Nomad RGB TFT Screen

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that1crzywhtguy
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Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by that1crzywhtguy »

So I just found out about this product, and I want one BAD!

https://www.kadenken.com/shopdetail/000000000499/

Anybody have any ideas on getting one of these puppies into the USA?
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Syntax
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Syntax »

That's pretty awesome, Id imagine the Mcwills GG screen has something similar.
I've always wanted a tiny RGB capable LCD for testing.
For those too lazy to translate.


"What is LCDDRV

LCDDRV is a general-purpose LCD driver board for retro game machines with horizontal frequency output of 15 KHz.
Using the TFT liquid crystal panel (LQ 035 NC 111), it was designed for the purpose of improving visibility and response speed from the liquid crystal panel at the time of the retro game machine.

To make it easy to use with retrogame machines, the input is equipped with composite video / S terminal / RGB (composite sync) and I think that it can be used in various retro game machines.
Moreover, we use a high-efficiency switching regulator so that power consumption will not increase as much as possible when it is installed in a handheld game machine.

■ Before using

The author can not assume any responsibility for damage caused by using it.
Please use it at your own risk.
Not all retro game machines can be supported. Please note.
The image in the manual is under development.
Please understand beforehand that it may differ from the actual ones.

※ TFT liquid crystal panel (LQ035NC111) is required separately. "
juji82
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by juji82 »

that1crzywhtguy wrote:Anybody have any ideas on getting one of these puppies into the USA?
I can help you with that, I work just next to Akihabara 8)
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llaoyllakcuf
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by llaoyllakcuf »

There are LCD monitors for arcade use that have a scaler built-in, like this:

http://www.shibashoji.com/lcd/m19.html

Detailed pics:
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/290112187

That one is capable of 15, 24 & 31 kHz, though it is RGB input only.
leonk
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by leonk »

llaoyllakcuf wrote:There are LCD monitors for arcade use that have a scaler built-in, like this:

http://www.shibashoji.com/lcd/m19.html

Detailed pics:
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/290112187

That one is capable of 15, 24 & 31 kHz, though it is RGB input only.
Wow the output on that LCD screen in the auction looks horrible. Look at all those jail bars!!!
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by mikejmoffitt »

I had gotten started on a 3.5" TFT driver that would use the master clock from the Nomad to get the sample rate and phase to be exactly right for 1:1 dot mapping in H40 mode, but didn't get around to finishing it. I wonder how good the LCDDRV board looks.
Image
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Syntax
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Syntax »

SO it is the same guys as the GG mod.

http://gglcd.bufsiz.jp/

If you lot end up ordering in some driver boards please count me in.
that1crzywhtguy
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by that1crzywhtguy »

Totally! If someone like juji82 wants to help us out, maybe we should talk group buy? If you poke around online, they sell a 4" screen that's supposed to interface nicely (but too big for nomad, right? what would this use be?), and I think it will work with the screens people already use for nomad mods.

Hey Mike, I think there is still likely a decent enough demand for you to come up with a solution. Having options is always good, and one in North America seems a real plus.
juji82
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by juji82 »

I can help you out, no problem :wink:
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BuckoA51
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by BuckoA51 »

Cool, last Nomad LCD screen replacement I came across was composite only. I'm interested in one of these for testing and evaluation with the possibility of offering fitting services in the future, though obviously I'm in Europe not US.
OSSC Forums - http://www.videogameperfection.com/forums
Please check the Wiki before posting about Morph, OSSC, XRGB Mini or XRGB3 - http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/Main_Page
leonk
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by leonk »

Syntax wrote:SO it is the same guys as the GG mod.

http://gglcd.bufsiz.jp/

If you lot end up ordering in some driver boards please count me in.
I would be careful with these guys. I had a discussion with McWill (Marco) about this back when he released his GG LCD Mod. McWill pretty much said that these guys purchased his kit, reverse engineered it, and then sold it as their own. He has proof with shipping addresses and names of who in Japan he shipped the kit to.
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Syntax
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Syntax »

OH Snap!

I'd assumed maybe it was the other way around and he was sourcing his kits from them.

That really sucks and makes me feel heaps bad about wanting one, but I still want one...
juji82
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by juji82 »

If anybody is interested, we can start a group buy. If the order will be 5 pieces or more, I will try to even ask a discount for it.
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Syntax
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Syntax »

If it ok to do (Haven't read the GB rules sorry mods)

****GB LIST****

Syntax - 2 x LCDDRV
leonk
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by leonk »

Marco got back to me about this PCB. This is his take on it:

"he used a standard ADC, but with such an ADC you can't display the picture pixel-exactly. In the last years I tried 4 different designs with different ADCs and with my own additional CPLD for signal editing, but the result is awful on standard LCDs for 15-20 USD. Results will be the same with the mentioned LCD PCB.

If you want the best solution, you have to use pixel clock of the game console. Otherwise it's washed out and not exact. But then it's more expensive, because you need more parts. I'm still testing different things and will get back to the community when I've finished."

I'd be interested to see output from this generic driver using Sega Nomad as input (where the picture is not reduced to stamp size, and solid background is used to show no jailbars.
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by mikejmoffitt »

Yeah, what I wanted to ask the creator group is if it would be possible to use the actual dot clock to clock the ADC.

I'm interested to see how this thing looks as well. For all we know, ripping out the crystal and feeding some division of the Nomad's master clock to the controller (and some phase shifting shenanigans) might make it possible to retrofit an exact clock in there.

Either way, it'll be a nice improvement over the composite displays people put in the Nomads...
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Maverick
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Maverick »

Has the group buy for the LCDDRV and LQ035NC111 LCD been abandoned? I'd like to get in on that if it's still possible. :wink:
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BazookaBen
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by BazookaBen »

Maverick wrote:Has the group buy for the LCDDRV and LQ035NC111 LCD been abandoned? I'd like to get in on that if it's still possible. :wink:
I guess you just watched the Digital Foundry video too?
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Maverick
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Maverick »

I'm the one who posted the info about the LCD in the comments. I figured by now a group buy would have been possible.
hungar
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by hungar »

I guess this could be used for the 3.5 mod for the PC Engine GT?
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by mikejmoffitt »

I don't know about any digital foundry video or whatever, but I did complete the mod. The driver is alright, but not stellar.
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that1crzywhtguy
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by that1crzywhtguy »

I vanished for a while, sorry, I got super busy (3 jobs, other mod work, and oh yeah, grad school).

If there is any way to still get a buy going I'm very interested. Initially when Mike said it wasn't great, I was put off. Further research also says this is an imperfect solution. That all being said, it must be better than the composite screens we've been using, and who knows when mcwill's solution will be completed.

Still enough interest to get some of these in American hands?
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by mikejmoffitt »

It's a huge improvement over the composite for sure. If we could change the sampling clock on the LCD to be derived from the Nomad's actual clock, and then could center the resulting image, the existing kit could produce a perfect image.
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that1crzywhtguy
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by that1crzywhtguy »

I think the kit mcwill is working on will achieve these things, but he's been having issues completing. I'm sure he'll get it done eventually... But, in the meantime I'd love to just install one of these kits... But are there still others that want to do a group buy?

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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by mikejmoffitt »

Frankly, I'm probably going to just toss mine up on eBay, since I still don't use the Nomad a lot in the end.
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that1crzywhtguy
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by that1crzywhtguy »

mikejmoffitt wrote:Frankly, I'm probably going to just toss mine up on eBay, since I still don't use the Nomad a lot in the end.
The driver, or the console?
juci
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by juci »

Hey, sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead.

I recently went to Japan, I saw the LCDDRV in action they had a few displays on PC Engine GT's.
I was thinking of buying 2 of them, one for my Sega Nomad and my PC Engine GT.

They had Soldier Blade on one of the displays, and it completely turned me off.
On the demo mode Soldier Blade text travels horizontally across the screen and you can visibly see vertical lines missing.
This makes it very obvious that it's not 1:1 which we already knew.

Did anyone here buy one, whats your first hand opinion?

I guess I'm going to hold out for a McWill solution :).
BONKERS
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by BONKERS »

Well if they aren't using an LCD that matches the resolution (Or one that can display 1:1 with unused pixels left black) some sort of scaling would have to be used anyway right?
Classicgamer
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Classicgamer »

Scaling is hard to avoid for 15khz sources on an LCD unless your source exactly matches the native pixel pitch.

I have one of these 5.7" Accelevision video monitors ($15 off ebay). It works with 240p /480i and 480p sources through RGB, SVideo and composite. It's native pitch is 640 x 480.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJrubnv7CEc

The video shows mame running with no shaders or effects of any kind. It looks about as good as it could on lcd. My mini 156 in 1 genesis arcade has a 3" 320 x 240 screen which looks a good deal worse with 15khz games.

QLCD (the modern 320 x 240 mini lcd standard) is not the same as the old 240p found in games. 240p games used 480 lines with 240 left blank. The graphics look a little odd to me when you remove the blank spaces...
Taiyaki
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Re: Nomad RGB TFT Screen

Post by Taiyaki »

Gosh a nomad RGB with new LCD screen is like a dream come true. I really don't like the previous mod. I know lots of people loved it but I bought from the fellow who made it many years ago, and I could tell right away that the image sharpness via composite sucked. Yes colors and ghosting are improved tremendously but the big tradeoff in sharpness made it rather undesirable to me personally. That alongside the Neo Geo Pocket Color frontlit mods are among the handheld mods that impressed me the least (NGPC loses pixels around the picture).
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