPS software has to support nonstandard video resolutions in order for it to work on the PSOne LCD, as it has to run at 720x576 instead of 640x480 or 800x600. Also check how your GPS software works, does it draw itself with Windows GDI or something else? (I'd imagine most are GDI though..).

And also if you use the XOR hack to combine HSync and VSync, the video quality isn't the best and the display will look like every second line is missing.

Running Media Engine should be fine, as it's DDraw, and i managed to get Azubeach running on mine.

The mod i wrote up only works for Sony PSOne LCDs. There are other people working on non-Sony LCDs, you should be able to find these by searching for them on the forums. I wouldn't take the gamble and try a non-Sony one, as the RGB signal voltages they want might be different. Some of the non-Sony ones also don't appear to support the RGB out signal at all and just run off the composite out.

Oh and my website's offline for the moment because my upstream provider's radio link's died over the weekend >_<

zootjeff · 08-23-2003, 10:34 PM

Hey,

Did you try using the A/V input and connect that to Svideo or Composit video? The key was your video card didn't have video out?

I modified my PS1 display to take in composite video.

What is the resolution of the Thrustmaster LCD. Those pics look good, but are they 640 by 480? or like 320 by 240

Nitrov8 · 08-23-2003, 10:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by aphesis

any chance off me getting those programs off you?

I would be very interested in the programs to

i have got all my bits together ready for install and looking at gps now, not many programs out there for aussie gps that i can see.

starfox · 08-23-2003, 10:55 PM

Sorry, just like to follow up on display performance. I hooked my Sony PSOne display up to my Radeon 9000 again and tried it. The display looks fine as long as you don't tilt the display down too far. If you want to be able to look at it laterally, make sure the display's tilted down slightly (i think the backlit's positioned at the bottom of the display?).

Windows text is a little hard to read at 720x576, although if you increase the font size it's all good.

What would be nice would be if Media Engine could do some something like nVidia does with their 2x antialiasing, draw virtual primary surface at twice res, and subsample down to whatever output res is before blitting to primary surface. Then again.. we could just force antialiasing on with our video cards right?

For watching DivXes, i'm using the Win32/Ming port of MPlayer, and that works just fine. Easier to use than windows media player if you ask me.

zootjeff: I don't want to use the composite or svideo outputs from a video card, as RGB has better signal quality. I made a composite jack -> 4 pole 3.5mm jack as well for my PSOne LCD.. this is much easier than doing the LCD mod.. i'll probably post how to do this as well for those who don't want to void their warranties...

doig · 08-23-2003, 11:57 PM

for the 7.5 volts all you need is an adjustable linear regulator, and set it to 7.5 volts. Wack a small heat sink on and bingo, thats it. Works like a charm for me

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