Gameboy pocket LCD into PC LCD for eg temps?

[Biohazard]

Does anyone know if this is possible?

I have a Gameboy Pocket i stopped using and i was wondering, can u mod it to show temps? even if its just one temp! like CPU temp?

Og fan RPM? Is there a guide anything!

Thanx, i hope u guys no somthing

[cloasters]

Hate to admit my lameness. However, it may be extremely difficult to mod the Game Boy LCD so it'll be useful in a PC. With luck, one of our experts will weigh in on this question!

[CaesaR]

PM me if u find out how

[Aedan]

Yeah, it's possible, as the Gameboy has a serial port. Basically, you'd have to write the software to run on the Gameboy, and have the PC send the data across to the Gameboy.

Trying to use the LCD on it's own wouldn't be a great choice, as the LCD requires a controller. This controller is already integrated in the Gameboy's CPU.

[Bluepixie]

How about older hand-held systems? Like the game gear or orginal game boy? Same probs i suppose?

[Aedan]

The gamegear had a TV tuner accessory, so it might be possible to feed a signal in via that. Mind you, that's rather a bulky mod!

Otherwise, yeah, same problem, you'd need to be able to program the device, as the LCD controller is embedded in the chipset.

[Bluepixie]

I see. So, you would be much better of getting a small LCD screen designed for displaying winamp info etc. And using that instead? At least that way, you can get it in the case without clearing out most of your hardware!
I've been thinking of doing somthing along these lines (putting an LCD screen in i mean).
Sort of intergrate my stereo with my PC. Not amazing or anything, but i havent done any modding as such yet. Getting a special Battle Angel Alita pic made for my window has been as far as ive gone. But im young, and willing to learn! Would it be easy?

[Aedan]

It would be much easier doing it that way, but then you're limited to what other people have written.

[Bluepixie]

But can you not just get an LCD screen, controller, and software and write your own stuff?

[Aedan]

Generally, the software is what drives the controller to generate an image on the LCD screen. That's cool if you can program, but most people with such an LCD screen can't! So, if you can't program, then you just have to go with what other people have written. Mind you there's getting to be more and more software out there.

If you're looking to do some form of animation or other fast moving image, then an LCD might not be so appropriate. Somethign like a VFD or OLED display can handle fast images better.

[Bluepixie]

I can program! What kinda lauguage do they tend to use?

[Aedan]

Assembler or C. I know that the Gameboy/Gameboy Pocket/Gameboy Colour use a varient of the Z80 processor. There's certainly plenty of tools out there for programming the Gameboy/Pocket/Colour, which might well be worth looking into. There's also plenty of details about the hardware.

[Bluepixie]

Assembler and C are what ive been doing in uni. Programming microcontrollers and such. I suppose its much the same, will just probbably be abit more up-to-date i suspect!

I think im gonna take this one on, were should i go for a good little LCD screen? There's not much choice on the british shopping pages...

[Aedan]

That's the difficult part. Most of the screens I've picked up have been via surplus outlets, and have usually been connected to other equipment. That tends to entail removing the LCD, figuring it's pinout, figuring out the controller chip on it, and then interfacing it!

New LCDs can be purchased from places like Farnell, RS, Maplin and others, but they are not cheap, and will require some method of interfacing them to a PC.

[Bluepixie]

I see.
Could take abit of leg work then, so to speak. But that wont stop me! I shall keep you updated!

Thanks!

The Pixie.