ThinkPad's LCD Upgrade to Higher-Resolution(QXGA in T60p)

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Article originally posted by  xiejixiang  from  www.51nb.com

http://enforum.51nb.com/viewthread.php?tid=567680

Preface:
     As we know, currently availalbe resolutions on ThinkPad LCDs are briefly distinguished as XGA(1024*768), SXGA+(1400*1050), UXGA(1600*1200) and QXGA(2048*1536), not mentioned those VGA or SVGA on older models of ThinkPads. Also, QXGA was only seen on some CTO models of ThinkPads like R50p. Upgrading the original ThinkPad's LCD from XGA, SXGA to QXGA [is always being aspired by] lots of ThinkPad fans on 51nb.com.  
    We've successfully conducted many experiments of upgrading LCD to QXGA on previous ThinkPad models such as T42/T43 and R52. These successes stimulate us to perform the same on the newly-released ThinkPad models T60/T61. It seems that we can not just superficially modify the LCD cable in order to make the QXGA LCD work properly in T60/T61, like what we have done on T42/T43 and R50.
    Is there a way out? Is it because of the LCD cable, SPD, or something else?

Objectives:  to test the feasibility of installing QXGA LCDs on T60/T61, and also other high-resulotion LCDs on small-size models like X series(e.g., SXGA+ on X31)

[ Edited by  ybyan on 2007-11-28 01:19 ]

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Methods:

1. Starting from new series of T6 , X6 and R6, the SPD of LCD cables are totally changed.
      In the previous ThinkPad models of like T4 and R5, the originally-equipped LCDs with different resolutions have their own corresponding LCD cables which are distinct from each other. The most prominent change in the LCDs of new series of T60/T61, X60/X61 and R60/R61 is that the LCD cables are all the same no matter what resolution they are working with.
      After a thorough inspectation of all these cables, the author found that the new T60cables   come with more data links than previous T4 cables in order to read the on-board SPD(Serial Presence Detect) information.

2. EDID(Extended Display Identification DATA)
   The LCD cables in new series T6x are all the same except their lengthes are difference for models of 14.1" and 15". So you may ask how these cables support different resolutions of LCDs? The answer is that the SPD information resided in the LCDs tells the difference, which we call EDID(Extended Display Identification DATA).
    We can retrieve the LCD's SPD information by using EPROM reader 24C02. The SPD information can be read at 4 lines (from 4 pin to 7 pin) of the 30-pin LCD . The detailed definition of this SPD is as follows: pin 4:3.3V, pin 5:vacant, pin 6:SCL, and pin 7:SDA.

3. QXGA in T60
    The QXGA LCDs were originally supplied by IDTech with the resolution of 2048*1536 and IPS, which made them undetectable by the new T60's even with the help of EDID. The author found that the SPD information in the QXGA LCDs (provided by HOPE, the Administrator of 51nb.com) was totally vacant, which leaves a technical difficulty ahead. After a painstaking experiment of comparing all those SPDs of XGA, SXGA+ and UXGA, the author solved this problem by rewriting the SPD information of QXGA and finally succeeded in making T60 correctly read the SPD of QXGA.

The well-rewritten SPD is attatched as follows:


BOE_HYDIS_HT14X9_110_FORIBM.rar (203 Bytes, 下载次数: 61)

2007-8-27 12:14 上传

点击文件名下载附件

[ Edited by ybyan on 2007-11-28 01:52 ]

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Results:
     Successful upgrade of the original XGA/UXGA of T60 to QXGA.
Conclusions:
    1. All LCD cables of the new ThinkPad series are in the same construction except the length for different screen sizes.
    2. The new series of ThinkPads like T60/T61 use SPD information resided in LCD for the mainboard to detect them.
    3. Rewriting the SPD of LCDs like 15" QXGA or revising the SPD of 12.1" SXGA+ will make these LCDs work successfully in corresponding ThinkPad models as we expected.  


[ Edited by ybyan on 2007-11-28 01:58 ]

sdvr334vb4v

GOOD NEWS！

donoester2

This is wonderful information! Thank You to the people who have put all the hard work in getting it to work.

Is it ok to ask some further questions here, or should they be posted elsewhere?
I'll post here, and i'll remove them if i'm asked to.

- I'll be attempting a similar mod, but with a t60p. But how do i know that the QXGA screen must be reflashed with a new EDID - doesn't it already contain the needed information from the factory or is it just empty by default?

- How does one reflash the EPROM? Do i need a conventional chip burner/programmer and just put wires from the lcd connector to the chip programmer/burner socket?

The 24C02 EPROM which the QXGA screen has (?) is an 8 pin-package, and equivalent to http://www.ee.oulu.fi/research/t ... /2003/pdf/24C01.pdf

- Only the pins SDA, SCL, VCC and GND should be connected to the chip programmer, right - or do i have to manually feed SCL with a clock?

- Is there any fitting issues with the T60/T60p and the QXGA screen - i'm thinking that it might be tough to fit because of the extra depth?

Sorry for these probably very basic questions. I have done multiple PEEL burning/prorgramming on the chip programmer, i'm just afraid to damage something this expensive.

donoester2

Hi again, i have sucessfully programmed the QXGA LCD with the attached bin above (did it through PonyProg2000 with a parallel to I2c interface). BUT there is no image. The backlight comes up ok, though.

If i flash it with an extracted bin from the UXGA the machine originally came with i get a display, but only at the first 1600x1200 pixels.
If i leave it with the factory default IAQX10 bin/eeprom content it only displays vertical stripes in the whole screen area in red, blue and white upon boot.

Can i get some inputs on this?
I really want to get this working on my T60p

YEric

too complicate to me, thanks for sharing!

zomi

Do you have the exact model number used in the mod above there can be a few variants on the qxga, some nec machines used a slighltly different panel.
You should have a  IAQX10N screen, from what i understand
Also is it possible you could uplaod your uxga mod I have been looking for that for a while to goto the 14" uxga conversion on the t60.

dayulin

This is a good news

catdog02481

Guys, anymore information on success rate; i am trying to get this to work on a T60p and will be trying to make a I2C adapter and use pony prog on a new QXGA N-type screen.  I will let you know if it works.  Donoester, anymore progress, did you fix the problem with your screen?  Also, is there a supplier of screens that have already been flashed with the appropriate EDID?  Thanks a million...

donoester2

Catdog,
Haha.. i see the problem of multiple forums with multiple nicks, i'm also Troels @ thinkpads.com
But i hope that this has to be a difference between the IAQX10S and IAQX10N. All of the "retrofitted" QXGAs i have seen has been nothing but IAQX10N.
I don't know of any supplier of these with the appropriate EDID, and it is mostly because Chinese and Japanese people are the ones who are mostly obsessed with ultra-high resolutions, so all the material you can find originates from chinese or japanese. Thus it is pretty hard to desipher most of it.

There are some link locations here: http://member1.taobao.com/member ... e6ee15d86d17096.htm also to auctions, but i'm not sure if they have a modified edid or not.

I believe the reason why you mostly see this mod on R60E and R60I, is that these are the most inexpensive thinkpads where this mod could be done to reach QXGA - and thinkpads are relatively expensive in Asia to begin with.

catdog02481

Greetings, I have just flashed my QXGA type N variant with the bin file mentionned above but it did not work;  could someone please share or advise where to find a working edid .bin file to do the proper flash of the idtech qxga screen to allow it ot be detected by the t60p, thanks a lot

crashnburn

I saw someone make a successful T6x modification with 14" UXGA. Can someone post a short HOW TO with steps (in ENGLISH) & components that you used. I am guessing you finally DID HAVE SUCCESS in getting all this work PROPERLY.

Thinkpad Model Number - CPU, Motherboard, Graphics Card.
Inverter Model
Cable Model No
LCD (I have this name.. the Sharp LUxxxxxx)

Custom or same old BIOS & Pin Hacks if any?
What kind of Pin Changes / Grounding etc you had to do... A little clarification here would definitely help.

ANYONE?

七剑风流

Thanks.

davidshawn9

Thanks for the posts. It is really a great help to me an ECE student. It give me additional knowledge.





davidshawn9
Simulation prêt