telerophon - you are correct, that is indeed a backlight! I suppose I could have had a better way to explain what I meant. I've frontlit modded a CGB, and backlit DMGs. I see the difference, but was groping for a way to differentiate between the light sources for illuminating the screen. I suppose while the backlit DMG kit has LEDs parallel with the PCB, the EL layer causes the light to pass through the LCD. On a frontlit mod CGB the LED is also parallel to the PCB, and a guide screen.. guides the LEDs light onto an opaque LCD screen. So.. they're very similar in function. Modern LCDs pass light through a seemingly opaque LCD, creating in my limited understanding a 3rd variety of illuminated screen, which I was what I'd like to see. If kitsch's new PCB includes a backlit greyscale LCD, thats rad. But my high hopes aim at a color screen, ala the SP-101. Maybe some day.
8bitDAD wrote:i believe in you. CGB version, perhaps? Wishful thinking / low demand?
A color screen would require a more-capable CPU, and that would mean there would be a back PCB that would also need to be made.
...if there is already an FPGA in the mix, then it wouldn't be impossible to take the DMG's four shades of grey and 'colorize' them with user-selectable palettes - just like the GameBoy Color and Super GameBoy did! 
im no video expert but wouldn't you need to somehow scale up the video to at least 720p or can modern tvs up scale it from its current 144(or whatever it is right now)?
Would an RCA video out be possible? I know that RCA and HDMI are two EXTREMELY different formats, and I somehow doubt that both will be available, especially when you're struggling to get just one of them to work. Just felt like asking, totally psyched for this!
I get the feeling that the FPGA would scrape the video out signal and do all the heavy lifting, as far as outputs go.
Last edited by thebitman (Jan 29, 2013 2:35 am)
^ i misread your post... so imma try again....
this will be handled by the console. the TV may fit the image to the screen, depends on its features/settings i suppose... (larger screens might sawtooth the image, i'll know more when i get this feature actually working)
it seems like the LCD image would be displayed on the TV... but that's not actually what would be happening. the image would come out of the console in an appropriate size and format for the TV... (basically, the TV doesn't act like a huge LCD... it'd be really cool if I could just multiply the 'pixels' by some number and result in a larger image!)
if the image was just 144 pixels one way, this would be totally a waste of my time 
so, no worries there.
i'll make this nice, or it won't be made at all... that sort of thing. there are still millions of usable DMGs for scrap, i didn't want to just make a new screen. my goal is to expand the feature list of this console and bring into modernity somewhat. while retaining is essential characteristics,
really... if EVERY chinese clone can have HDMI out now, why shouldn't we shoot for this too? 
with the custom dmg case, this project, and some others, i'm nearing clone territory anyways...
ok i get what you are saying.
it would be awesome to have this
I get the feeling that the FPGA would scrape the video out signal and do all the heavy lifting, as far as outputs go.
yep!
CPU --> FPGA --> *video controller* --> video output
currently, HDMI. but, we will see...
so, the project will (hopefully) be like this one day:
CPU --> FPGA --> LCD
--> HDMI
(that's a basic functional diagram, hahaha)
So what you're saying, Kitsch, is you are in the middle of redesigning the whole front PCB with an upgraded and backlit LCD? Any chance you will let people preorder these if you do produce them? I tend to miss the good products (grey Kitsch shell, clear Kitsch shell, ASM PCB prosound) due to being out of the country all the time but if I could preorder, then I wouldn't miss it!
we don't do any pre-ordering, sorry 
yet another ill aftereffect from the whole bb cart affair...
sorry!
but, you didn't miss the light grey shells, or the clear ones. you just missed out on the first batches of those! (they'll be standard colors)
BUT! if you want a clear green or clear blue, get it before the batch is gone!
edit -- and, yeah, thats what i'm sayin' 
but that is only one of the new features.
I just got clear clears from other people cause I was impatient. The clear green and clear blue shells are nice though but not my cup of tea.
That sounds like such a cool project though. Are the redesigned boards going to be smaller? Now you've piqued my interest and I want to be nosey.
Last edited by nerdsome (Jan 29, 2013 3:05 am)
marginally smaller. the parts are just... different. the LCD doesn't solder to the PCB, for example. it will have a socket for its FPC, proper-like... (and it means the LCD is easily exchanged in case you get sick of its color, or break it, etc)
this is also an element of this project. i cannot emphasize the *big project* part enough
Are those one piece silicone buttons with the pads built in?? So awesome! I'd totally buy some right now!
No emoticon can accurately capture how wide my mouth just opened in awe.
Kitsch, you can count on my money being in your pocket sometime soon.
yes, those are one-piece silicone sets
in need of a revision.... but still. enough to show off...
(they are dirty, oops! just noticed that)