Building A Flu By Yourself

[dr.no]

Has anyone tried to do so by using bright LEDs or something? I can't see anything on my GP32-NonFLU and I will definitively add some light. I just don't know how. Yet.
My first idea is to add some ultra-bright LEDs and attach them in some drilled holes left and right hand of the screen. Maybe there are even some wide LEDs, Ill have to look into that. My only problem would be the power I need for that. I thought about taking it front the red LED on top of the unit as it is useless anyways. Are there some risks with this or is there some better way to do so?
Has anybody got any experience with doing such a mod?

 

[Q-Wi-Q]

try searching the forum, I'm quite sure some one tried it (I think it was nerd of nerds, but I'm probably mistaken )

 

[hacox]

Hi!
I`m also thinking about it. I have the idea that it could be possible to use a white EL-foil at the back of the display. Of course the reflection foil of the LCD has to be removed before and you need a 3v inverter. Luckily I have found one for EL-wires. So this one should also work with the foil.
Here someone is doing sth similar:
http://www.backlight4you.com/de/products/e...einbau_ic35.htm
Sorry the Link is only in german.
Here i found another link this time in english:
http://www.backlight4you.com/en/pdf/HP_Installation.pdf

What do you think?

 

[dr.no]

http://www.backlight4you.com/de/products/e...einbau_ic35.htm sounds much too risky - at least for me it does. I don't know how the GP32 looks like _under_ its screen and actually I'm not quite sure if the technique used in this tutorial can be applied on a GP32-screen.
I may be wrong, but I think I will better stick to normal LEDs as then I know what I'm doing.

[Edit]
Hmm. And the prices are far beyond what I expected to drop on this. Look here. - And does that work on B/W-screens only? What about the size of those thingys - will they fit on a GP32 at all?

 

[GPJosh]

Yeah, Nerd of Nerds made one, but I can't find the link to the thread right now.

 

[dr.no]

Here are Nerd of Nerds threads:

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=8985&hl=
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=8950&hl=


He started quite a few of them. Hmm, and if I remember correctly, Octavius also wanted to put some light into his GP32. Any success in doing so, Octavius?

 

[WhiteFalcon]

There is a documentation on modding a wormlight to work with the GP32, but you probably already know about that.
I have a FLU, but I am not too satisfied with the light anyway. When there are shades of gray or brown, they look like total black sometimes.
Have you seen how the FLU is made? In case you have not, there is a metallic bar on the bottom that hides some sort of light source (probably LEDs) and the light is being shed on the whole display using a thin plastic(?) layer (like the one that is originally on top and protects the display, I replaced it with a pane of thin glass so the picture is clearer now). There is also a wider cable leading from inside the device (a crudely made hole allows for that). You could open your GP32 (if you are braver than me ) and take the power the same way.

 

[hacox]

Hi!
@dr. no: the prize aren`t very high. look http://www.reichelt.de and do a search for "el folie"

You can get cheap mini converters at http://www.el-kabel.de/

The back of the Gp32 LCD is silver. So if this is a foil it would work. I`m going to give it a try when i have more time.

 

[kockott]

and works ? thats a fantastic idea - please report the status - please

 

[jonjandran]

A backlight WON'T work.

The GP32 display is a reflective display and the only way to light it is a Front-light.

And you have to use a lightguide to reflect the light across the entire screen. The light guide is a piece of plastic with grooves cut in it at angles to catch the light and reflct it downward. It is specially made to work with the # of led's the Flu has , and for the amount of voltage being applied to the Led's.

If you remove the back film you will just ruin your GP32.

 

[kockott]

can you post a link or picture for a lightguide ? i cant believe how this gadget works

have anywhere a idea to use this USB Light :

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...mMakeTrack=true

or this

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...5173050574&rd=1

i think with a USB Adapter this Light works on GP32

 

[jonjandran]

The lightguide is just the pieceof plastic in the Flu covering the LCD.

All light guides are basically the same. Like the one on the Afterburner kit for the GBA.
It's a piece of plastic with grooves in it. Even if I took a pic of it , it would look just like a piece of plastic.

 

[Blah]

The GP32 USB is unpowered. What you would have to do is wire & solder the negative and positive on the light to the battery compartment, like the flu is.

 

[Digitalrat]

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5173660790&fromMakeTrack=true

"kann mit USB ANschluß oder Batterien betrieben werden" (can be used with usb or batteries)

So why don't simply use batteries?

 

[kockott]

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5173660790&fromMakeTrack=true

"kann mit USB ANschluß oder Batterien betrieben werden" (can be used with usb or batteries)

So why don't simply use batteries?

​

yes yes i think thats the only way for frontlight witout power from the gp32 - okay but th e installation - i dont no :unsure:

 

[OmarNawaz]

isnt it possible to get piece of acrylic cut to size then embed along the edges those small leds that come in mobile phones, would'nt that light up the screen.

Kinda like those magnifying glasses with light runnig through them that you use for reading the A-Z in the car.

 

[jonjandran]

isnt it possible to get piece of acrylic cut to size then embed along the edges those small leds that come in mobile phones, would'nt that light up the screen.

Kinda like those magnifying glasses with light runnig through them that you use for reading the A-Z in the car.

​

Only if the acrylic piece had grooves cut in it that catch the light and force it downward. Otherwise the light doesn't shine down on the screen . It 's hard to explain , but it just doesn't work without the grooves.

 

[Drewus]

isnt it possible to get piece of acrylic cut to size then embed along the edges those small leds that come in mobile phones, would'nt that light up the screen.

Kinda like those magnifying glasses with light runnig through them that you use for reading the A-Z in the car.

​

Only if the acrylic piece had grooves cut in it that catch the light and force it downward. Otherwise the light doesn't shine down on the screen . It 's hard to explain , but it just doesn't work without the grooves.

​

The plastic works exactly like how a traditional factory roof works. Because it has a "saw tooth" shape to it's surface (much like how factory roof's were once made), it can trap light evenly and direct it downwards, therefore making the surface underneath it evenly lit.

Without the saw-tooth shaped plastic, the light would simply bounce across the screen, rather than onto it.

 

[OmarNawaz]

isnt it possible to get piece of acrylic cut to size then embed along the edges those small leds that come in mobile phones, would'nt that light up the screen.

Kinda like those magnifying glasses with light runnig through them that you use for reading the A-Z in the car.

​

Only if the acrylic piece had grooves cut in it that catch the light and force it downward. Otherwise the light doesn't shine down on the screen . It 's hard to explain , but it just doesn't work without the grooves.

​

The plastic works exactly like how a traditional factory roof works. Because it has a "saw tooth" shape to it's surface (much like how factory roof's were once made), it can trap light evenly and direct it downwards, therefore making the surface underneath it evenly lit.

Without the saw-tooth shaped plastic, the light would simply bounce across the screen, rather than onto it.

​

Yeah the mgnify glass only works on one side i tryed with a normal acrylic and some leds it just when straight through illuminating the edges only.

in places i scratch the surface of the acrylic the light shines thru, i put a stanley in a clamp an set it to a 45 degree angle facing down on the acrylic and i set a ruler guide a couple of millimetres away from the blade. I just kept passing the acrylic through the blade and changing the guide each time a lloong time later i scratched only a couple of cm of the entire length.

The light shone downwards through the surface of the acrylic though the the page i was testing it on was distorted and semi opaque.

i think its because the lines werent straight enough or maybe the depth of the grooves were diffrent.