Re: [NTLK] Backlight in MP120

From: Frank Gruendel (newtontalk_at_pda-soft.de)
Date: Sun Oct 17 2004 - 04:34:39 PDT


>> If you want, I can modify your 120 in a way that it has
>> backlight. You would loose the pen slot, though, because
>> this is where the additional hardware would go. That way
>> you'd at least have a MP 120 with backlight and French
>> version 1.3.

> Care to share with us SenSe Frank this awesome modification - even
> though I might never try this I'd be interested in knowing what
> changes were done to accomplish this feat!

Dr. Newton aka. David Watson once built a machine based on a 120
that had backlight. For that machine there were 120 displays that
had backlight. I doubt that he put in the backlights himself, I'm
almost sure that he had the manufacturer of the LCDs put them in
for him. I came into posession of some of these displays some time
ago.

If you have such a display (or if you have a MP130 display which
also has backlight), it is possible to take the Newton apart,
remove a bit of plastic from the middle case part to make room for
the backlight wires, and put the new display in.
Since the 120 doesn't have the circuitry for driving a backlight
on the mainboard, an additional small hardware board must be
installed. This board goes into the pen slot. It ends in a button
that is accessible from the outside. Pressing the button will turn
the backlight on for a couple of seconds. This time can't be changed
by software or through the Newton's preferences.

After that you have a MP120 with backlight, but without a pen slot.

Frank

-- Newton Software and Hardware at http://www.pda-soft.de

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