Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

com64 · Post by **com64** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:54 pm

I just recently fixed up my Game Gear by manually rewinding a choke coil, and there is something that is bothering me: my LED backlight is too dim for my liking. I was going to solder in a couple more bright white LEDs. However, I couldn't find any. I decided to extract the backlight from my old DS Lite, which I did without hesitation. I then soldered it to my Game Gear, using the same contacts I wired the bright white LED. Of course, I removed the bright white LED first. At first, I used the same resistor that my bright white LED needed, then I tried connecting it without a resistor. Neither option worked, so I tried switching the wires around in case I wired it backwards. That didn't work either. I need to find out what voltage the DS Lite backlight expects, and I don't have a working DS Lite to test with a multimeter.

Does anyone know what voltage the DS Lite backlight (for the bottom screen) runs at?

omp · Post by **omp** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 3:37 am

You need 12v. I have just done this today, works well. Not as bright and the colours aren't as vivid, but ok. I used a LM2577 DC DC step up module to do this.

com64 · Post by **com64** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 3:47 pm

omp wrote:You need 12v. I have just done this today, works well. Not as bright and the colours aren't as vivid, but ok. I used a LM2577 DC DC step up module to do this.

I guess I'll check around for an LM2577. It'll probably won't be less bright and vivid than the single LED I have in there already. You don't happen to have a multimeter, do you? I was wondering about the voltage of a particular point on the circuit board...

omp · Post by **omp** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 7:06 pm

Yes I have a multi-meter. I have done a quick write up on Sega-16. I just used a DC DC converter to give the backlight it's own power source. Take a pic of the area you want to know about. The model I used was single ASIC.

com64 · Post by **com64** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:20 pm

omp wrote:Yes I have a multi-meter. I have done a quick write up on Sega-16. I just used a DC DC converter to give the backlight it's own power source. Take a pic of the area you want to know about. The model I used was single ASIC.

Mine's a single ASIC model as well.

Oh, and could you link me to that write-up? I'd like to take a look at it.

Between these two points: (I believe the one on the left is ground)
[img][IMG]http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww32 ... C00094.jpg[/img][/img]
Sorry for my decade-old camera technology. As you can see, I ripped a few parts out of my Game Gear.

omp · Post by **omp** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:27 am

That point is 5vdc.

Here is my writeup.

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread ... -backlight

Taking this thing apart x-amount of times, swinging bits and pieces about took its toll..... I damaged the screen, I am not fussed though, I expected it and it was purely experimental. Once I sort it all out, I can transfer it to another.

omp · Post by **omp** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:12 am

Update, I used a DSi backlight as it is bigger, so no faint outlines on the outer edge. Requires 15v to work though.

benheck.com Forums

Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?

Re: Game Gear with DS backlight problem: what voltage do I need?