Bibin's backlit GameBoy Pocket dev thread

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:48 pm

Inspired by the thread in Tech Q&A, I decided to backlight my GameBoy Pocket. I'll be recording my progress here. Feel free to donate GameBoy Pockets to me for when I screw up.

So now we dive into the poorly written instructions to build your very own

LIGHT BOY pocket

I intend on putting that awesome electroluminescent film in it to light the screen, so we'll have to make the screen clear first.

1. First, dismantle your GameBoy Pocket. You'll need a triwing screwdriver for the outside 6 screws, but all the interior screws are just standard phillips.

2. With the back off and the main board seperate from the front, unplug the LCD screen by pressing the two white tabs on the connector towards the ribbon cable. Be cautious not to damage that cable, but if you do, don't worry too much; this thing is old enough that the ribbon is big enough to fix via some VERY ACCURATE soldering.

3. Now that your mainboard is completely seperated from the front of the GameBoy pocket, you'll need to pry that screen off. Just use a flathead screwdriver to pry up on the corners of the glass, but be gentle.

4. If your screen is like mine, the brown-orange ribbon cable will split into two parts, one going to the bottom of the screen, and one to the side. The T section should be taped down. Carefully cut the tape away from the white surface.

5. Now the more cautious part. Unlike the GameBoy colour, GameBoy Advance, and probably the Nintendo DS, there is no foam backing or metal cover on the back. This is good and bad. Good means it's less work, and less likely to crack your screen. Bad, meaning it'll require quite a bit more concentration, even if it's easier in a physical sense.

Actual 5. Peel up a corner of the white stuff. Peel it enough so you can see through a bit of glass. If it's clear, but a bit darker, like sunglasses, you're okay. If it's completely clear, and isn't darker and polarized, you've screwed up. Put it back before you do any more damage, and pick a different GameBoy Pocket.

If it's polarized like sunglasses, carefully peel off the entire white thing. Some glue and silvery reflecostuff might stay behind, so VERY carefully remove it. DO NOT use some sort of strong dissolvant like Citrisolve as it destroys the polarized layer. Don't scratch the glass, because that kills the polarizing film.

Protip: While it may sound a bit gross, apply a TINY smidge of saliva to the residue goop stuff. It'll help you gently scrape it away.

6. Now you should have a perfectly transparent LCD display. Put everything back together (except for the LCD backing) to make sure it still works. If it did work, you should see a very faint nintendo logo on the screen, but behind it should be the PCB.

This is as far as I've gotten. I'll leave you all filled in as I go.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:39 am

I was thinking, as a small project, to frontlight an old GBA I have; just for the fun of it. I bought some flat ultra-bright LED's. I would be grateful if you could give an indication as to the film needed for the LCD to stop glare, where to get it (or if you have some spare if I can buy some from you)?

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:52 am

Gameboys, Gameboy pockets, Gameboy Advances, etc. CAN NOT BE BACKLIT. Do not try, you will not succeed. The colours get all blurred and such. You can try, just shine a flashlight from the back or something first, before you waste a whole lot of time on this.

I've never tried to see what it looks like, because it's not supposed to work. So I can't say that for sure.

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:39 am

Untrue. The colour screen ones suffer the washing out problem due to the lack of polarization film. I've shone a flashlight through, and used EL-foil nightlights, and it looks great. I'll take pictures later.

I was thinking, as a small project, to frontlight an old GBA I have; just for the fun of it. I bought some flat ultra-bright LED's. I would be grateful if you could give an indication as to the film needed for the LCD to stop glare, where to get it (or if you have some spare if I can buy some from you)?

It's called AR (antireflective) film. I have some stuck to my GBA LCD that I used when frontlighting it, so I cna't get you any, sorry. I think it's not hard to buy though.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:41 am

I would like pictures. I got new information and now I need to explore it.

DK · Post by DK » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:18 pm

I knew it would work. For ages i've argued this point

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:50 pm

Yes, it works, the AfterBurner uses a film on top of the LCD. If you have some spare, I might buy some from you (please PM me if you do!).

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:06 pm

Sorry, I don't, the AB came with a sheet the EXACT size of the GBA screen, sadly. Maybe we could trade LCD's in (heavily packaged) mail, and then I could give you the afterburner itself and it's parts. It's semibroken though, I think the wiring inside it is getting loose as I have to bend part of it upwards for it to light.

Pictures coming in about an hour, after John Stewart.

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:00 pm

PROJECT IS NOT DEAD! Can a mod move this to the portable hacking topic?

DK · Post by DK » Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:54 am

Any pictures yet?? Thinking of doing it again after being told it was impossible a while back.

My old thread about it