Ironically enough I had my last working DMD board start acting up on me today. We tried to repair it but the board has disintegrated too much from the years of heat. But of course the logic section is still good meaning it will work with a low voltage display. So after seeing what winteriscoming did with his JP we said, "What the heck?" and decided to outfit our Addams Family with a "poor man's color DMD." Winteriscoming, thanks a heck of a lot for disclosing the details of your build. I have absolutely no experience working with laptop displays and how the controller must be programmed and wired to work with a specific brand of panel. Listing the exact parts you used saves me a lot of time and trouble. Plus, your work looks awesome!! The Rasberry Pi arrived today, just waiting on the Extender, converter board, and LCD. Man this is going to be one sweet mod...

Raspberry Pi Model A+ Board RAM 256M CPU BCM2835 ARM11 made in the UK: $28
ebay.com link: Raspberry Pi Model A Board RAM 256M CPU BCM2835 ARM11 made in the UK

DMD Extender board from Dr. Pinball: $100
http://www.drpinball.co.uk/howtobuy.htm

HDMI DVI VGA Audio controller board for 15.6" B156HW01 LP156WF1 1920x1080 lcd: $30
ebay.com link: HDMI DVI VGA Audio controller board for 15 6 B156HW01 LP156WF1 1920x1080 lcd

NEW LG PHILIPS LP156WF1(TL)(B2) LAPTOP LCD SCREEN 15.6: $58
ebay.com link: NEW LG PHILIPS LP156WF1 TL B2 LAPTOP LCD SCREEN 15 6

If you have Maverick, Frankenstein, Baywatch, or Batman Forever you will need this display instead:

LAPTOP LCD LED SCREEN 17.3" FOR LG LP173WF1(TL)(C1) LP173WF1-TLC1: $60
ebay.com link: itm

I have written a brief connectivity guide for large Sega displays, but it will work with any setup as long as you have the correct parts for your game and configure the software to use the correct machine manufacturer setting. The new version of the Extender uses Raspberry Pi model A plus/B plus now.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-addams-family-poor-mans-color-dmd/page/10#post-2237459

I will also be following Herg's Tron conversion for guidance: http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-colordmd-installation-in-stern-sam-tron

image-684.jpg

Update! ALY has written a fantastic setup guide to supplement my instructions.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/colorized-dmd-with-dmd-extender-diy

And HighProtein has made a great setup video explaining the entire assembly process.

About $260, including a $7 micro USB 5v power supply and $2 heatsinks for the Raspberry. Considering this setup has a much longer life than a plasma DMD, doesn't use problematic high voltage parts, and is just over half the cost of a ColorDMD, it's a very feasible price.

The display panel arrived today. And boy it's thin!

image-642.jpg
image-583.jpg
image-899.jpg

Is there any good reason WHY we shouldn't touch it?

AC adapter for the Pi:

image-336.jpg

Well mainly the adapter is because of the micro USB connector. And yes this particular panel is LED backlit. Much more reliable in the long term.

Finally, the Extender! Just waiting on the signal converter and heatsinks.

image-439.jpg

I'm going to use an external 12v supply due to the existing supply being unregulated and taxed enough as it is anyway. Thanks A LOT for the detailed guide David, will definitely be following that one! I think these Sega LCD conversions will catch on pretty quickly.

David is your 128x32 note going to recommend the parts listed here? Using this particular controller eliminates the need for an HDMI to DVI adapter.

Teeny tiny heatsinks arrived today.

image-995.jpg

And at last, the controller board!

image-935.jpg

image-478.jpg

image-559.jpg

Tested it out on the project LW3 I'm working on. Works great, except I didn't have a PC to change it to Data East mode. I'm going to tweak some settings including resolution tomorrow and will report back. Oh, and the backlit panel creates a nice glow sitting on the glass.

image-456.jpg
image-989.jpg
image-738.jpg

Update, fixed the sync issue (game mode was set to Bally/Williams by default). I started testing it in LW3 to get a feel for the colorizing. I'm very impressed by how easy this is to do, just run the program or edit the text file. I tried upping the resolution on the Extender program but that only draws the image closer to a 1 aspect ratio, which means it doesn't fill the screen if I up the resolution from the default 320x96 (I increased it by 50% to 480x144). Setting it to 2x or higher throws an error, so there is a limit to how high you can go relative to the source resolution, which is 1680x1050. So in short, don't bother changing the resolution. Can the main image buffer be improved to show more round, sharp dots?

I also noticed a bug with color accuracy. When I set a plane to orange (FFCC00 I think?) it shows up as pure yellow on the LCD. Also, when adjusting blue the program appears to bump up the brightness quite a bit, so I have to overcompensate to get an accurate color. Is this a known bug? I know the software is in its early stages at v0.7.

And as far as the LW3 colorization goes I think I have it pretty nailed down, using blue for any of the 3 lit planes looks awful in contrast to red and orange, so like the cabinet I used a dark, subtle blue background color for the "black" setting (not the actual background color setting in the program). Also I think I'll make the red a little less saturated. I think it looks pretty nice, but yellow doesn't show up that often. I forgot the SD card but I'll post the settings as well as the LCD settings for my controller board.

fr_1176.jpg
fr_1177.jpg
fr_1178.jpg
fr_1170.jpg
fr_1171.jpg

The black levels aren't any worse than what you would expect from a typical LCD monitor. It's really not that bad once you line up your eyes when in a playing stance. You are standing slightly above the screen but the vertical field of view is still pretty good, keep in mind these are laptop displays so they are designed to remain visible when looking down on them even if you have the lit partially closed.

I'll try my best to get a square straight-on picture to give the best idea of contrast.

Here are a few spot on photos. I also tweaked the red and yellow to be a bit lighter, this looks great and I'll be using it for LW3 eventually. Yes, the project is still about TAF, but it's on location at the moment. So anyone interested, my official Lethal Weapon 3 color palette!

colors.png

photo 1.JPGphoto 3.JPGphoto 2.JPG

I have the picture settings for this screen as well, be sure to set aspect ratio to 16:10.

fr_1185.jpg

Also, I noticed the board tends to blur multiple planes together when stuff scrolls across the screen, leaving a trail of dim pixels (in this case yellow). It's somewhat inconsistent as you notice it didn't start doing it until a couple of seconds into the credits. Happens probably 80% of the time.

fr_1184.jpg

Sorry try the video now. YouTube being dumb.

No, the Extender lets you set colors for each of the 4 shades of dots. But thanks for the comment, it's amazing how much a few minutes of tinkering can make a game LOOK like it's been fully colorized. That's the beauty of this setup!

The Linux kernel and program file are both on the SD card, all you need to do is plug it in and warm up the Pi (pun intended, mmmmmm). I'm splicing the 5v connector at the DMD controller board on LW3, and will probably do the same thing in Addams Family. The 12v power for the signal controller board will use a seperate 12v 5a brick.

I don't see any ghosting, kind of hard to tell with the frame blending issue at the moment. We'll be keeping the THING inserts in tact (using LEDs obviously due to heat) and using plexiglass to mount the board and stuff behind the display panel. It will stick up quite a bit above the speaker panel but that's no big deal, it just means I'll have to remove and lower the speaker panel when opening the backbox door.

I was planning on getting this together and done Monday but we've hit a snag as we don't have a 12v adapter powerful enough to supply the controller board. Those are coming from China, I doubt they will arrive next week...

Yeah I think the ones we ordered are less than $8. That seems to be the going price for these.

They shipped, just a waiting game... next pictures will be of the full installation.

That's up to David to chime in on. I wasn't able to find a way to fix it.

Well it would become less noticeable. I noticed the same phenomenon in WPCEdit, single frames would combine the planes between frames instead of combining the planes of the single frame.

We did a test fit with the display and looks like it's going to work out really well. 15.6" seems like the perfect size for a 128x32 DMD replacement. We are using a piece of plexiglass 16" across and just a few inches above the top lip of the speaker panel. The plexi will Velcro behind the LCD and we will cut a hole for the LVSD harness. This wil make it easy to remove the panel from the plexi sheet if it ever fails. The boards will mount to the back side of the sheet using adhesive loop feet that we will run zip ties through to the mounting holes on the boards. The LCD fits just within the spacing of the threaded screw mounts. It will mount above the THING lights. Also, we'll be adding some foam U-molding around the LCD bezel for protection.

Because of heat the incadescents behind the THING letters and the blinking lamp behind Grandmama on the bottom right of the translite will be swapped with LEDs.

The power bricks came in today so we put everything together and it looks REALLY good, pictures and video of the installation tomorrow!

On another note I paid closer attention to the fading/trailing problem and I believe it's an issue with the software itself. It's happening a lot more often than I originally thought. For example, with scrolling text that is a single color. It can't be a plane synchronization issue because there is only a single plane being drawn, so it appears as though a couple of lines of the previous frame are being ghosted as yellow and orange pixels. In this case I set red to 100%, yellow to 90%, and orange to 75%. So there is a trail of 90% and 75% pixels behind scrolling frames of 100% dots, regardless of whether or not 90%/75% dots were drawn to begin with. It's not a feature of the game to reduce DMD harshness/flicker as it doesn't happen in PinMAME.

example1.png
example2.png

Update! The install went very smooth. If you're installing it in this game you will need to cut a hole in your wood/plexiglass to accomodate the connector for the THING lamp board. The ability to adjust the height to the pixel is crucial when doing DMD replacements, big thanks to David for making such a great product and writing good software. A 1 foot HDMI cable fits perfectly between the Pi and controller board (it was unplugged in the picture).

image-239.jpg
image-147.jpg
image-957.jpg

image-166.jpg

I couldn't be happier with the results. Decided to leave the background at black since gray looks weird with the little light that shines through being an LCD. I was concerned it would be a little too dark but being an LED LCD panel the brightness is actually on par with a DMD (maybe marginally darker but you would really have to look closely).

And while the fading issue is still there, it makes flashing text look pretty sweet as it kind of provides a rainbow effect.

image-514.jpgimage-855.jpg
image-536.jpg
image-194.jpg
image-129.jpg
image-434.jpg

Nope just for our games. Prototype setup, we'll be using a small cheaper controller board next time as the one David is using looks pretty nice. That will be crucial for Data East games as the extra space would be needed to mount the DMD driver board which normally piggybacks onto the display.

With the cheaper controller board it can probably be done for less ($250). We're at about $260-$270 in with this one. And the best part is it's running off a "dead" DMD driver board. Dead as in the high voltage section is so badly fried that it's impossible to rebuild. But the kicker here is the low voltage logic circuit is still in tact and working. It's completely seperate from the HV circuit.

Use my exact color codes with the same display set to 30% brightness, 100% contrast, and 50% saturation and you'll get the same results.

Got a good video, I'll post it in a couple hours.

Doctor Pinball said he's using a cheaper board I believe. He didn't specify what the brand/model number is in his application note. It's a DVI to LVDS converter so the only difference compatibility wise is you would need an HDMI to DVI adapter.

All you need is the Raspberry Model A. I noticed the listing for that screen has ended. Since winteriscoming and I have both been getting screens from that guy maybe he will list more. Otherwise how many of those particular 15.6" displays would he sell? They are designed to be replacement laptop screens so I would say we have broadened the market on these and increased the demand for LCDs.

I watched some more videos of the Extender being used as a DMD and the fading issue happens ONLY when using custom colors. So it is not a plane synchronization problem, but rather something getting out of sync in the colorization code. When using auto generate for the color palette are different functions used to draw the pixels? Compare the results in this video using both grayscale and colors. It's definitely fixable in software.

It should work I would think. The doctor lights below the DMD are no different than the THING lights on Addams Family. Please keep us posted!

We crunched some numbers on a Sega large DMD kit and to do that would be about $270. We will be doing this relatively soon on Frankenstein which is currently on location. I will list the parts right now for anyone interested:

Model A Raspberry Pi: $32 ebay.com link: RASPBERRY PI MODEL A 256MB RAM LATEST VERSION Made In

Extender: $100 http://www.drpinball.co.uk/howtobuy.htm

$80 LAPTOP LCD LED SCREEN 17.3" FOR LG LP173WF1(TL)(C1) LP173WF1-TLC1: ebay.com link: 711 53200 19255 0

$34 M.NT68676 VGA+DVI+HDMI+AUDIO LCD Controller Board Kit fr LP156WF4-SLB1 1920x1080: ebay.com link: 711 53200 19255 0

HDMI cable and adapter: Less than $5
12v 6a power supply: $6
Plexiglass and hardware: About $10

Plus the Pi puts out a 1680x1050 signal. Even if a monitor that low would accept that type of resolution I have to think it wouldn't look good.

Inverter supplies power for flourescent backlit displays. Those are less common these days so I would avoid it. All the panels I have been looking at use LED backlights.

Changed title to "DIY 128x32 / 192x64 Color LCD" to reflect info on Sega displays.

I don't think it needs a new thread considering everything is the same except the display size. I want to keep things uniform and discussion centralized.

Question for anyone that's used this controller: Evidently there is a voltage jumper with options for 3.3v, 5v, and 12v. It is set to 3.3v by default and we are powering it with a 12v supply. Does this need to be changed to 12v? Reason being is ever since we put this together the regulator on that controller board is getting quite warm, almost too hot to touch even with a heatsink.

Well the regulator is running at about 70C IIRC which is well within limits of the component spec correct? Also since this board is configured specifically to work with this type of display it would make more sense that that is the screen voltage, not the input voltage.

Also, for documentation's sake I listed the exact name of the panel and controller I used in the original post.

It's been running 24/7 since Friday afternoon and has been working perfectly. Temp reading in the regulator today is 76.6C. I'd say that's well within spec especially considering its been running over 3 straight days without hiccups.

D'oh, another display died today. Looks like White Water is next, Sega kit still on the back burner.

Wow these things are cheap! The one I found before is $37 and is on par with the same size. All you would need is an HDMI to DVI adapter plug.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370796210733

Uugh. Seriously?? When it rains it pours.

image.jpg

Yeah we have 2.

I think they look awesome too but as a route op we can't justify spending that much for a drop-in replacement. A $250 kit is something we can do IF we find the money. We have over a dozen machines that will need converting at some point (some immediately as you can tell). Now if these were my home games then yeah I'd do it in a heartbeat. But an op's situation is far different from that.

Plasmas seem like the obvious solution but in the long term they do outgas. And it's not just the 128x32 displays that helped form the decision to go LCD, it also started with an outgassing large Sega DMD (which is the last working one we have) and a burned out WPC display driver board. I bought a $15 rebuild kit and as soon as I started replacing stuff the board was literally disintegrating from 20 years of heat. It didn't take long to figure out that plasma is not a long term solution, at least not for us. That would require at least a piggyback power supply (or a new driver board altogether) not to mention a new $150 plasma to go with it, talking on a game-per-game basis. When you figure the total costs it's pretty spot-on with $250, and the benefits of modern tech (and not to mention color) is a solid investment for any route operator. And what's better is that same fried DMD board is running in my example. The logic stuff is still good. Ever since I got back into this hobby I've made quite the effort to improve our fairly bleak situation as operators. This includes minimizing costs to keep our games running for years to come, and going LCD makes a lot of sense. If it's not a DMD going out, it's a driver board or some other high voltage issue.

It looks like people are looking for an "in the middle" solution both cost-wise and functionality-wise. I think you're on to something with a more basic kit. A good price point would be around $300. I'd say go for it!

Waldo34 has started a Baywatch conversion, check it out:

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-sega-baywatch-color-dmd-project

A great Lord of the Rings color palette by softwaretroll! I will be using it in Frankenstein.

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/dmd-extender-update#post-1283109

Bump for visibility. Seriously, the White Water conversion isn't far off. Paying for this stuff just sucks when your route brings in $20 per machine per week.

Mameman how is your Doctor Who conversion coming?

Looks great!! Though I may suggest a deeper green.

Maybe max out the saturation setting on your display?

A bump for prying eyes.

I started colorizing White Water manually to get an idea of a good palette. Here's a general idea of what it will look like. I don't have definitive results though as I don't understand how the Extender software represents the plane modulation (alternating) between dim/off, dim/med, and med/off. Honestly figuring that out would be harder than trying it 10+ times over on the bench...

whitewater1.png
whitewater2.png

Also, several awesome Frankenstein shots using softwaretroll's Lord of the Rings palette:

frankie1.png

frankie2.png

frankie3.png

frankie4.png

frankie5.png

frankie6.png

160145.png

160375.jpg

It's really quite easy to do...

Take screenshot (ALT+ PrtScrn) of DMD running in PinMAME with "compact display" and "double size" checked in the PinMAME options.

Install Gimp. http://www.gimp.org/
Paste into GIMP, crop DMD.
Select by color and choose a shade.
Set color to exact match to our screenshot color codes using HTML notation in color picker.
Select fill and choose "fill whole selection."
Rinse and repeat for remaining 3 colors.

Ok, White Water is DONE, and it looks SWEET! Man I didn't imagine it would turn out this good. This particular controller board has more picture and color adjustment options. I set the brightness to 45/100 and contrast to 75/100. Red, green, and blue adjustments are all 100% by default. If using this display (link included below) these may be the optimal settings to best match the colors visually when referring to the original color codes in the configuration program.

ebay.com link: 711 53200 19255 0

image.jpg

Lotta pictures incoming. First the initial setup on a plexiglass sheet with weather stripping around the monitor bezel for padding. This particular game has a connector plugged into J116 so we used the included adapter plug and z connector to maintain that existing connection.

image.jpgimage-215.jpgimage-388.jpg

Maxed out the contrast and wow, the LED backlit screen looks at least as bright as a plasma DMD. Really stands out!

image.jpg

And after final color corrections:

image-691.jpg
image.jpg
image-686.jpg
image-937.jpg
image-603.jpg
image-391.jpg
image-21.jpg
image-252.jpg
image-499.jpg
image-899.jpg
image-949.jpg
image-397.jpg
image-921.jpg

Parts links and prices updated.

I sent Robin a message requesting a DMD Extender color palette database.

Does this mean we will be able to remove the SD card and have the program run in memory, and the Pi will reboot from the SD card when it is re-inserted?

Thanks. The blue looks a bit overpowering in the pictures but because of the viewing angle while playing it is less noticeable. When playing it looks pretty spot on with the cabinet art background, as well as the tan and brown matching the playfield canyon colors.

Which palette did you use?

Refer back to the first post, that's where I keep all the links.

Any thoughts on a color palette database Robin?

Bumpuh-wump. Next in line: Frankenstein, Jurassic Park.

It will with a 17.3" display.

Image size is adjustable in settings, but I don't know which one. David can you give us some insight?

This post covers it, but does not consider the cost of wiring, mounting pads, external power supply for controller board, and plexi sheet. But really there is no need to buy additional wiring as the cable to power the Extender board is included.

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-addams-family-poor-mans-color-dmd/page/2#post-1237125

Heatsinks may not actually be needed but I would at minimum suggest a heatsink for the voltage regulator on the controller board. They can reach up to 75C which is warm. I put one on the regulator and the Pi's CPU using the kit below.

ebay.com link: itm

Go for it! You won't be disappointed.

Display/driver combo? Do you mean LCD/controller board? If so I put all the links in the opening post in this thread.

It is sold in the UK, and works here in the US. I am running that board in a White Water.

Instantly.

Definitely not right... the screen shouldn't be that bright either. You ordered the 17.3" screen and controller as specified on page 1? If so David suggested that very controller in his application note.

I would not touch that jumper. I believe that determines the display voltage. As far as I know this particular board is configured for this particular display (and the 15.6" version of the same model). David do you have any suggestions?

No need to apologize. Yes, in this case you need the exact board and the exact display listed in the links on the first page. Reason being is not to be nit picky, but controller boards such as these come pre programmed for a specific brand/type of display.

For crap's sake, once when we found a nice board it goes out of stock. Links updated. Hope that bigger controller board fits with the large DMD driver board.

Link removed? This is the "bigger one."

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HDMI-VGA-DVI-LCD-controller-kit-for-LG-PHILIPS-LP156WF4-SLB1-LED-Screen1920x1080-/370833940313?pt=US_Server_Boards&hash=item56576cdf59

I don't see why that wouldn't work, the part number is correct in the description.

Not sure. David how could you tell?

Looks awesome man! Especially the logo. Now you have to adjust your size and position to fill the entire frame like an original plasma.

Why not try it? Give us a killer color palette!

The parts I listed on the first page will work. Links are still good.

Is that a direct video feed using a VGA capture device?

Holy crap are you serious?? I don't even think the Smart DMD software can do that! I'll have to download it. That will make it A LOT easier to try out palettes without replacing colors manually. Plus, this can be a way to easily rip DMD animations you cannot easily summon in PinMAME or can't easily find in WPCEdit/Pinball Browser. Just glass off and start recording!

Does anyone happen to have a recording of Baywatch they can send me? I'd like to try some colors. My game is not currently working.

Um, did you read this thread at all? Works with Sterns, cost procedure etc is written up.

Sorry I thought it was a Stern game. Everything is summarized in the first post. People have experimented and found different stuff but the parts I listed in the opening post are all you need.

Insert the included SD card in a reader attached to your PC. Change the mode from Bally/Williams to Sega jumbo DMD.

You can't use just any panel, I would strongly suggest sticking with the parts listed in the first post or this will happen:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/diy-addams-family-poor-mans-color-dmd/page/5#post-1610081

Is this instructional video still in the works?

I'd like to see more insight into peoples' approach with the Whitestar games. I don't think those have officially been discussed yet.

Post 300. Wow I have not been following this thread too much lately but you guys seems to have the fine tuning adjustments pretty much ironed out! Congratulations on the teamwork!

image.jpg

I've posted several photos of my setups but they're pretty buried. Do an advanced thread search and filter by my name.

Was David actually selling a kit at one point?

What was his price on the screen plus controller shipped?

Updated controller link. They jacked the price up to $40 and slapped on a $10 shipping fee. It's now $34 shipped.

I'm starting a Gottlieb system 3 build for Cue Ball Wizard. Thanks to David for lowering the price of his board to $95 shipped this build will be about $230, $30 less than before. I'm gonna start working on a color palette this evening and post some screenshots.

1.png
2.png
4.png
5.png
6.png
3.png

Man that looks awesome so far. Thanks for the DMD capture file Chris. I plan on tinkering with the colors a bit myself this evening. However we really won't know what truly looks the most realistic or not until we actually try it in person on an LCD. Perhaps I will give you the palettes I try on my PC and you can give photos when testing them?

All the links you need are on the first page.