Laptop LCD - Any Use? What Do You Think?

[Hassan]

I was given a mashed up Fujitsu Siemens laptop by a friend of mine. So I took it and made use of most of the parts.

Well the problem is that I want to make use of the LCD as it is in mint condition as is the other parts I have made use of.

I want to know how I could connect the LCD to a car?

Can someone please put their thinking caps on and please assist me by providing information in how to do so.

 

[Pseudonym]

I too would really like to turn my old lappy screen into a new LCD for and old comp. The laptop itself is a pile of crap which has now started to smoke if plugged in.

 

[Ham]

Mod it into the side of a case

 

[inconspicuousj]

first things first you're going to need to find out what connection you are going to need. from there on the rest of it should be fairly obvious...

 

[Hassan]

Mod it into the side of a case

Well could do that, BUT the screen is a bit too wide and big

first things first you're going to need to find out what connection you are going to need. from there on the rest of it should be fairly obvious...

What do u mean by connection. The LCD screen is straight from a toasted laptop.

Also to see if the LCD does work I have tested it on the same brand and model of the toasted laptop and found that it does work - NO DEAD PIXEL

 

[Hassan]

I remember from one of Jim's project log that he attached a much smaller LCD then mine to the side of his case.

*Where on earth is that log, just cannot manage to find it.

 

[inconspicuousj]

its all well and good having teh screen lol, but you'll need to fird out whether is HDMI/VGA etc

 

[mrapoc]

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/faq-emporium/51040-faq-using-laptop-lcd-your-car-pc-screen.html of any use?

 

[Hassan]

its all well and good having teh screen lol, but you'll need to fird out whether is HDMI/VGA etc

Its a VGA (Sure of it) Since the laptop doesn't have any HDMI ports on it - only a VGA port

 

[Hassan]

I suppose the only way for people to help me out is if I take the appropriate picture.

The connection is surely not HDMI nor is it VGA.

So the big question is what is it?

I know for a fact that the small connector is to light up the LCD backlight (or is it?)

Anyway if more picture is needed, just ask.

Hope it helps

 

[Rastalovich]

Looks the same as one of my Acers, and a HP I`ve seen apart. Wouldn`t supprize me if the lcd connectors are standard per size.

Just searching "laptop lcd monitor hack", I came up with this guide:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Laptop-Converted-to-2nd-Monitor/

I haven`t read it fully, but the links that led to it seem to suggest people do it quite alot.

 

[JN]

Hey mate...its FAR from being easy.

Firstly you need an inventor for powering the screen/backlight. This is something that will probably be built into the laptop's mobo, so you'd need to find out if there is a separate one that you can buy which will take a 12v in from your PC's PSU and change it to whatever power req's the screen has.

Then you'll be needing another board that can accept VGA input and convert it into a usable output for that screen. The screen you've got there is nothing more than a plate of pixels - It has no idea what DVI or VGA is.

The screen i used for my project was actually taken from a HTPC case. The screen had all of the above contained within a unit behind the screen. It wasn't cheap either - ~£300

 

[Hassan]

Hey mate...its FAR from being easy.

Firstly you need an inventor for powering the screen/backlight. This is something that will probably be built into the laptop's mobo, so you'd need to find out if there is a separate one that you can buy which will take a 12v in from your PC's PSU and change it to whatever power req's the screen has.

Then you'll be needing another board that can accept VGA input and convert it into a usable output for that screen. The screen you've got there is nothing more than a plate of pixels - It has no idea what DVI or VGA is.

The screen i used for my project was actually taken from a HTPC case. The screen had all of the above contained within a unit behind the screen. It wasn't cheap either - ~£300

I've got the inverter and that is connected on the back of the lcd using sticky tape. Good thing it wasn't built onto the motherboard.

Only thing I think I need would be a suitable controller that can acheive 1280x800 resolution

 

[JN]

I've got the inverter and that is connected on the back of the lcd using sticky tape. Good thing it wasn't built onto the motherboard.

Only thing I think I need would be a suitable controller that can acheive 1280x800 resolution

Ahh good stuff. Any idea what input power the inverter has? I doubt it would be 12v, so you'd also need to sort that side of things out.

As for the controller, www.rswww.com has some iirc, but getting one that works would be a bit hit and miss.

 

[Hassan]

I do not know what the input power of the inverter is. Do not know where to look. Will check Google though

If anyone can help me, the laptop was a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo 1705

 

[Hassan]

OK

Searched everywhere on Google, but no info found for what the power intake is.

So I took a photo of the inverter which has some info which I think maybe the power intake.

So what do you think?

 

[JN]

You're right, absolutely nothing online about it. A few of the other inverters I came across were 12-15v, but they look a fair bit more beefy than urs:

I suppose the main thing would be to get the controller sorted first. Worst case scenario you could try running the inverter at different voltages (starting low) with a variable mains adapter or sommit.

EDIT:

This is the kind of controller ur after:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=6204135

 

[Hassan]

What if its 10v

All I see is the number 10 on my inverter

 

[JN]

What if its 10v

All I see is the number 10 on my inverter

If it turns out to be 10v there's a number of easy ways we can get the 12v line dropped down to that level. The voltage is the least of your worries

 

[Rastalovich]

Maybe get the pin-out for the lcd plugs, against a vga 15 pin, the lcd connectors look very much the same to me.

I can`t see it being anything over 12v for the sake of sensibility, and to be fair anything up to 12v u can make a little circuit for, maybe not even requiring a pcb.

Don`t think u necessarily need an inverter.