gamegear colour LCD screen useful??

asteroid · 12-26-2001, 08:25 AM

Ive seen some very cheap Sega Gamegear consoles on ebay, some not working.

Is the 2" LCD screen connects by composite video? Is it TFT or dual scan??

I have an Atari Lynx console and I was talking to some people on a newsgroup and the screen circuitry is integrated into the console's motherboard, but I think the Gamegear is different.

If the Gamegears screen is composite video is it as simple as connecting 5 volts and and the phono port off a fancy video card?

Ok youd have to use software that displays text graphics and text nice and big as the quality wont be amazing.

John H

SkinnyBoy · 12-27-2001, 12:46 AM

well, why don't you buy one and find out??
even if you can't use it for a screen on a computer, you can still play games on it. I was going to buy myself one for $10 I think, but chose not to because I would have to buy games aswell, but if there is a posibility that the screen can be used with a computer, I might reconcider buying one. BTW you can also get TV tuner card things for the gamegear, which could also be useful..

Machs_FueL · 12-27-2001, 01:17 AM

I looked into this awhile agos..

I beleave the you can use the two last (or two first) connections on a cartarage to connect to and composite source, this is about all the TV tuner did.

Unforutatly i've lost the links long ago. but i think it was on a site that was about GG programing.

-=- edit -=-
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/vkemp/sega/
check out the pin connections section, probably a slew of ther good stuff too

[ 12-27-2001: Message edited by: Machs_FueL ]

SkinnyBoy · 12-27-2001, 01:19 AM

Hmm, looks like I will be paying a visit to "cashies" tomorrow then and picking myself up one..

SkinnyBoy · 12-27-2001, 01:47 AM

So, does that mean it is possible???
At the bottom of one of the pages, they say it is not???
Does this mean it is not???

Machs_FueL · 12-27-2001, 10:01 PM

i got no clue.
I'd be interested in the results though.

I was under the interpretation that it was do able.
Maybe pick up a TV tuner to, appearently they can acccept coaxial if you hack off the antenna.

SkinnyBoy · 12-28-2001, 12:03 AM

Well, I went to cash converters, (3 actually) and a "uncle bucks" and no-one had one!!!!!!!!

theconns · 12-28-2001, 10:16 AM

Here are the pinouts for the gamegear cartridge if that's any help.
(Sorry about the text-wrap)

I'd love to see someone more electronically inclined figure this out.

Mark

------------------------------------------------------------
GAME GEAR
------------------------------------------------------------

GameGear cartridge inputs

2 -> [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] <- 44
1 -> [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] <- 45

top view of gamegear cartridge

No Name Description

1 +34(V) liquid drive
2 +5(V) +5(V)
__
3 WR write signal
4 A12 address
5 A7/CL1B3 address
6 A6/CL1A2 address
7 A5/CL1B2 address
8 A4/CL1A1 address
9 A3/CL1B1 address
10 A2/DW address
11 A1/DO3 address
12 A0/DO1 address
13 D0/DB data
14 D1/P3 data
15 D2/P2 data
16 GND D ground
17 GND A ground
18 GND D ground
19 D3/P4 data
20 D4/P1 data
21 D5/CL2 data
22 D6/DO2 data
23 D7/DO4 data
____
24 MREQ memory request
25 A10/TPR2 address
__
26 RD read signal
_____
27 EXM 2 0~7FFFH
28 A15 address
29 A11 address
30 A9/TPR1 address
31 A8/CL1A3 address
32 A13 address
33 A14 address
_____
34 EXM 1 8000~BFFFH
35 +5(V) +5(V)
__
36 M1 M1 cycle
37 IORQ I/O request
____
38 RFSH refresh
_____
39 RESET reset
40 CCLK clock
41 GND ground
__
42 GG MS/GG
__
43 TV TV cartridge signal
44 TVSNDR TV's right channel
45 TVSNDL TV's left channel

------------------------------------------------------------

Rob · 12-28-2001, 03:18 PM

I've been reading around a bit on the net, ain't found much though.

Hacking the antenna off and sticking in a coax input will definately work. But it's crude (converting the signal to coax to convert it back again) and the picture will be pooh!

I be interested to see what happens if you just chuck a phono signalin. Pin 43 seems to be the one you want along with one of the grounds.

From what I gather pins 44 & 45 are the right and left sound. You made need to loop 2 pins to trick it in to thinking that it's got a TV adaptor connected, not sure which ones though.

That's my view, but sorry if I'm way off.

Rob

SkinnyBoy · 12-28-2001, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rob Heslop:
<STRONG>I've been reading around a bit on the net, ain't found much though.

Hacking the antenna off and sticking in a coax input will definately work. But it's crude (converting the signal to coax to convert it back again) and the picture will be pooh!

I be interested to see what happens if you just chuck a phono signalin. Pin 43 seems to be the one you want along with one of the grounds.

From what I gather pins 44 & 45 are the right and left sound. You made need to loop 2 pins to trick it in to thinking that it's got a TV adaptor connected, not sure which ones though.

That's my view, but sorry if I'm way off.

Rob</STRONG>

Yeah, that all sounds like what I was thinking. But I am not sure why that person posted all that info when it was on the page linked to anyway...

Squeezer · 12-29-2001, 02:44 AM

What are you going to do with a 2" screen anyway? Its so tiny you'll be squinting and still won't be able to see anything.

Rob · 12-29-2001, 07:05 AM

Quote:

What are you going to do with a 2" screen anyway? Its so tiny you'll be squinting and still won't be able to see anything.

It's something to play with,

and some of the visualisations might look nice on it.

mr0range · 12-30-2001, 12:36 AM

itd be useful to have by your steering wheel, hooked up to a blind-spot camera

SkinnyBoy · 12-30-2001, 06:07 PM

I think the screen is actually 3.2" well thats what a website said that I saw...

12-31-2001, 12:22 AM

Hey guys, i thought that using the gamegear sounded interesting so i tried it but i could not get it to work, i was using my N64 for input (yellow cable) and everytime the gamegear just showed junk on the screen and shut off after about a second. Anyone got any ideas? Gamegear still works good though!

Tom

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