lilliput display problem - RGB lines

warnockm · 12-27-2004, 11:43 PM

First off, i have to thank mp3car.com. I've learned a whole lot by reading these forums and when i can't find an answer and post, i always get nice replies. I also recently bought a motherboard and powersupply and they were shipped so fast. Now, enough kissing up! I have a question.

I have been using a lilliput lcd touch screen in my car, hooked up to a laptop for a while now. It was removed from its shell and assembled in the dashboard. I have been working with it a lot and its been shuffled in and out of the car, around my workbench, etc. I was in the middle of several hour drive when out of the blue, the screen went from displaying my map to showing red, blue and green lines and also white. They were vertical lines that started at the bottom and slowing moved to the top over abotu 10 or 15 seconds until the screen is near white. Now first i figured it was the little ribbon cable that seems to contain the video data, but i tried wiggling them and reseating them and i can't get the picture back. The screen does not even show the "Video 1" or "VGA" words in green. when the cable is not in place it just displays black.

I'm trying to figure out if this can be fixed by replacing the ribbon or if there is a way to test if its something else. does anyone have any advice for me?? Thanks!

-matt

gospeed.racer · 12-28-2004, 12:00 AM

there should be a ribbon cable that is one whole trace smaller than the socket it goes into. I dont remember the alignment, but I know after trying to move it from side to side, mine finally came back. It had been doing all kinds of wacky display things including static. After I seated it for the 4th time it was fine. I think DigitalWW has the proper cable, that seats properly the first time, for just a few bucks.

warnockm · 12-28-2004, 12:16 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by gospeed.racer

there should be a ribbon cable that is one whole trace smaller than the socket it goes into. I dont remember the alignment, but I know after trying to move it from side to side, mine finally came back. It had been doing all kinds of wacky display things including static. After I seated it for the 4th time it was fine. I think DigitalWW has the proper cable, that seats properly the first time, for just a few bucks.

Well, i went back to the workbench and tried moving the cable on both ends from side to side with no change. Also, one correction. It apprears that when the cable is not connected i get a solid WHITE screen, not black. thanks for the reply, perhaps that means the cable has gone bad.

warnockm · 12-28-2004, 05:36 PM

Can anyone tell me if this sounds like a ribbon cable problem or another problem, possible a static shock problem? Thanks!

jcdillin · 12-28-2004, 05:42 PM

mine did the same thing when I had the ribbon cable in a little loose, I cleaned the ends of the cable with a eraser and it fixed my problem.

warnockm · 01-03-2005, 10:29 PM

I bought a new ribbon cable from digitalww. i installed it and got the same results. I reseated it on both sides and tried wiggling the cable. Is it possible to burn something in the circuit board and still have it power on, display something on the screen, just not what i want? Does anyone have any other suggestions for me? I'd hate to get a new screen when i'm so close w/ this one.

warnockm · 01-04-2005, 08:27 PM

suggestions? Has anyone else seen a fried screen that powers up, but doesn't display?

Yuriy · 01-05-2005, 04:59 AM

I've seen a fried controller that does that

White screen just as you described it. I have fried three controllers recently, luckily they were all cheap (using an old laptop).
I hate to tell you this, but you might have fried your controller via the short circuit route, probably when you hit a bump and that little ribbon cable moved and shorted itself. I never seen a lilliput in my life, so I wouldn't know for sure, but I have some experience with laptop LCDs and that's what it looks like to me.
However if you still get something other then white screen when you connect the ribbon, you might still have a chance. Did you smell it? Usually you can smell a burnt controller for a few days.

warnockm · 01-05-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Yuriy

I've seen a fried controller that does that

White screen just as you described it. I have fried three controllers recently, luckily they were all cheap (using an old laptop).
I hate to tell you this, but you might have fried your controller via the short circuit route, probably when you hit a bump and that little ribbon cable moved and shorted itself. I never seen a lilliput in my life, so I wouldn't know for sure, but I have some experience with laptop LCDs and that's what it looks like to me.
However if you still get something other then white screen when you connect the ribbon, you might still have a chance. Did you smell it? Usually you can smell a burnt controller for a few days.

Well, its not exactly just a white screen, its dark w/ red, blue and green lines starting at the bottom and slowly going up to the top. I know the power to the backlight shocked me once or twice but it never affected the display. i could smell that but i figured it was just my skin burning. a lovely thought!! its hard to tell what happened, because it was in place and in use when it stopped, but as you said, it may have hit a bump. if this is the case, i dont know how i could stop it from happening again.

warnockm · 01-05-2005, 11:13 PM

OK, little update.

After the advise about burning out the display controller, i took a very close look at my board. it appears that where the ribbon cable attaches to the board that some of hte lines have brown around them like they are burnt, also, around the chip that those wires lead to is also brown. when i power it up that chip gets very hot very fast like its shorted.

I'm going to say that its shot. Does anyone have any advise? something i'm missing? Sounds like a new LCD screen is in order unless you can just but the controller board

Yuriy · 01-06-2005, 06:11 AM

Sorry to hear that. Yes, the smell you experienced after being shocked by the inverter was your skin - happens to me all the time. RGB lines are usually signs of bad connection or shorted wires and can be fixed. But if the new ribbon didn't fix it and you are noticing burnt parts then it is very likely that it's fried. There could be many reasons, from a sudden spike in voltage to shorted unputs. Don't blame yourself, there wasn't really anything you could do.

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