Visitors:

iMac G5 LCD HACK  

Disclaimer:

This iMac hack - is an ongoing project.

I bought this screen secondhand thus I'm not aware of any agreements with APPLE corp. of not beeing allowed to alter their hardware.

Mainly reason to put this hack online is to share the datasheets that where a bit hard to find. Feel free to spread!!
And please contact me if you have questions  fredrik@slira.nu

Research and purpose:
Having a G5 mac with burned PSU (after starting it up with a PC-ATX powersuply, I realized that the G5 is not quick enough for running fullscreen Youtube and similar).
I decided to put a laptop inside the casing, however since my LCD-panel did not have LVDS signals, I decided to only use it as a standalone Screen from a DVI source.

For people with the Philips LCD-panel I would recommend to either get a LVDS/DVI-converter from a trashed LCD/TFT-screen. OR put a laptop inside! ;-)

FACTS:

Datasheets:
LCD screen: 20 inch LCD IDTech M201z2   elecfans.com-M201Z2.pdf with Controller IC TFP403PZP-Texas-Instruments-datasheet-152606.pdf 
Benefits with the M201zx LCd-panel is that it supports TMDS signals hence it can be connected directly to a HDMI or DVI-source.

  DVI CONNECTOR PINOUTS: http://pinouts.ru/Video/dvi_pinout.shtml  

LCD screen 20 inch, Philips LM201W01-SLA1 datasheet: LM201W01-SLA1.pdf only support LVDS signals!
thus you'll need a TMDS to LVDS converter (from scrapped monitor or similar).

How to Guide:

..::comming soon::..

Other references:

imac.pdf - a french building instruction sent to me by Josh Desjarlais with the philips LVDS lcd-panel.

(mail me your project-link).

Contactme  fredrik@slira.nu

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My build:

In this project I'm using the IDTech M201z2 LCD Panel.
Datasheet shows that the Panel are using TMDS signals instead of LVDS which means that the screen can be connected directly to a DVI-source!! :-)

The other most common LCD-panel in iMACs are the LM201W01-SLA1.pdf LCD-panel however it only supports LVDS-signals
and requires a converter from DVI/HDMI/TMDS or can be connected directly to a laptop.

UPDATE 2011-04-18

It's alive!

Here, the screen is connected to dvi-interface (iChair, ;) - the Macbook are the DVI-master).
Two powersupplies are beeing used,

* one for backlight @ 20volt (should be 24vdc). I'll check up the pining shortly and add a picture of it.

* And one +12volt 0.5 amps for the LCD.

Update 2011-04-20

This project is not yet finished, I will build a 12volt powersuply with L7812 and a on/off -circuit using a 555-ic.
+ a White led for the power indicator in the front.

Should put a arduino so people will ink me to their electronicblogs ;)

I'll upload schematics and more pictures of the build progress shortly, Stay tuned!