Hey everyone, it's Colin. How's it going?
If you're even somewhat familiar with the Game Boy mod scene,
you've probably heard of backlighting and biverting the display.
Backlighting is straightforward enough in the Game Boy Pocket,
but the bivert options for that console
are a bit on the messy side.
Back in 2016. I made a video all about doing this mod to the Pocket.
Be sure to check it out if you're not up to speed
on what this is all about.
There was no bivert solution specific to that console at the time
so it took a bit of wiring creativity to pull it off.
But now there's a much cleaner solution in the form of a dedicated bivert module
from Hand-Held Legend, who kindly sent one my way to check out.
I took the Pocket from that video and removed the old bivert chip,
but left the backlight panel in place because it was still good.
The new module consists of a hex inverter to flip the colors of the screen
and when combined with a backlight, it gives better contrast.
It's necessary to cut two traces on the Game Boy circuit board
between the screen connector and processor.
I used a craft knife and work slowly to keep from damaging the other traces nearby.
The module sits in that area and draws power from the capacitor just to the left.
It's able to connect to the pins of the processor and screen connector
through these little notches called castellations.
They allow solder to flow over the edge of the board
and form a good connection with the pins below.
I set the module into place and made sure it lined up correctly.
From the right, it's the fifth and six pins on the screen connector
and the fourth and fifth pins on the chip.
I put a piece of Kapton tape across the bottom to hold it in place
then applied some solder flux.
I think flux is absolutely necessary here
because without it, you're likely to solder pins together accidentally.
Then I put a small amount of solder on each castellation
and it wick down to form a joint with the pin under it.
I pulled off the tape and repeated the same steps with the two processor pins
then the surface mount capacitor that's used for power.
And that's it.
Assuming the screens already backlit, just rotate the polarizer 90 degrees
to counter the effects of the inverted pixels,
then button the console back up.
Overall, this module works well and definitely makes for a clean installation.
The biggest drawback is that because of how small it is,
I don't think it's really suitable for those who are just starting out with soldering.
The tolerances are tight and not very forgiving
but at the same time, it's quite reasonably priced at $5 US.
So if you're planning on backlighting your own Game Boy Pocket
and have confidence in wielding a soldering iron,
one of these modules could make for a clean and effective upgrade.
Thanks, of course goes to Hand-Held Legend for sending me a module
for this episode and I'll include a link if you want to check them out.
If you like the video, I'd appreciate a thumbs up and be sure to subscribe.
You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @ThisDoesNotComp
and as always, thanks for watching.