SXGA+ on a X60s (non tablet)

[obarriel]

Anybody knows if a HT12X21-100 panel (from a X41 tablet) with XGA resolution could be installed in a X60? and in a X60s?

There would be pin compatibility or it would be as dificult as with the SXGA+?

Thank you!

[tcone]

HT12X21-100 has the same pinout as the HV121P01-100 SXGA+ panel. The only difference is that HT12X21-100 is missing three pins for EDID information. You need the same modified cable.

[rek]

Aaarrgh! So close, and yet so far!!

I finally managed to gether together a good spec X60s, a -100 SXGA+ panel and one of Erik's adapter harnesses. All worked perfectly when the machine was apart, but when removing one of the side mounting posts so that the LCD would fit the X60 top cover assembly, the screen cracked in one corner..

Right now I'm at a crossroads as to whether I buy another panel and try again, or handball this project machine off for someone else to complete. (Since starting to collect all the bits for this project, I've been moved into a position at work where I don't really need a laptop.. so this SXGA+ laptop has become more of a hobby project than anything else)

[k330]

thanks ,me too

[rek]

What tools do people use to remove the metal screw-tabs on the side of the SXGA+ panels?

My dremel tool makes short work of the plastic tabs, and some of the metal screw-tabs are on a plate that came off easily.. but others are part of the LCD's frame, and much more difficult to remove. (It was on those tabs where I think I put too much pressure on the screen and cracked it)

The part I was deading most was trimming the PCB on the back of the LCD so it didn't stick out from the frame, but that ended up easiest of the lot!

[bixm]

Anybody have a spare ready to use already made lcd (LVDS) cable for x61 to commit this project?
Already wrote to erik couple of days ago, but it seems that he wen't for a vacation or something - no reply till now.

[Mooseifer]

What tools do people use to remove the metal screw-tabs on the side of the SXGA+ panels?

My dremel tool makes short work of the plastic tabs, and some of the metal screw-tabs are on a plate that came off easily.. but others are part of the LCD's frame, and much more difficult to remove. (It was on those tabs where I think I put too much pressure on the screen and cracked it)

The part I was deading most was trimming the PCB on the back of the LCD so it didn't stick out from the frame, but that ended up easiest of the lot!

A Dremel in my case. If you're applying lots of pressure then you're doing it wrong. Let the tool do the work for you. I had no trouble at all modifying the panel for my X32, with the Dremel easily removing anything I set it too, no force or pressure required. All the tabs cut off very easily, without the need for any force.

[rek]

A Dremel in my case. If you're applying lots of pressure then you're doing it wrong. Let the tool do the work for you. I had no trouble at all modifying the panel for my X32, with the Dremel easily removing anything I set it too, no force or pressure required. All the tabs cut off very easily, without the need for any force.

Ahhh! Gotcha. Looking through all the bits and bobs that came with the tool, I've found the cutting wheels. I thought they were sanding wheels, just now I realised they're in the opposite plane to what would be useful for a rotary sander

I was using small metal cutters before, which didn't do a particularly good job - left a ~1mm edge on the end of each metal tab. In contorting the tool to get rid of that last millimetre, I think that's where the damage was done.

At least I can use this dead panel for practicing on

[andykrej]

Anybody have a spare ready to use already made lcd (LVDS) cable for x61 to commit this project?
Already wrote to erik couple of days ago, but it seems that he wen't for a vacation or something - no reply till now.

If you're quick you can still order by Phil_123, see this topic: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=83756

What tools do people use to remove the metal screw-tabs on the side of the SXGA+ panels?

To cut off the tabs, I used a normal sized hacksaw and a small file. You have to be careful how you hold the panel, so you don't apply any pressure to the front or backside.

[rek]

Yeah - got another -100 panel sorted out! If anyone else needs a -100 panel, there's one left (possibly more, if the seller has more than this listing) at this seller:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 0301206233

The listing says USA only, but if you ask them for a quote they will ship internationally. Also try your luck at the 'best offer' - I thought I got a good deal offering at US$210, then saw afterwards in the seller's feedback profile that another buyer put an offer in at US$165, and it got accepted too

[rek]

Finally - success!

Only little snag is that the latches of the lid don't easily secure by themselves.. I'm guessing that something is a faction of a millimetre out of whack on the top edge of the display bezel.

[erik]

cut the grounds off your antennas.   that's why your bezel doesn't go back together at the top.

[rek]

cut the grounds off your antennas.   that's why your bezel doesn't go back together at the top.

Ahh, I cut the little notches off the grounding plates (that made it sit a mm or two over the edge of the panel), but not the whole things.

The hinges are very weak now that I've had the LCD assembly apart so often (that knuckle where it bends so easily), so will fix the antennas up when I replace the hinges. Since I'm waiting, I've also ordered a set of flexible PCB WLAN antennas which will hopefully give me some freedom in placing them.

[erik]

you only need to cut off the backsides of the grounds, not the tops.   just cut at the center of the 90-degree bend.   this gains about 0.5mm if memory serves and is enough to get the panel to fit correctly at the top.

when fully assembled with everything lined up correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell that the system has been modified.

[martin255]

I also attempted the mod yesterday on my X60s. Everything seemed to go smoothly, but after a few minutes I realized something was weird: the fan was unusually quiet. At first I thought the fan got stuck, but no: it spins up when I first power on the laptop. Then I thought it was a BIOS issue, and upon further investigation, it's not that either: it seems that I somehow disconnected the CPU thermal sensor. It always reports 1°C.

Anyone have any idea of what I can do?

[rek]

That's odd. You'd think that if you broke something when tinkering with the insides, there would be a fan error coming up on startup.

Maybe it's an issue with how the modded BIOS presents the power management stuff to the operating system? My fan seems to run OK with the "1.50 51NBSXGA" bios.

[rek]

you only need to cut off the backsides of the grounds, not the tops.   just cut at the center of the 90-degree bend.   this gains about 0.5mm if memory serves and is enough to get the panel to fit correctly at the top.

when fully assembled with everything lined up correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell that the system has been modified.

Thanks (again) for the tips, Erik.. very much appreciated

I thought it may have been because the hinges were bent out of shape, or they were stuck too far forward (or back) on the panel.

[erik]

the hinges could be too far back on the panel.   it takes some trial and error to get everything lined up.

[martin255]

Thank you for your advice and your help, rek, unfortunately it seems pretty hopeless. I tried flashing with the BIOS version you mention, I tried changing the fan / cooler (I had ordered a new one already because the original one was noisy), but it's still the same.

I had not thought of it at first, but TPfancontrol still works. So at least the mobo is still usable under windows.

[rek]

After new hinges, clipping the grounds off the wireless antennas, and careful relignment, the latches now sorta almost work as expected. After shutting the lid it takes a small additional press down to make the latches stick.

Not quite OEM behaviour, but good enough for me.

My bezel plastic is starting to show some ill effects from being installed and removed a few dozen times. If I do anything more to make them latch easier, it might be a mod the other way around - shaving a fraction of a millimetre off the underside of the case plastic the latches snap into.

[Reo51St]

Re: rek

Today we listed the last 10 grade A+!!!

I hope everyone is pleased with the quality of the LCD they received???

I TESTED EVERY ONE!!!

[saucissemacaroni]

Hello,

For those who did the change for a SXGA+ panel, can you post pictures of each step?

Thanks in advance

Benjamin

[tcone]

There is a tutorial on the german wiki, maybe this will help you.

[jorrrma]

Hello!

My first post to this forum, humble greetings from Finland!

I have an IBM X60s that I'm going to modify with SXGA+ panel.
I've already obtained a HV121P01-100 LCD-screen, the modified BIOS and the adapter cable is being (hopefully ) shipped to me.

Couple of questions that I hope someone from the forum could help me with:

1) Is the BIOS modification needed if I use Linux?

2) What is the newest version of the modified BIOS?

3) If I've understood correctly, the digitizer panel needs to be removed from the LCD-panel. Is there any change to fit the X60s with digitizer panel also? Touchscreen would be a nice addition with higher resolution/better quality LCD-panel.

Maybe Erik or someone else with a lot of knowledge with these things could help?

[saucissemacaroni]

There is a tutorial on the german wiki, maybe this will help you.

Thanks for the link, it's exactly what I was looking for !

[tcone]

@jorrrma:

1) I think so. I don't know if you can run SXGA+ on linux with a driver hack. Just use the modified one and everything works (SXGA+ or XGA screen on win, linux, osx...).
2) I have installed the X60_51NB_SXGA_REV2 file. If I enter the BIOS it claims to be "BIOS Version 1.50 (51NBSXGA), BIOS Date 2009-05-21. I don't know if there is a newer one, but this one works.
3) No, you also need a screen without glass plate, because it is would be thick to fit into the housing. On the newer versions which are called G5 I think, this plate is completely glued to the panel and there is no chance to get it off. On the older versions (G4) this plate is only glued to the metal frame and can be removed. Please make sure you bought a panel without glass plate. The digitizer is mounted on the back side of the panel and can be easily removed.

[Mooseifer]

Couple of questions that I hope someone from the forum could help me with:

1) Is the BIOS modification needed if I use Linux?

Well, I can't answer the other two questions, but I can answer this one: under Fedora 12 (only distro I've had time to test), I can confirm that the BIOS modification is not needed. There is also no need to hack any drivers or the Xorg config file. During the boot phase, the normal XGA resolution is seen (causing tiling), until the EDID information from the panel is read, then the correct mode is set for SXGA+ and everything works as expected. It runs very well, too.

[jorrrma]

First of all, thank you for the replies.

Well, I can't answer the other two questions, but I can answer this one: under Fedora 12 (only distro I've had time to test), I can confirm that the BIOS modification is not needed. There is also no need to hack any drivers or the Xorg config file. During the boot phase, the normal XGA resolution is seen (causing tiling), until the EDID information from the panel is read, then the correct mode is set for SXGA+ and everything works as expected. It runs very well, too.

Yeah, this is what I also had understood, when using Linux without the BIOS mod in the booting phase the screen is tiled but eventually the resolution will turn to SXGA+ as it should.

3) No, you also need a screen without glass plate, because it is would be thick to fit into the housing. On the newer versions which are called G5 I think, this plate is completely glued to the panel and there is no chance to get it off. On the older versions (G4) this plate is only glued to the metal frame and can be removed. Please make sure you bought a panel without glass plate. The digitizer is mounted on the back side of the panel and can be easily removed.

Hopefully my panel is older version, without the glass plate glued permanently.. Have to make sure when I get home today.
Is this glass plate only used for touch sensing with digitizer or is it in place for protection also?

Tcone, I sent you private message about the BIOS.

[tcone]

Is this glass plate only used for touch sensing with digitizer or is it in place for protection also?

It's only a protection. I don't know if this glass plate is a must have if you use the digitizer, but there is no electronics inside.

[jorrrma]

Another happy SXGA+ X60s owner here!
The installation wasn't actually as tricky as I expected, took me about 6 hours in total, including removing the digitizer and protective glass plate from SXGA+ -panel.
The lid won't close down all the way, it's only missing a couple of millimeters. But as previously stated in this thread, it's probably caused by the hinges attached too back on the panel.. So a little adjustment is still needed!