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lutiana
November 14th, 2009, 11:16 PM
Is it possible to convert a Laptop LCD into a desktop LCD?

If so how?

I have a 15" Samsung Panel from a Gateway Laptop and would like to use it as a desktop monitor.
Mike Chambers
November 14th, 2009, 11:40 PM
Is it possible to convert a Laptop LCD into a desktop LCD?

If so how?

I have a 15" Samsung Panel from a Gateway Laptop and would like to use it as a desktop monitor.

without some insane electrical engineering skills, i don't think so. you'll have to figure out some way to convert your video card's output into a format that the circuitry in the LCD can understand.

like just about anything electrical, it's possible.. this would not be easy though. the laptop's motherboard is designed specifically to communicate with a certain type of LCD circuitry when it's being engineered.

in summary, short answer is no. longer answer, yes but it's a hell of a lot more trouble than it's worth... if you can even figure out how. you'd probably spend close to enough in parts building a converter circuit where you might as well just buy a 15" desktop LCD from a shop.
FishFinger
November 15th, 2009, 04:15 AM
LCD panels are normally connected using something called LVDS. LVDS is a digital interface and is totally incompatible with VGA. Converters do exist, but they're not cheap. It's cheaper to just buy a VGA LCD monitor.
lutiana
November 15th, 2009, 08:22 AM
LCD panels are normally connected using something called LVDS. LVDS is a digital interface and is totally incompatible with VGA. Converters do exist, but they're not cheap. It's cheaper to just buy a VGA LCD monitor.

Is this something that could be removed from the laptop's motherboard?
FishFinger
November 15th, 2009, 09:00 AM
No. It's an integral part of the laptop motherboard and not removable. And even if it was there's nowhere on a desktop motherboard to connect it to.
lutiana
November 15th, 2009, 09:16 AM
Ok, thanks for confirming what I was already beginning to suspect.

Anyone out there need an Samsung LTN150XB-L02 LCD panel with back light and inverter?
kishy
November 15th, 2009, 09:28 AM
Just for completeness of information...

I have an IBM NetVista all in one. It's an LCD monitor.

The motherboard is standard ATX in many regards except I/O ports were replaced with wire headers (but for example PCI slots, PS/2 ports, ethernet port all remain in normal spots).

The circuitry for the LCD is integrated in the motherboard. Would anyone be interested in some photos?
lutiana
November 15th, 2009, 09:51 AM
The circuitry for the LCD is integrated in the motherboard. Would anyone be interested in some photos?

Sure.
IBMMuseum
November 15th, 2009, 09:16 PM
Just for completeness of information...

I have an IBM NetVista all in one. It's an LCD monitor.

The motherboard is standard ATX in many regards except I/O ports were replaced with wire headers (but for example PCI slots, PS/2 ports, ethernet port all remain in normal spots).

The circuitry for the LCD is integrated in the motherboard. Would anyone be interested in some photos?

If itīs a 6643 Iīm typing on one (22U submodel) right now...
MikeS
November 15th, 2009, 09:53 PM
If itīs a 6643 Iīm typing on one (22U submodel) right now...And if it's a 6274-16U with the funky solenoid-operated drop-down CDR drive and 12V single-supply motherboard, then I just scrapped one.
kishy
November 16th, 2009, 04:24 AM
Sure.

Coming up later today.


If itīs a 6643 Iīm typing on one (22U submodel) right now...

It is a 6643, I think a 14U from memory but it's tucked away where I can't see it right now.


And if it's a 6274-16U with the funky solenoid-operated drop-down CDR drive and 12V single-supply motherboard, then I just scrapped one.

The 6643 at least uses a laptop CD-ROM drive and a normal 20-pin ATX power connector.
MikeS
November 16th, 2009, 10:57 AM
The 6643 at least uses a laptop CD-ROM drive and a normal 20-pin ATX power connector.Pshaw; same old, same old ;-)
Trying to find an interesting use for a 12V motherboard; the hefty power supply'll be useful though.
The (standard) CD drive is cool though; it tucks up behind the front of the display and when you eject it drops down gently before the tray comes out.
kishy
November 16th, 2009, 12:42 PM
Pshaw; same old, same old ;-)
Trying to find an interesting use for a 12V motherboard; the hefty power supply'll be useful though.
The (standard) CD drive is cool though; it tucks up behind the front of the display and when you eject it drops down gently before the tray comes out.

The CD drive, combined with floppy drive (not as a single unit but mounted in the same part) on the 6643 drops down by gravity when a latch button is pressed. The latching mechanism is surprisingly complicated which is, not surprisingly, why it never works properly. It's really not good lol.

About the pics of the motherboard...just finishing some stuff up, don't want to lose my train of thought, then it will be camera time.
kishy
November 16th, 2009, 04:18 PM
Alright, macro mode on my camera is...finicky at best.

Overall motherboard showing orientation in case:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/272/6643mboverall.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/i/6643mboverall.jpg/)

Showing the area around the LCD inverter connector in more detail:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4116/6643mbinverterconn.th.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/6643mbinverterconn.jpg/)

Showing the area around the LCD (signal) connector in more detail:
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/4693/6643mblcdconn.th.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/i/6643mblcdconn.jpg/)

That SiS 301 chip appears to be a video bridge of some sort (or so says Google) so it's probably quite relevant.

Oh and IBMMuseum, any idea why the brightness controls don't work on mine? Lenovo site doesn't provide any software to make it work so it must be hardware based. Same deal with the internal speakers, I get a pop when the driver initializes but after that they're dead (same for headphones). I did get the machine for free, of course.
IBMMuseum
November 16th, 2009, 08:57 PM
...That SiS 301 chip appears to be a video bridge of some sort (or so says Google) so it's probably quite relevant.

Oh and IBMMuseum, any idea why the brightness controls don't work on mine? Lenovo site doesn't provide any software to make it work so it must be hardware based. Same deal with the internal speakers, I get a pop when the driver initializes but after that they're dead (same for headphones). I did get the machine for free, of course.

The SIS 630, among other things, is the video controller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiS_630/730). Look for the drivers based on that, the old IBM information has been pretty much gutted (donīt use the SIS driver for IDE, I have a suspicion it has killed two drives on this system). My brightness controls give a slight variation in brightness, not like a full range of a monitor.
kishy
November 17th, 2009, 04:33 AM
The SIS 630, among other things, is the video controller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiS_630/730). Look for the drivers based on that, the old IBM information has been pretty much gutted (donīt use the SIS driver for IDE, I have a suspicion it has killed two drives on this system). My brightness controls give a slight variation in brightness, not like a full range of a monitor.

Yes, the 630 (an integrated part of the chipset) is the "video card". However the SiS 301 chip seems to be related to the LCD interface itself, transforming the output of the 630 into something suitable for that LCD panel. I only did very brief searching though so that could be way way off.