If anyone is curious, I have concluded that it is not possible to use the dynamic convergence adjustment on the CPD-G500. I believe you must have a P99-based monitor (like the GDM-F500) to do this. The G1-based monitors like the CPD-G500 and Dell P1110 don't have this capability.
Ah well. =D
I have the same problem aon a couple of p1110 s. Its a real shame!
What about the 24" Sony GDM FW900 ? I cant remmember if it is G1W or G1.
According to the service manual for a sony GDM-FW900 which i have in pdf on my screen right now is
G1w. The G2 voltage is 522volts. good luck
Thanks for the info huggs2. Would it be possible to email me the pdf?
If you are kind enough to do this my email is rosstheboss818@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks again for your help.
Thanks for the info huggs2. Would it be possible to email me the pdf?
If you are kind enough to do this my email is rosstheboss818@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks again for your help.
Dcnv is available for the Sony GDM FW900 as its not blanked out in windas
but when i change any of the values it does not seem to do anything.
I have tried selecting different areas of the screen(its displayed in sections/squares) but it does not seem to effect the red green of blue guns alignment.
Update:
updated windas software and Dynamic convergeance functions.:celebrate
Hard to believe that the P1110 and others do not support Dynanmic Covergence. When only using static convergence my P991 seemed impossible to converge acceptably (and I'm talking BIG errors on the edges). From what I understand, dynamic convergence is like having convergence magnets that change strength and/or position depending on where the raster is scanning, done via coils simmiliar to the way the dynamic deflection geometry is implemented. I know that on some monitors convergence ( which I assume is static?) is done via varistors on the yoke of the CRT, I guess more curved and smaller monitors can do without dynamic convergence? How could sony converge all these large, flat CRTs without dynamic convergence? There's got to be some way they did it in the factory.
Anyhow, RAYMAN has sent me memos from sony detailing the oficial fix and diagnosis for the over-brightness problem and the power-on screen zooming. Here they are:
CONFIDENTIAL
Last Update
3/6/2002 Event ID
E14653134 Model
CPDG500
Subject
Countermeasure to prevent background brightness intensifying
with
time
SYMPTOMS
The background brightness may intensify with the passage of
time,
not allowing the brightness control and color return function to make
adjustment.
RESOLUTION
The following measures for the applicable series of models that
are returned for repair.
1. ReplaceIC001 on the N board with the microcomputer
(CXD8744Q-0032 P/N 6-801-416-01) for which measures have been
taken.
2. Change the register set value.
1. When the power is turned on without changing the set value,
images will appear with abnormally high screen brightness.
2. Change the register value shown below and conduct service
save.
OSD_ENILARGE_LINES = 128
V_BLK_WIDTH_MIN_FV = 90
V_BLK_WIDTH_MAX_FV = 10
Please use the latest software to change the monitor register
data.
WinDAS :1.420.117
DAS :DASJB1.0.8
3. White balance control:
The control method is the same as that for sets in which
conventional microcomputers are mounted. It will take several seconds
longer for detection of the standard state of color return, but the
process and control commands is the same.
4. Control of deflecting system (screen distortion)
Control of the deflection system is necessary after replacement
of microcomputers.
MORE INFORMATION
o
Unit/Model Details
o
Links
Unit/Model Detail
Unit(s): SN Start SN End Factory Family Name Product
Category
CPDG500 2,700,001 2,707,200 INY G1 C/P
CONFIDENTIAL
Last Update
3/6/2002 Event ID
E14757495 Model
CPDG500, GDM5402, GDMF500R
Subject
Screen zooming when power is turned on
SYMPTOMS
The ABL circuit is activated by the initial drift of the CRT
when
the power is turned on, possibly causing screen zooming.
RESOLUTION
Change R931 on the D Board in the above-mentioned sets from 1.2k
to 1.0K.
Ref Description Part Number
R931 Metal Film Chip resistor 1.0K 1/10W 1-216-651-11
Be sure to check and adjust auto white balance if necessary in
order to correct the change in luminance due to long-time use. This
change will not cause any problem about the X-ray control standard.
MORE INFORMATION
o
Unit/Model Details
o
Parts
o
Links
Unit/Model Detail
Unit(s): SN Start SN End Factory Family Name Product
Category
CPDG500 ALL ALL INY G1 C/P
GDM5402 ALL ALL C/P
GDMF500R ALL ALL INY G1 C/P
Parts
Part Number Reference Number Description Symptom Code
Section
Code PCB Reference Defect Code Repair Code
1-216-651-11 R931 Metal Film Chip resistor 1.0K 1/10W 1336
VPA D A I
Interesting that the over-brightness is cured by replacing IC1001 with ' a micro-computer for which measures have been taken'. Perhaps this is a simmiliar micro controller with updated firmware burned into its rom? It looks like the problem was a software bug after all.
My P991 exhibits screen zooming on power on. I will try this fix when I get the time. It concerns me that the 'X-ray controll standard' is mentioned, perhaps the ABL circuits limiting of average brightness was just an x-ray safety measure? Could changing the register values that controll the ABL make your monitor an x-ray hazzard? The ABL_SHUTDOWN register shuts the monitor off if the average brightness becomes momentarily too high (such as after switching from a black to white screen) before the ABL can act to dim it, I thought this had to do with protecting the monitor, not the user.
Good luck to everyone, hope RAYMAN's info gives you some insight. Thanks RAYMAN!
Dcnv is available for the Sony GDM FW900 as its not blanked out in windas
but when i change any of the values it does not seem to do anything.
I have tried selecting different areas of the screen(its displayed in sections/squares) but it does not seem to effect the red green of blue guns alignment.
Is there anyone who has used this and if so can you tell me how Dcnv functions.
Thanks
Start from the left, then move right. The changes on the far right are barely noticeable., changes on the left are a lot more drastic. I sugest displaying a crosshatch and running DAS on another computer.
When you start up DCNV it will start in the sugested starting location, each time you hit next it will move you through to the sugested ending position. If you do the whole screen in that order you should end up with perfect convergence.
Unfourtunately, making small changes to just the parts you want to fix doesn't always work out, as it then affects other places, so you may have to do the whole screen in the sugested order even to fix just a bad corner. (Depends on how bad the corner is really, if it's small you may be able to get away with fixing just it)
Whatever you do, make sure to converge on a crosshatch, and make sure your geometry and static convergence settings are done first (if you decide to change them at all). I had reset my dynamic convergence to the defaults (looks horrible) then did the geometry, then did static convergence (gave the center of the screen priority while ignoring the conerners/edges), then dynamic convergence. It took a long time, but gave better results compared to just tweaking the edges and corners.
It has links to download windas included so when you click all of the files to install windas are in the one place.
happy fixing
Nice site!
I'm curious about the fix where you press the ok button and the brightness goes up then down?
My P991 will do that (hold down the center button about 4 sec when there is no signal) however, it did not fix the brightness problem (if it did, any theories about how it did it?). I've heard that this is actually a clamp test for the ABL circuit. In my pre-tweaked monitor, it just slowly became very bright such that retrace lines were visible. After my early tweaks (having reset the EEPROM), the monitor would shutdown during this test, I had to raise my ABL_SHUTDOWN setting so that it would not shutdown during this test. Maybe on newer models the test will adjust something? Studying before and afters of the EEPROM settings will shed light on this.
Thanks for clarifying the DB9 DB25 confusion and specifying exactly what to look for in the case of several alternate methods. Using the cd audio cable was a good idea, much more realistic than cutting the floppy power connector off of an old power supply.
Has anyone found a cheaper pre-built cable? I remember that one off ebay was quite a deal but they sold out. Then there were international shipping concerns. If we could find a dealer in each continent maybe we could eliminate shipping problems. Or keep tabs on ebay merchants.
Now double click on install.exe to extract the windas files to a windas directory. A folder will be created if you have not already made one. Call it windas. (You must type in a folder location. For some reason pressing the Folder button caused many errors and the installer wouldn't install.)
Yay! So this is that mysterious problem that has been mentioned by several people. Can't find the .lzh file? Was that it?
If anyone still has a brightness problem, let me know: Is white text on black background easier than black text on white background?
Only advice I have is to mention that the fix works on ALL sony monitors with a microcontroller, Infact, I've had a sun monitor (GDM20e20) wich was too dim, raised the G2 and all was well.
The max232 can be replaced with cheaper chips, or chips that don't require external capacitors (as was used by other users). This will change pin specific instructions. Some have sold max232 compatibles as max232s, may not also be pin compatible.
Windas even works on some Sony LCD monitors, however, for some of the newer ones, monitor definition files are needed. (they can be created, a howto on this would be spectacular. Xweebie had added monitor definitions to the DOS das, so it has been done.).
I apologize if my own howto has not been answering demand. I know I promised an updated section on building a cable with pictures, I still plan to do it.
I couldn't really find any deals on breadboard.Tape and a butchered serial cable really seems to be the best way for people, but getting just the chip isn't so easy with minimum orders and shipping biases. It turns out that the pre-built cable on Ebay was the best bang for your buck. However, I'm sure that enough shopping around will reveal a cheap do-it-yourself deal that doesn't require soldering.
With monitors on craigslist going for 40$ the fix really has to be as cheap and simple as can be, so far, the majority of traffic to my own howto hasn't looked past the first page. I think that if we can make it plug and play, 15$ including shipping (regardless of location), doubleclick installation (or plain extraction) and clearly advertised from the first page of this thread (number one hit on google for 'monitor too brigh') we would actually turn things around. People would finally stop throwing these things out, and CRT would become a very viable alternative to LCD.
I somtimes wonder if Sony had sabotaged their CRTs to fail just as they started to mass produce LCDs, I doubt it, as they couldn't have planned on reaping all the LCD sales from constumers who had bought a failed Sony product.
Putting the download into one file probably helped a bunch... Looking back at my installation instructions is kind of embarassing. I had all the dlls in a zip on my site, but, I never linked to it. I wasn't brave enough to host the software, as the liscense on the signal generator software was actually present. Sony may be able to stop people from hosting it. Would you mind if I linked directly to your site? I understand if you refuse.
I'd sugest an already patched, clean copy of Windas with all DLLs be apropriately named and versioned, then put into your P2p share folders. Actually, make sure to use a multi-network P2P client (shareaza, mldonkey, etc.) in order to increase exposure. It's important there only be ONE file, if everyone makes one , which may be a little bit different, then people downloading one or the other may never find enough people online to finish the dowload. So for N different versions, we divide the possible number of people serving each version by N. Let's make sure that doesn't happen. If anyone is interested, let's plan it here, finalize it, then we can each verify we have the same MD4 hash when done.
So my howto isn't dead, I've just been dealing with school and other stuff.Summer time now. I will probably add sections on color calibration, CIE color, etc. CRT physics is a long way off, because, if I added it, it would be too flaky to be usefull, and probably be misleading. I guess I could atleast sketch how convergence and the aperture grille work, but I don't yet understand the mathematics and electronic implemation of the deflection and convergence circuits. There are also more annoyances on these monitors that take electronics level fixes, a howto that mentions how to understand the Sony service manuals would be invaluable.
Thanks Dorian! Let's see if we can make this fix mainstream!
This cable worked perfectly with my Dell P1110's with the config above.
I know this thread isnt really about GDM FW900's but i have got one from 2001 and the picture is not sharp anymore. I have adjusted the focus on the flyback and the convergence rings but the picture is still no where near as good as it should be. Have i just got a naff one or do these monitors have a shorter lifespan than others. My mates one is from 2001 and the picture is perfect????:confused2 :banghead:
Does anyone know where i can get a new picture tube for this monitor? uk? us? japan? I really love this monitor and it is a shame that it has lost its picture quality.
Cheers Dell sony for the info and again setting up that lifesaving websiterespect:
A million thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread... My Dell P991 looks as good as new (well... much better than when I bought it... was used for two years or so...) ... I built the cable using a MAX233 chip - very easy, no external capacitors required... had some problems initially, but everything worked OK after connecting together pins 4,6 and 8 on the DB-9 connector... (I had a wrong diagram showing pins [1,4,6] and [7,8] connected...)
My monitor was excessively bright, retrace lines all over... Had to lower G2 to 88 (from 104)... Also tried 80 and 84, but these values seemed to alter the gamma-curve of my monitor; black was black, white was white but dark shadows looked much too dark. Now I sit with brightness at 30, perfect picture... I also adjusted focus (on the FBT, with a plastic screwdriver).
Here's the corrected schematic for MAX233 cable:
Edit: I'm looking for a service manual / schematic of DELL P991...
I still can't believe all of the problems with these monitors. At the Kinko's I work at we have 2 P1110's, 1 e500, and 3 P1130's. I also own a P1110 ($25 at a thrift store) and a P991 (19" Dell from the same era as the P1110). Every one of these monitors I've used has been way too bright, many with scanlines showing. Out of all of these, my P1110 is actually one of the better ones.
I'm glad to finally find some solutions to possibly fix my 2 models. I'll be sure to post back with results.
Just bought a 2nd hand g500 and of course it has the over brightness problem. I have now successfully installed windas and got it up and running - now waiting on the cable from ebay to connect it (the $19 US dollar one).
My question is: If I adjust the G2 level down to fix the brightness issue, is there any risk that I could screw up some other aspect of my monitor, like the convergence or cause other possible unwanted side effects? Because at the moment I have none of the problems that others have mentioned like zooming in upon powering up or bad convergence, nor is there a noticably long warm up period. My only problem is the over brightness issue. I just want to know if adjusting the G2 value can cause other problems i.e "unwanted side effects"?
Thanks for your help guys, This thread has been very helpful.
My question is: If I adjust the G2 level down to fix the brightness issue, is there any risk that I could screw up some other aspect of my monitor, like the convergence or cause other possible unwanted side effects? Because at the moment I have none of the problems that others have mentioned like zooming in upon powering up or bad convergence, nor is there a noticably long warm up period. My only problem is the over brightness issue. I just want to know if adjusting the G2 value can cause other problems i.e "unwanted side effects"?
I performed the setting on mine with nice black levels as a result and the only anomoly I found was that if I turned the brightness up too much, whites turned a redish tint and if I turned the birghtness down too much, the whites became a bluish tint.
So I set the brightness level where I wanted it for true black and then set my color correction on my NVIDIA card to correct the problems with the gamma and color. You can also set the color values on the monitor menu to correct the color gamma after you achieve the black blacks you are looking for.
I didnt dare try to adjust the RGB with WinDas as I have no idea which setting to change to correct and blance the color, and I also dont have a meter for the adjustment so I just compensated via gamma software.
I've got a dell p1110 can you tell me the order on the pins for the programming connector on the monitor from top to bottom(which order are the pins in)
I've got a dell p1110 can you tell me the order on the pins for the programming connector on the monitor from top to bottom(which order are the pins in)
Thanks.
Top to bottom as you face the back of the monitor.
Geocities can be backed up sometimes. And I'm not coming close to going over the upload limit, so it's not something under my controll. Dorian's howto coverns the same topics, so try there too.
Adding a new monitor model is not covered in the howto (yet). There are chasis files and monitor definition files. The difference between those for different montitors may give you an idea of how to make your own files for a new monitor. I have no need to do this myself, so I honestly haven't tried very hard.
It has been done for the DOS DAS by Xweebie. See if he can give you some pointers.
I know this thread isnt really about GDM FW900's but i have got one from 2001 and the picture is not sharp anymore. I have adjusted the focus on the flyback and the convergence rings but the picture is still no where near as good as it should be. Have i just got a naff one or do these monitors have a shorter lifespan than others. My mates one is from 2001 and the picture is perfect????
A high G2 can cause 'blooming' which makes the focus look bad no matter how you adjust the flyback.
The only thing in the tube are the cathodes, the G1 which goes over them(in older designs or in a TV there is a G1 for each cathode), the G2 infront of the G1, then the G3 and maybe a G4 infront of the G2. The flyback adjusts the voltage on the G3/G4 grids. If you need to know for sure, check your service manual and look at the schematics that show the CRT socket, it should label the contacts to stuff inside the tube.
Some tubes are unlucky and have metal flakes in them that can cause shorts between grids, though I'd think that would cause worse problems. The GDM-F5xx series is famous for this, they can be fixed by running a high current through the short to destroy it.
No one seems to talk about their screens phosphors being damaged like with 'screen burn-in' by the excessive brightness. Maybe it can cause problems?
If you really want to replace the picture tube, talk to LAGRUNAUER, he has done this several times and obtained tubes from sereval places.
About service manuals, these are not too hard to find online, eservice.info has lots of them. I don't know if it is legal to host them or not, I'd think so, as I've seen manuals for other electronic items being hosted.Maybe we can collect a bunch of them on rapidshare.de or a simmiliar hosting site. Worst that happens is they get a request to take it down and they handle that stuff for you. The manuals are not terribly usefull, they don't detail register values, they're only really good for schematics.
I've updated the howto with links to the new eBay ttl<>rs232 cable! It is an excellent deal! Thanks to those who brought it to my attention. It's only $16 and shipping doesn't cost more than $4 no matter where you live.Shipping is lower in North America: $3 US, $2.5 Canada. Don't take my word for it, search for your own deals, you may find cheaper. Also reorganized and added info on obtaining the cable from other sources.
I've got a dell p1110 can you tell me the order on the pins for the programming connector on the monitor from top to bottom(which order are the pins in)
Thanks.
Look here,It is a picture of the ECS connector on the monitor side.
Great thread here I just purchased the data cable mainly for my cousins Sony G400,it has a very washed out picture even with the brightness on 0, I currently have it connected to my GDM-FW900, The black levels are very good but I have the brightness set at 18 ,It does have a washed out picture (grey'ish black levels) during warmup but then its fine after 20-25 minutes. would it be worth it to lower the G2 level or should I wait until I really need to adjust it? The G2 level is currently at 162 which seems high after reading through this thread.
Ok first off I apologise for the newbie mistake of not searching first,the pin out questions I asked were covered several times previously.I do however need some help with the adjustments and I haven't seen this addressed fully yet.I have managed to get windas up and running,got my cable built.I was able to save my original dat file.When I view my dat file in the windas viewer it shows g2 is 201.If I open the dat file in notepad I get a bunch of symbols and no text.I opened it up with edit.com as suggested in another post and the text displays.Where I think the g2 value is displayed shows 200,I changed it to 120,saved and loaded the dat finto the dell p1110.Nothing changed,still shows 201 for g2.What am I doing wrong?Did I change the wrong value?How do you know which value is g2 in the dat file so you can change it? All the sites I saw showed the g2 value in the second column and the the 13th row down.I attached my dat file for the guru's.Thanks everyone.
Never mind,I got it going thanks to the link posted in Dorians reply. http://people.aapt.net.au/~augen/windas%20short%20media%20forums%20monitor%20fix/
I must have been changing the wrong value,it was easier to pick out the g2 value using programers notepad.Original g2 was 201(brightness 0,contrast full up).New values g2 130 brightness 56,contrast 57.Wow what a difference.My neighbor bought this refurbished monitor from compusa auctions to put in an arcade cabinet I'm building for him.So much for the refurbishment process,looks fantastic now.Thanks everyone for all the tips.
Amazing thread! My only question is that I ordered the adaptor from here and I can't get it to connect. Supposedly you have to change the layout for it to connect, but what do I change it to and how? I'm using an FW900. Thanks!
Amazing thread! My only question is that I ordered the adaptor from here and I can't get it to connect. Supposedly you have to change the layout for it to connect, but what do I change it to and how? I'm using an FW900. Thanks!
Your current pins on the monitor side are of the connector is;
Signals on the 4-pin Connector
Green - GND
Yellow - RX (data from the PC)
Orange - TX (data to the PC)
Red - +5V
You need to change/reorder the pins to match the connection on your monitor. I don't know the pin layout for your monitor but perhaps if you searched this thread for your model number someone may have posted it.
Amazing thread! My only question is that I ordered the adaptor from here and I can't get it to connect. Supposedly you have to change the layout for it to connect, but what do I change it to and how? I'm using an FW900. Thanks!
The pins on my dell p1100 where you hook the cable to were marked right on the board next to the pins
Hi jason,
162 is a little high. I use a Nokia monitor test to get my brightness at just the right level. On my fw900 i set the g2 to around 125 so that the brightness is great at 50 on the osd.This means i have plenty of brightness or darkness to play with but every monitor ages slightly differently(depending on its usage)but i still think 162 is pretty high which would xplain why brightness is set low at 18. Save your current setting to disk then I would lower the G2 by 5 save(as a new file to keep your original settings separate) until your blacks are sorted at around 40-50 setting.
Anyone have a quick and dirty guide for geometry adjustment and convergence? The two don't appear to be related (at least not in a visually noticeable sense), so their adjustments are independent of eachother.
My problem is where to start- I mean, you have a hundred different options to adjust- pincushion, keystoning, and then the very fun vertical spacing settings. All of them are indeed dependent on eachother, and its taken me hours of back and forth changes to get anything close to reasonable.
I realize the geometric adjustments will never be 100% perfect for a variety of reasons, but I want to get as close as possible. It seems like I should be able to go in some kind of order to make this easier. What should I adjust first? What order should I go in? Is there any kind of test pattern that would make this easier? Any help would be appreciated
Well I must be lucky because the "color return" feature made a huge improvement, to the point where the monitor looks great on 40 brightness and 85 contrast(no video card tweaking). I may have to go and buy a few more of these...at $40 a pop its a great deal. If I have to mod the other ones its still a great purchase.
Hello to everyone. I'm new to this forum.
I must say this post is very very informative. I too suffer from the overly bright monitor. Quick story:
I have (had) a Sony HMD-A440 (19 inch Trinitron) that I bought in 2002; well I started having to tone down the brightness about a year ago. Didn't notice it till about 2 months ago; bottom line, it went belly up. It now comes on, gets very bright and shuts down. So now I'm without a monitor. I call a friend of mine who works in a computer office where they’re getting rid of "old" CRT monitors; he gives me 3, two Dell P991's and one Samsung 955DF. Wouldn't you know it...they all suffer from the overly bright syndrome. So now I’m frustrated! Well one of the dells work OK, though the black is a little washed out; same for the Samsung. Not wanting to buy a new CRT monitor yet, I do more research and find this forum. Bottom line…great savior. Not only do I have hopes of getting my Sony HMD-A440 working again, but it appears I have a fix for my P991 as well.
One thing of note: I can say the "color return" feature on the Sony P991 did wonders, got good blacks and color looks great after calibrating with my Monaco Colorimeter.
I almost did the resistor thing, but couldn’t find them here locally. If any one is still looking to replace the resistor on the P991, it’s R053, (22M Ohm); it’s on the circuit board surrounding the board that connects to the CRT tube.
After doing further research here I’m glad I didn’t, seeing how the color return feature worked for me!
I did install Windas, and am looking to order or build the cable so I can “properly” fix this monitor and my Sony HMD-A440.
Again, the “color return” feature “did work” on the P991...so far. Too bad the Sony HMD-A440 doesn't have this feature.
Great info! I can hold off on getting a Pro LCD, a little longer.
Comments
I have the same problem aon a couple of p1110 s. Its a real shame!
What about the 24" Sony GDM FW900 ? I cant remmember if it is G1W or G1.
Cheers,
Ross
According to the service manual for a sony GDM-FW900 which i have in pdf on my screen right now is
G1w. The G2 voltage is 522volts. good luck
Thanks for the info huggs2. Would it be possible to email me the pdf?
If you are kind enough to do this my email is rosstheboss818@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks again for your help.
Ross
Its on its way;)
cheers mate i really appreciate it!!!!!!!!:) :bigggrin:
but when i change any of the values it does not seem to do anything.
I have tried selecting different areas of the screen(its displayed in sections/squares) but it does not seem to effect the red green of blue guns alignment.
Update:
updated windas software and Dynamic convergeance functions.:celebrate
:ukflag:
Anyhow, RAYMAN has sent me memos from sony detailing the oficial fix and diagnosis for the over-brightness problem and the power-on screen zooming. Here they are:
CONFIDENTIAL
Last Update
3/6/2002 Event ID
E14653134 Model
CPDG500
Subject
Countermeasure to prevent background brightness intensifying
with
time
SYMPTOMS
The background brightness may intensify with the passage of
time,
not allowing the brightness control and color return function to make
adjustment.
RESOLUTION
The following measures for the applicable series of models that
are returned for repair.
1. ReplaceIC001 on the N board with the microcomputer
(CXD8744Q-0032 P/N 6-801-416-01) for which measures have been
taken.
2. Change the register set value.
1. When the power is turned on without changing the set value,
images will appear with abnormally high screen brightness.
2. Change the register value shown below and conduct service
save.
OSD_ENILARGE_LINES = 128
V_BLK_WIDTH_MIN_FV = 90
V_BLK_WIDTH_MAX_FV = 10
Please use the latest software to change the monitor register
data.
WinDAS :1.420.117
DAS :DASJB1.0.8
3. White balance control:
The control method is the same as that for sets in which
conventional microcomputers are mounted. It will take several seconds
longer for detection of the standard state of color return, but the
process and control commands is the same.
4. Control of deflecting system (screen distortion)
Control of the deflection system is necessary after replacement
of microcomputers.
MORE INFORMATION
o
Unit/Model Details
o
Links
Unit/Model Detail
Unit(s): SN Start SN End Factory Family Name Product
Category
CPDG500 2,700,001 2,707,200 INY G1 C/P
CONFIDENTIAL
Last Update
3/6/2002 Event ID
E14757495 Model
CPDG500, GDM5402, GDMF500R
Subject
Screen zooming when power is turned on
SYMPTOMS
The ABL circuit is activated by the initial drift of the CRT
when
the power is turned on, possibly causing screen zooming.
RESOLUTION
Change R931 on the D Board in the above-mentioned sets from 1.2k
to 1.0K.
Ref Description Part Number
R931 Metal Film Chip resistor 1.0K 1/10W 1-216-651-11
Be sure to check and adjust auto white balance if necessary in
order to correct the change in luminance due to long-time use. This
change will not cause any problem about the X-ray control standard.
MORE INFORMATION
o
Unit/Model Details
o
Parts
o
Links
Unit/Model Detail
Unit(s): SN Start SN End Factory Family Name Product
Category
CPDG500 ALL ALL INY G1 C/P
GDM5402 ALL ALL C/P
GDMF500R ALL ALL INY G1 C/P
Parts
Part Number Reference Number Description Symptom Code
Section
Code PCB Reference Defect Code Repair Code
1-216-651-11 R931 Metal Film Chip resistor 1.0K 1/10W 1336
VPA D A I
Interesting that the over-brightness is cured by replacing IC1001 with ' a micro-computer for which measures have been taken'. Perhaps this is a simmiliar micro controller with updated firmware burned into its rom? It looks like the problem was a software bug after all.
My P991 exhibits screen zooming on power on. I will try this fix when I get the time. It concerns me that the 'X-ray controll standard' is mentioned, perhaps the ABL circuits limiting of average brightness was just an x-ray safety measure? Could changing the register values that controll the ABL make your monitor an x-ray hazzard? The ABL_SHUTDOWN register shuts the monitor off if the average brightness becomes momentarily too high (such as after switching from a black to white screen) before the ABL can act to dim it, I thought this had to do with protecting the monitor, not the user.
Good luck to everyone, hope RAYMAN's info gives you some insight. Thanks RAYMAN!
Start from the left, then move right. The changes on the far right are barely noticeable., changes on the left are a lot more drastic. I sugest displaying a crosshatch and running DAS on another computer.
When you start up DCNV it will start in the sugested starting location, each time you hit next it will move you through to the sugested ending position. If you do the whole screen in that order you should end up with perfect convergence.
Unfourtunately, making small changes to just the parts you want to fix doesn't always work out, as it then affects other places, so you may have to do the whole screen in the sugested order even to fix just a bad corner. (Depends on how bad the corner is really, if it's small you may be able to get away with fixing just it)
Whatever you do, make sure to converge on a crosshatch, and make sure your geometry and static convergence settings are done first (if you decide to change them at all). I had reset my dynamic convergence to the defaults (looks horrible) then did the geometry, then did static convergence (gave the center of the screen priority while ignoring the conerners/edges), then dynamic convergence. It took a long time, but gave better results compared to just tweaking the edges and corners.
Good luck.
http://people.aapt.net.au/~augen/windas%20short%20media%20forums%20monitor%20fix/
It has links to download windas included so when you click all of the files to install windas are in the one place.
happy fixing
Nice site!
I'm curious about the fix where you press the ok button and the brightness goes up then down?
My P991 will do that (hold down the center button about 4 sec when there is no signal) however, it did not fix the brightness problem (if it did, any theories about how it did it?). I've heard that this is actually a clamp test for the ABL circuit. In my pre-tweaked monitor, it just slowly became very bright such that retrace lines were visible. After my early tweaks (having reset the EEPROM), the monitor would shutdown during this test, I had to raise my ABL_SHUTDOWN setting so that it would not shutdown during this test. Maybe on newer models the test will adjust something? Studying before and afters of the EEPROM settings will shed light on this.
Thanks for clarifying the DB9 DB25 confusion and specifying exactly what to look for in the case of several alternate methods. Using the cd audio cable was a good idea, much more realistic than cutting the floppy power connector off of an old power supply.
Has anyone found a cheaper pre-built cable? I remember that one off ebay was quite a deal but they sold out. Then there were international shipping concerns. If we could find a dealer in each continent maybe we could eliminate shipping problems. Or keep tabs on ebay merchants.
Yay! So this is that mysterious problem that has been mentioned by several people. Can't find the .lzh file? Was that it?
If anyone still has a brightness problem, let me know: Is white text on black background easier than black text on white background?
Only advice I have is to mention that the fix works on ALL sony monitors with a microcontroller, Infact, I've had a sun monitor (GDM20e20) wich was too dim, raised the G2 and all was well.
The max232 can be replaced with cheaper chips, or chips that don't require external capacitors (as was used by other users). This will change pin specific instructions. Some have sold max232 compatibles as max232s, may not also be pin compatible.
Windas even works on some Sony LCD monitors, however, for some of the newer ones, monitor definition files are needed. (they can be created, a howto on this would be spectacular. Xweebie had added monitor definitions to the DOS das, so it has been done.).
I apologize if my own howto has not been answering demand. I know I promised an updated section on building a cable with pictures, I still plan to do it.
I couldn't really find any deals on breadboard.Tape and a butchered serial cable really seems to be the best way for people, but getting just the chip isn't so easy with minimum orders and shipping biases. It turns out that the pre-built cable on Ebay was the best bang for your buck. However, I'm sure that enough shopping around will reveal a cheap do-it-yourself deal that doesn't require soldering.
With monitors on craigslist going for 40$ the fix really has to be as cheap and simple as can be, so far, the majority of traffic to my own howto hasn't looked past the first page. I think that if we can make it plug and play, 15$ including shipping (regardless of location), doubleclick installation (or plain extraction) and clearly advertised from the first page of this thread (number one hit on google for 'monitor too brigh') we would actually turn things around. People would finally stop throwing these things out, and CRT would become a very viable alternative to LCD.
I somtimes wonder if Sony had sabotaged their CRTs to fail just as they started to mass produce LCDs, I doubt it, as they couldn't have planned on reaping all the LCD sales from constumers who had bought a failed Sony product.
Putting the download into one file probably helped a bunch... Looking back at my installation instructions is kind of embarassing. I had all the dlls in a zip on my site, but, I never linked to it. I wasn't brave enough to host the software, as the liscense on the signal generator software was actually present. Sony may be able to stop people from hosting it. Would you mind if I linked directly to your site? I understand if you refuse.
I'd sugest an already patched, clean copy of Windas with all DLLs be apropriately named and versioned, then put into your P2p share folders. Actually, make sure to use a multi-network P2P client (shareaza, mldonkey, etc.) in order to increase exposure. It's important there only be ONE file, if everyone makes one , which may be a little bit different, then people downloading one or the other may never find enough people online to finish the dowload. So for N different versions, we divide the possible number of people serving each version by N. Let's make sure that doesn't happen. If anyone is interested, let's plan it here, finalize it, then we can each verify we have the same MD4 hash when done.
My howto still exists,
http://www.geocities.com/gregua/windas/
So my howto isn't dead, I've just been dealing with school and other stuff.Summer time now. I will probably add sections on color calibration, CIE color, etc. CRT physics is a long way off, because, if I added it, it would be too flaky to be usefull, and probably be misleading. I guess I could atleast sketch how convergence and the aperture grille work, but I don't yet understand the mathematics and electronic implemation of the deflection and convergence circuits. There are also more annoyances on these monitors that take electronics level fixes, a howto that mentions how to understand the Sony service manuals would be invaluable.
http://www.digitalnemesis.com/products/rlc1/
They can make the cable up to your own specs.
config is(from pin 1) GND/5+/RX/TX
This cable worked perfectly with my Dell P1110's with the config above.
I know this thread isnt really about GDM FW900's but i have got one from 2001 and the picture is not sharp anymore. I have adjusted the focus on the flyback and the convergence rings but the picture is still no where near as good as it should be. Have i just got a naff one or do these monitors have a shorter lifespan than others. My mates one is from 2001 and the picture is perfect????:confused2
Does anyone know where i can get a new picture tube for this monitor? uk? us? japan? I really love this monitor and it is a shame that it has lost its picture quality.
Cheers Dell sony for the info and again setting up that lifesaving website
Ross
My monitor was excessively bright, retrace lines all over... Had to lower G2 to 88 (from 104)... Also tried 80 and 84, but these values seemed to alter the gamma-curve of my monitor; black was black, white was white but dark shadows looked much too dark. Now I sit with brightness at 30, perfect picture... I also adjusted focus (on the FBT, with a plastic screwdriver).
Here's the corrected schematic for MAX233 cable:
Edit: I'm looking for a service manual / schematic of DELL P991...
I'm glad to finally find some solutions to possibly fix my 2 models. I'll be sure to post back with results.
Thanks to everyone for their contributions!
Just bought a 2nd hand g500 and of course it has the over brightness problem. I have now successfully installed windas and got it up and running - now waiting on the cable from ebay to connect it (the $19 US dollar one).
My question is: If I adjust the G2 level down to fix the brightness issue, is there any risk that I could screw up some other aspect of my monitor, like the convergence or cause other possible unwanted side effects? Because at the moment I have none of the problems that others have mentioned like zooming in upon powering up or bad convergence, nor is there a noticably long warm up period. My only problem is the over brightness issue. I just want to know if adjusting the G2 value can cause other problems i.e "unwanted side effects"?
Thanks for your help guys, This thread has been very helpful.
Anyone can tell me how to add a new model monitor into the windas?
I performed the setting on mine with nice black levels as a result and the only anomoly I found was that if I turned the brightness up too much, whites turned a redish tint and if I turned the birghtness down too much, the whites became a bluish tint.
So I set the brightness level where I wanted it for true black and then set my color correction on my NVIDIA card to correct the problems with the gamma and color. You can also set the color values on the monitor menu to correct the color gamma after you achieve the black blacks you are looking for.
I didnt dare try to adjust the RGB with WinDas as I have no idea which setting to change to correct and blance the color, and I also dont have a meter for the adjustment so I just compensated via gamma software.
db9(computer)
chip
monitor
pin 2(rx)
pin 13
pin 3(tx)
pin 14
pin 15
gnd
pin 16
+5v
pin 11
tx
pin 12
rx
I've got a dell p1110 can you tell me the order on the pins for the programming connector on the monitor from top to bottom(which order are the pins in)
Thanks.
Top to bottom as you face the back of the monitor.
GND
VCC (+5)
TXD
RXD .
Geocities can be backed up sometimes. And I'm not coming close to going over the upload limit, so it's not something under my controll. Dorian's howto coverns the same topics, so try there too.
Adding a new monitor model is not covered in the howto (yet). There are chasis files and monitor definition files. The difference between those for different montitors may give you an idea of how to make your own files for a new monitor. I have no need to do this myself, so I honestly haven't tried very hard.
It has been done for the DOS DAS by Xweebie. See if he can give you some pointers.
A high G2 can cause 'blooming' which makes the focus look bad no matter how you adjust the flyback.
The only thing in the tube are the cathodes, the G1 which goes over them(in older designs or in a TV there is a G1 for each cathode), the G2 infront of the G1, then the G3 and maybe a G4 infront of the G2. The flyback adjusts the voltage on the G3/G4 grids. If you need to know for sure, check your service manual and look at the schematics that show the CRT socket, it should label the contacts to stuff inside the tube.
Some tubes are unlucky and have metal flakes in them that can cause shorts between grids, though I'd think that would cause worse problems. The GDM-F5xx series is famous for this, they can be fixed by running a high current through the short to destroy it.
No one seems to talk about their screens phosphors being damaged like with 'screen burn-in' by the excessive brightness. Maybe it can cause problems?
If you really want to replace the picture tube, talk to LAGRUNAUER, he has done this several times and obtained tubes from sereval places.
About service manuals, these are not too hard to find online, eservice.info has lots of them. I don't know if it is legal to host them or not, I'd think so, as I've seen manuals for other electronic items being hosted.Maybe we can collect a bunch of them on rapidshare.de or a simmiliar hosting site. Worst that happens is they get a request to take it down and they handle that stuff for you. The manuals are not terribly usefull, they don't detail register values, they're only really good for schematics.
I've updated the howto with links to the new eBay ttl<>rs232 cable! It is an excellent deal! Thanks to those who brought it to my attention. It's only $16 and shipping doesn't cost more than $4 no matter where you live.Shipping is lower in North America: $3 US, $2.5 Canada. Don't take my word for it, search for your own deals, you may find cheaper. Also reorganized and added info on obtaining the cable from other sources.
Check it out!
Also visit Dorian's new howto. In adition to the windas fix, Dorian explains how the brightness problem can be fixed using the monitors OSD controlls. Use windas only if this fix fails.
http://people.aapt.net.au/~augen/windas%20short%20media%20forums%20monitor%20fix/
Thanks a lot
Heres a pic:
http://people.aapt.net.au/~augen/windas%20short%20media%20forums%20monitor%20fix/
I must have been changing the wrong value,it was easier to pick out the g2 value using programers notepad.Original g2 was 201(brightness 0,contrast full up).New values g2 130 brightness 56,contrast 57.Wow what a difference.My neighbor bought this refurbished monitor from compusa auctions to put in an arcade cabinet I'm building for him.So much for the refurbishment process,looks fantastic now.Thanks everyone for all the tips.
Your current pins on the monitor side are of the connector is;
Signals on the 4-pin Connector
Green - GND
Yellow - RX (data from the PC)
Orange - TX (data to the PC)
Red - +5V
You need to change/reorder the pins to match the connection on your monitor. I don't know the pin layout for your monitor but perhaps if you searched this thread for your model number someone may have posted it.
The pins on my dell p1100 where you hook the cable to were marked right on the board next to the pins
Thanks! I stuck a shiny butterknife in there and read off the layout from the board itself.
FW900 Owners - Here is the correct pin layout!
GND
+5
RX
TX
162 is a little high. I use a Nokia monitor test to get my brightness at just the right level. On my fw900 i set the g2 to around 125 so that the brightness is great at 50 on the osd.This means i have plenty of brightness or darkness to play with but every monitor ages slightly differently(depending on its usage)but i still think 162 is pretty high which would xplain why brightness is set low at 18. Save your current setting to disk then I would lower the G2 by 5 save(as a new file to keep your original settings separate) until your blacks are sorted at around 40-50 setting.
Hope that helps.
My problem is where to start- I mean, you have a hundred different options to adjust- pincushion, keystoning, and then the very fun vertical spacing settings. All of them are indeed dependent on eachother, and its taken me hours of back and forth changes to get anything close to reasonable.
I realize the geometric adjustments will never be 100% perfect for a variety of reasons, but I want to get as close as possible. It seems like I should be able to go in some kind of order to make this easier. What should I adjust first? What order should I go in? Is there any kind of test pattern that would make this easier? Any help would be appreciated
Hello to everyone. I'm new to this forum.
I must say this post is very very informative. I too suffer from the overly bright monitor. Quick story:
I have (had) a Sony HMD-A440 (19 inch Trinitron) that I bought in 2002; well I started having to tone down the brightness about a year ago. Didn't notice it till about 2 months ago; bottom line, it went belly up. It now comes on, gets very bright and shuts down. So now I'm without a monitor. I call a friend of mine who works in a computer office where they’re getting rid of "old" CRT monitors; he gives me 3, two Dell P991's and one Samsung 955DF. Wouldn't you know it...they all suffer from the overly bright syndrome. So now I’m frustrated! Well one of the dells work OK, though the black is a little washed out; same for the Samsung. Not wanting to buy a new CRT monitor yet, I do more research and find this forum. Bottom line…great savior. Not only do I have hopes of getting my Sony HMD-A440 working again, but it appears I have a fix for my P991 as well.
One thing of note: I can say the "color return" feature on the Sony P991 did wonders, got good blacks and color looks great after calibrating with my Monaco Colorimeter.
I almost did the resistor thing, but couldn’t find them here locally. If any one is still looking to replace the resistor on the P991, it’s R053, (22M Ohm); it’s on the circuit board surrounding the board that connects to the CRT tube.
After doing further research here I’m glad I didn’t, seeing how the color return feature worked for me!
I did install Windas, and am looking to order or build the cable so I can “properly” fix this monitor and my Sony HMD-A440.
Again, the “color return” feature “did work” on the P991...so far. Too bad the Sony HMD-A440 doesn't have this feature.
Great info! I can hold off on getting a Pro LCD, a little longer.
Thanks.