X20 lcd inverter

[graemefaulkner]

My lcd backlight has suddenly stopped working, after reading thru the forum it sounds like i need a new inverter.

does anyone know where i can get one, ive not managed to find anything from a google search?

is this as simple taking the screen apart and reconnecting a new part?

[Xy Hapu]

Is your screen XGA or SVGA? In any case here are the part numbers for the inverter for each type:

XGA

26p8018
26p8020
26p8021

SVGA

26p8017
26p8019


Any one of those should work, and you can get whichever directly from IBM for about ~$20, just enter the part number here: http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/store ... &langId=-1

Note that there's mandatory one-day shipping, so add another ~$15 to that price tag.

Here's a ~5 mb pdf of the X2* maintenance manual, it contains the x20 disassembly instructions: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 4p2975.pdf

It should be fairly simple, on my X31 all I had to do was remove the front LCD cover and just pop the inverter out. I assume it's similar for the X20, though I'd look over the maintenance manual to be sure.

The X31 manual told me I had to detach the entire LCD assembly from the rest of the laptop before removing the front bezel, but it turned out that was completely unnecessary; look out for that, and I guess just use common sense in deciding on any shortcuts.

[graemefaulkner]

thanks a lot mate, you could have been any more help.

im in the uk but i managed to find the equivelant page on the uk ibm site.

ive got an xga, i had a look on the parts site and the only one in stock is the 26P8021 which just so happens to be the cheapest of the three as well.

is there any advantage to picking any one or three parts? they also have different part names.

26P8020 XGA ALPS Within four weeks ** £20.39 £23.96
26P8021 XGA NVERTR In stock ** £12.46 £14.64
26P8018 XGA PWRNET Within four weeks ** £17.17 £20.17

thanks again

[Xy Hapu]

I'm sure they're all near-identical, just manufactured by different companies. If you want to be completely certain that the part is compatible, you could try removing your old inverter and look on the label for the part number, and buy the part that matches.

I'm almost positive that they're all interchangeable, though. Maybe the more expensive ones are made better, but I doubt you'd see any practical difference.

Glad I could help.

[graemefaulkner]

ok mate i got the part, replaced old inverter, and there is no change, screen still works but really dark, not quite the result i was looking for. any ideas?

[Xy Hapu]

It must be a problem with the backlights themselves . . . it's a little difficult, and I don't have any experience with this personally, but you could try replacing the backlights yourself. You'll have to take the entire LCD out and see if those backlights are removable in the first place, and if they are then purchase similar sized ones and then re-solder the power wires to them and stick them in.

The replacement backlights/CCFL's shouldn't cost all that much, (maybe thirty USD for a pair?), but the actual process of installing them seems like a pain. I guess your other alternatives are to buy a new LCD (on eBay the older X-series LCD's seem to run around the $100-$200 mark) or send it in to a repair place.

I've had this

http://www.lcdrepair.net/

place bookmarked for a while, and though their site is a little garish they seem to know their stuff, and their prices are decent. For your screen, getting the backlight replaced would probably fall under this category:

LCD display CCFL refit & Test $65 small LCD's



But before all that, you might want to troubleshoot the screen some more, see if all the connections are undamaged and whatnot. I assume you already did this though, and yeah, once you rule out the inverter the backlights themselves are the likely culprit.

[dmdsoftware]

I'm sure they're all near-identical, just manufactured by different companies. If you want to be completely certain that the part is compatible, you could try removing your old inverter and look on the label for the part number, and buy the part that matches.

I'm almost positive that they're all interchangeable, though. Maybe the more expensive ones are made better, but I doubt you'd see any practical difference.

Glad I could help.

There are actually two types of XGA inverters (after disecting over 30 X2*s). One will work fine in all x20s and x21s; the other will cause the LCD to appear dark in some early XGA versions of the x20s but will work fine in other x20s and all x21s. If your X20 has a motherboard with a green or pink label behind the minipci, then it is a x20 that will work with either inverter. If it is a white label, then one inverter will cause the screen to appear very dark (not usable). Although both inverters come in an array of part numbers, if you compare the two inverters, you will notice they are quite different.

[graemefaulkner]

There are actually two types of XGA inverters (after disecting over 30 X2*s). One will work fine in all x20s and x21s; the other will cause the LCD to appear dark in some early XGA versions of the x20s but will work fine in other x20s and all x21s. If your X20 has a motherboard with a green or pink label behind the minipci, then it is a x20 that will work with either inverter. If it is a white label, then one inverter will cause the screen to appear very dark (not usable). Although both inverters come in an array of part numbers, if you compare the two inverters, you will notice they are quite different.

sounds interesting, is there any other way to tell which generation of x20 it is without taking the motherboard out?

[dmdsoftware]

There are actually two types of XGA inverters (after disecting over 30 X2*s). One will work fine in all x20s and x21s; the other will cause the LCD to appear dark in some early XGA versions of the x20s but will work fine in other x20s and all x21s. If your X20 has a motherboard with a green or pink label behind the minipci, then it is a x20 that will work with either inverter. If it is a white label, then one inverter will cause the screen to appear very dark (not usable). Although both inverters come in an array of part numbers, if you compare the two inverters, you will notice they are quite different.

sounds interesting, is there any other way to tell which generation of x20 it is without taking the motherboard out?

Yes, unscrew the keyboard, lift it up, and then take out the minipci card (top left corner). The motherboard part number label will now be visable.

[hughjoen]

sounds interesting, is there any other way to tell which generation of x20 it is without taking the motherboard out?

Yes, unscrew the keyboard, lift it up, and then take out the minipci card (top left corner). The motherboard part number label will now be visable.

Hi there,
I'm glad I found this thread. I have the exact same problem as above thread. I've been trying to rebuild a x20 for the last two years, changing the system board I picked up on Ebay. I finally realized the inverter I had will not work with the ones i have.

I have a system board with a white label marked "OEM 195259" and "FRU 08K3217". Do you know which inverter I should get?

I would really appreciate it if I can find this out. My backlight works fine.

Thank you.

[graemefaulkner]

Hi there,
I'm glad I found this thread. I have the exact same problem as above thread. I've been trying to rebuild a x20 for the last two years, changing the system board I picked up on Ebay. I finally realized the inverter I had will not work with the ones i have.

I have a system board with a white label marked "OEM 195259" and "FRU 08K3217". Do you know which inverter I should get?

I would really appreciate it if I can find this out. My backlight works fine.

Thank you.

This is the invertor that i bought: 26P8021 XGA NVERTR

this has not made any difference to the screen so its either the lcd that is faulty or the inverter is incompatible

i have yet to check if my x20 has a white sticker but im hoping it does, i will let you know when i get chance.

[graemefaulkner]

ok i took it apart and sure enough it is a white label with fru p/n 08k3217 11s08k3230zfxc020as0xn on it.

i guess ill contact ibm and see if they are nice enough to offer an exchange on the part ive already ordered.

[graemefaulkner]

i spoke to ibm today they have told me the part i bought was for an x21 and two parts that will work are 08k3222 & 08k3356. hope this helps.

[svenkrause1]

First of all, thanks for your interesting and helpful postings.
I had the same problem like Graeme. After testing and measuring and spending a lot of time only the 08k3356 is still available and the very point: it works fine with different x20/x21 XGA-Displays.

[cLOWN gOD]

Hi,

I would have guessed the X22 would use the same LCD/inverter as X20 and X21s, but apparently not.

I have an X22 (white label behind the mini PCI card) which came with a differnt FRU than than mentioned in any of the previous threads.

It's FRU: 26P8178 with "XG" silk screened on it. I tried replacing it with a 26P8179 (XGA is silk screened on that one), but that's not working. -Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!