SXGA+ on a X60s (non tablet)

Message

#91 Post by **erik** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:36 am

lemarq,

yes, the X60 inverter will work to drive an XGA or SXGA+ tablet display. all an inverter does is control the status lights and step voltage up from 3.3V to 5V to power the backlight. it actually has very little to do with a display's capability.

in the X60/X61 notebooks, the original inverter is the only inverter that will fit anyway, so it's not like you can modify a tablet display cable to work. besides that, the connectors for the inverter aren't compatible.

building a jumper harness like i've pictured previously is the only way to accomplish what you want.

legbone · #92 Post by **legbone** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:27 pm

This is amazing. I've used x61T SXGA+ before but the lcd is more crisp and laptop itself is much lighter.

But 14'' SXGA(1400x1050) is right for me. I'd better keep loving my T60 14'' SXGA+.

So I think I have to release it to somebody needs it.

I've already posted it at the Marketplace.

Anybody needs it? Go and get it.

andykrej · #93 Post by **andykrej** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:58 am

Hi,
That sounds like a really cool machine. where did you buy it?
Do you think one like that can still be ordered?

#94 Post by **erik** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:50 pm

i merged legbone's post and reply since they deal with the topic of this thread.

keeping the discussion centralized will help prevent any confusion.

lemarq · #95 Post by **lemarq** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:49 pm

Well, I`m now a proud owner of an Boe AFFS XGA X60!
It`s not a SXGA+ I know, but... once the modified BIOS isn`t avaliable, and I couldn`t stand the original TN panel anymore, XGA it is...

The view angle is much wider, color has better reproduction and contrast is very good - just as expected. I only felt a little strange because this screen has a slightly glossy finish, I don`t know if all tablet screens have this coat (I was a 15" flexview guy until now...)

Also, closing the lid is a tight fit, due to deeper Boe Hydis LCD. I had to re-assembly the lid four times to get it right.

All in all, I`m very happy with my X60 now, and already using it much more than before.

Thanks to erik for his great help in various steps (and, mainly, for building the jumper harness for me).

EDIT: yet another statement (IMHO of course): Boe Hydis screens - the 15"UXGA and this 12" - aren`t so good as the old IDTech ones. The IDTechs have better view angles and color fidelity.

AvalonXIII · #96 Post by **AvalonXIII** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:05 pm

lemarq wrote:Well, I`m now a proud owner of an Boe AFFS XGA X60!
It`s not a SXGA+ I know, but... once the modified BIOS isn`t avaliable, and I couldn`t stand the original TN panel anymore, XGA it is...

The view angle is much wider, color has better reproduction and contrast is very good - just as expected. I only felt a little strange because this screen has a slightly glossy finish, I don`t know if all tablet screens have this coat (I was a 15" flexview guy until now...)

Also, closing the lid is a tight fit, due to deeper Boe Hydis LCD. I had to re-assembly the lid four times to get it right.

All in all, I`m very happy with my X60 now, and already using it much more than before.

Thanks to erik for his great help in various steps (and, mainly, for building the jumper harness for me).

Enjoy your machine. It's a masterpiece. I have the SXGA+ model of X61s myself. Use it everyday.

#97 Post by **erik** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:58 am

lemarq wrote:Thanks to erik for his great help in various steps (and, mainly, for building the jumper harness for me).

no problem. i'm just glad the cable made it all the way to brazil without any issues!

NOTE: i've sold my last jumper harness and likely won't be fabricating any more.

hanseatic · #98 Post by **hanseatic** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:19 pm

Hello everybody,
dear erik,

I am thinking about modding my X61s to sxga+ with a HV121P01-100.
I read through tis thread, as well as but things arent yet clear to me.
All I need besides the display is the jumper harness cable and a modded bios?

Is that correct?

#99 Post by **erik** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:16 pm

hanseatic,

correct. you will need to modify the LCD itself to fit inside the lid, modify the wireless antennas, and trim a small bump on the inside of the LCD cover. the cable is the most difficult part of the project. the LCD is a close second, however, simply because it's easy to scratch or introduce dust during the process.

adiflorescu · #100 Post by **adiflorescu** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:54 am

Hi all.
First of all, I am amazed... I am a Ham radio and I am used with various modifications on electronic equipments.
Second, I came through this post because I have a X61 Tablet (Model 7767-bfg) and i am not so pleased about the LCD Multitouch screen. Is not usable outdoor.
So, reading the Erik's modification, I was thinking to remove the upper layer of the LCD screen, the one who is responsible with the bare hand sensing and to keep the lower wich is (i think) responsible with the stylus.
So, two questions I have before doing so:
1. The LCD is more brighter after the removing of this layers? (In order to be readable in the outdoor light).
2. Cand this layers be removed independently?

Regards,
Adrian
PS
Sorry for my english.

#101 Post by **erik** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:08 pm

adiflorescu wrote:1. The LCD is more brighter after the removing of this layers? (In order to be readable in the outdoor light).

removing the writing surface will not improve readability in outdoor light.

adiflorescu wrote:2. Cand this layers be removed independently?

these layers are not independent. the multitouch input is controlled by the digitizer on the back of the panel, not the writing surface on the front of the panel. removing the writing surface means you would then have to touch or write directly on the bare LCD panel. in doing so, you would eventually scratch and ruin the panel.

force · #102 Post by **force** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:42 pm

In a few days I will be giving this mod a try. First with an X32 (pinout is directly compatible), then with an X60s.

erik- do you still have parts for the cable harnesses? I am curious about my options =)

In the meantime, I'm going to take a wag at bios editing.

adrianaitken · #103 Post by **adrianaitken** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:39 pm

jumping late into this but if you don't have a modified BIOS, once the X61 has booted into Windows (XP,Vista,7 etc), would the screen resolution be OK ie 1400 x whatever or are you limited to 1024 x 768?

force · #104 Post by **force** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 4:08 pm

It will probably tile like it does on the X3* without a modified BIOS. There is a picture in this thread for reference.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 85#p521385

#105 Post by **erik** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:45 pm

force wrote:erik- do you still have parts for the cable harnesses? I am curious about my options =)

i still have a few left. drop me a PM if you would like to purchase one. it's by far the most difficult part of the mod, followed closely by modifying the LCD panel to fit without breaking anything in the process. everything after that is a walk in millennium park -- save for the BIOS mod, of course.

UPDATE: i've sold my last jumper harness and likely won't be fabricating any more.

#106 Post by **erik** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:47 pm

adrianaitken wrote:jumping late into this but if you don't have a modified BIOS, once the X61 has booted into Windows (XP,Vista,7 etc), would the screen resolution be OK ie 1400 x whatever or are you limited to 1024 x 768?

you'd have a pixellated mess on your hands. it's best to flash the modded BIOS before installing the new LCD. the only way to run a tablet panel on an X61 without modding the BIOS is to use an XGA panel. you still have to make a jumper harness for the LVDS cable though.

force · #107 Post by **force** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:00 pm

One thing I noticed is that there are two variants on the display in X60/61 units. The hardware manual lists them as SPWG and TMD, which I believe stand for 'standard panel working group' and 'Toshiba M a t s u s h i t a display', which refer to two different standards for LCDs.

The easiest way to differentiate between the two is that the SPWG display has a display cable that is pretty much a straight shot up to the connector, while the TMD one branches off to the side.

Also of note is the placement of the connector relative to the cable. On the SXGA+ panel I have, the connector sits much lower than where the cable ends, resulting in a bit of overlap. I do wish it was the other way around (the cable being too short) to allow room for the pinout conversion.

#108 Post by **charles.atcher** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:16 pm

I was of the understanding that the TMD display were the ultralight versions.

force wrote:One thing I noticed is that there are two variants on the display in X60/61 units. The hardware manual lists them as SPWG and TMD, which I believe stand for 'standard panel working group' and 'Toshiba M a t s u s h i t a display', which refer to two different standards for LCDs.

The easiest way to differentiate between the two is that the SPWG display has a display cable that is pretty much a straight shot up to the connector, while the TMD one branches off to the side.

Also of note is the placement of the connector relative to the cable. On the SXGA+ panel I have, the connector sits much lower than where the cable ends, resulting in a bit of overlap. I do wish it was the other way around (the cable being too short) to allow room for the pinout conversion.

#109 Post by **ZaZ** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:32 am

What if you wanted to swap in a regular XGA LCD from the tablet into a X60/X61, do you still have to make a special harness and cable, and mod the BIOS?

force · #110 Post by **force** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:30 am

I think you still would need a harness and cable to use an XGA tablet screen in a non-tablet variant. If I remember correctly, the pinout on my display is for the tablet (direct drop-in replacement), which would imply that both XGA and SXGA+ tablet screens are not compatible with non-tablet bases.

The bios on X60/61(s) are locked at XGA, so only installing anything besides an XGA panel would require modification.

AvalonXIII · #111 Post by **AvalonXIII** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:23 pm

FredGarvin wrote:What if you wanted to swap in a regular XGA LCD from the tablet into a X60/X61, do you still have to make a special harness and cable, and mod the BIOS?

You still need a special harness and custom cable, but you don't have to mod the BIOS, as the BIOS already contains XGA resolution microcode.

force · #112 Post by **force** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:06 am

Just an update on the progress of my attempt...

Erik wasn't kidding when he said the LCD cable was the hardest part of the mod. I received some parts in the mail today and was unsuccessful in getting the wires attached properly. I was going to solder wires directly to the fpc (flexible printed circuit) of the original cable, but I don't have the right tools for the job. My soldering iron doesn't have a fine enough tip, and it's fairly hard to solder 1mm pitch without a magnifier. I've soldered things the same size or smaller, but I had a much more robust toolkit.

I decided to place an order for the sockets instead, as there were more exposed pin to which to solder. However, 30ga wire is still 30ga. Stripping off the insulation is a tedious process.

When I get this working, I still have to mod the screen to have it physically fit into the lid. It's a long process, but I'm taking my time to make sure I don't mess anything up. I refuse to reassemble the X60s before it's complete.

hanseatic · #113 Post by **hanseatic** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:56 am

Someone in the german thinkpad forum modded an X60s with a Boe Heydis HV121P01-100 panel.
He ordered the panel along with a customized cable from China.
Even if you don't speak or read german, you might find the pictures interresting.

We are currently organizing a collective order for panels and cables.

http://www.thinkpad-forum.de/thinkpad-h ... eschichte/

Edit:

There's a wiki page, also in german with pics embedded.

http://www.thinkpad-wiki.org/X6x_SXGA_nachrüsten

dmdsoftware · #114 Post by **dmdsoftware** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:33 pm

I'm very interested.

I own a X60 and a X61T (SXGA) but I end up using my X60 much more then my X61T because the X60 is so much more portable. I think of my X61T more as merge of a X61 and T61.

How are we going to get by the BIOS issue? The German article just mentions the appropriate BIOS was obtained from a forum but no hints on how we can obtain it.

hanseatic · #115 Post by **hanseatic** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:19 pm

I got a bios forked from V2.30. (However not yet installed). It was mailed to me from "pumpe" the person who did the mod in the german forum. He got it from a Korean guy from 51nb.com, who did this mod as a hobby for a while.

Here's a reference for the the original source.
http://www.51nb.com/forum/misc.php?acti ... d=11970364

"pumpe" has a version for x60(s) and X61(s) and prooved it to work.

AvalonXIII · #116 Post by **AvalonXIII** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:34 pm

hanseatic wrote:I got a bios forked from V2.30. It was mailed to me from "pumpe" the person who did the mod in the german forum. He got it from a Korean guy from 51nb.com, who did this mod as a hobby for a while.

Apparently, he does not want it to be freely distributed (just like zender), so it would be send via pm or email.

If it's not too much trouble, can you send me a copy of the BIOS via PM

I would like to keep a personal copy and have absolutely no intention to distribute it.
Thank you in advance and I would really appreciate your help

Also, are you sure that the modified BIOS is based on the original 2.30 BIOS? Because I just take a look on the Lenovo website, and the newest BIOS on there is 2.20

#117 Post by **erik** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:36 pm

hanseatic wrote:Someone in the german thinkpad forum modded an X60s with a Boe Heydis HV121P01-100 panel.

i hate to be critical but that guy's work is very poor quality. the cable looks unstable, the cuts on the LCD housing and frame are crude, and the gaffer tape he used to hold the hinges to the LCD frame is much too thick. this stuff isn't rocket science but one must realize that reliability and quality aren't mutually exclusive. if anyone decided to take on this mod, i highly recommend you take your time and use high-quality materials. kapton tape is a must.

on a positive note, it's good to see people trying this mod. it's definitely not as easy as it seems and one can only appreciate this fact if they've gone through all the cutting, soldering, and taping necessary to do it.

fwiw, below is what my cable looks like once complete. of all the versions i've seen, i still think this is the best way to route the wires to prevent pressure on the LCD panel while achieving a stable signal.

note the use of kapton tape and EMI shielding tape around the harness and how everything is bent to fit. the thinklight is fully functional as a result.

i just wish i had more time to make the cables in bulk. i suppose if enough orders came in i could do it. unfortunately the tools and supplies necessary to do this the right way would cost over $2000 USD.

otherwise you're left trying to solder minuscule parts and quickly diminishing the quality and reliability of the end product.

#118 Post by **erik** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:39 pm

hanseatic wrote:I got a bios forked from V2.30. (However not yet installed).

the latest public BIOS from lenovo is 2.20.

#119 Post by **erik** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:41 pm

AvalonXIII wrote:If it's not too much trouble, can you send me a copy of the BIOS via PM I would like to keep a personal copy and have absolutely no intention to distribute it.
Thank you in advance and I would really appreciate your help

you can back up a copy of your own BIOS using winphlash. just unpack the lenovo BIOS, run winphlash.exe in a windows environment, and use the option to back it up rather than flashing.

AvalonXIII · #120 Post by **AvalonXIII** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:50 pm

erik wrote: you can back up a copy of your own BIOS using winphlash. just unpack the lenovo BIOS, run winphlash.exe in a windows environment, and use the option to back it up rather than flashing.

My X61SXGA+ comes with Zeus-X61 BIOS ver. 1.05, and the date is 02/13/2009. I want to update to the latest BIOS, because there are quite a few improvements.
But thanks for the backup advice, though. I will also do it in case something happens in the future.

SXGA+ on a X60s (non tablet)

Re: SXGA+ on a X60s (non tablet)

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