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[Please note that this post has been rebuilt from a corrupted database.]

Sorry for reviving a dead topic, but I guess this beats creating another one altogether.

Are there any good sources for getting EL backlights for use to backlight a calc, or am I just better off using a piece of plastic with some LED's?

The EL backlight method is decent, but the problem is you usually have the power pins sticking out the side of the calculator. Check this out for more info; you can see pictures too. Oh, and it isn't portable, since you need a 120V power source for most commercially-available EL panels.

http://www.michaelv.org/programs/calcs/calc_mods.php

Ah, that could be a problem. So, I should just use led's a sheet of plastic, and some reflective surface?

For the sheet of plastic, I scored and snapped a piece of clear CD case, then reused the original reflective sheet. You could also use foil instead.

Aw crap... I just bricked my 83+SE. I cut the ribbon on the top side of the LCD while prying the thing off of the PCB. Is there any hope, or do I have a $130 paperweight?

My guess is you just earned your self a $130 paperweight! Congratz mate! =P hehe
One reason why I don't do stuff with my PSP, I'd of bought meself a $250 paperweight, hence why I keep up-to-date with current firmwares, screw Homebrew, fornow, until it becomes stable, or supported by Sony.

Off topic... There may be no chance you can recover your Calc. But you say 'cut.' there could be a possibility that if you replace, or soder the wire back together it may just work. Unless it did a number on the RAM. The key reason why the PSP bricks, is because (1) it ain't ment to handle what people are doing [exploiting] and (2) the exploits pry holes in the OS leaving gaps and code comes to unexpected stops or unexpected redirecting filling RAM fast (like leaving a loop with a goto, after a while you'll get a ERR:RAM on the Calc, but in the PSP case, Bricking). It wouldn't be malicious, though there are viruses for the PSP nowadays.

Since none of what I said above about the PSP can happen to the calc on a major basis, it should be recoverable. Sure there are exploits for a calc, but since you didn't run an exploit the code should be 100% ok. Just replace/soder the wire and off you go. You just thought you bricked it cause the screen won't come on. You know you bricked a PSP when the power light comes on, but nothin shows up, no start screen/sound, nothin. I've seen videos. Wouldn't dare risk my PSP, though I have run Homebrew, its worth passing up... trust meh.

(off topic post in ways... sorry bout that)
Perposly bolded words so you get the point... =P

edited.

I hate to do this to you some18 (well, not really ), but your post is entirely incorrect about the PSP and bricking.

Bricking is not caused by poorly written code, infinite loops, or anything like that. Bricking is caused when the boot code is corrupted or erased somehow. A PSP is bricked the same way that a calculator or PC is bricked, with faulty boot up code. In the PC this would be the BIOS (which isn't really a problem since most motherboards have removable BIOS chips, but still). On the PSP, a brick can only occur if flash0 gets corrupted (settings and such are saved to flash1)

A PSP running Sony's official firmware is MUCH EASIER to brick than a PSP running a custom firmware. The reason is simple. If a file in the official sony PSP gets corrupted, even a non-essential one like the pretty interface, your PSP is as good as bricked. With a custom firmware, you can boot into a recovery mode and restore a partial-brick like the situation above. HOWEVER, with normal homebrew (say, 99% of them), there is no writing to the flash whatsoever and it is therefore all but impossible for them to brick your PSP.

Either way, with a custom firmware or the official sony firmware, EXPLOITS CANNOT CAUSE BRICKS. They do not tamper with the code, they work the same way that exploits on the PC work. It is not the security hole that causes your PC to crash, but whatever program is then run after the hole is exploited. It is the same with a PSP. The code does not inherently become any less stable after using an exploit.

Likewise, filling up the RAM cannot cause a brick, nor can any RAM corruption at all. If the PSP gets stuck in an infinite loop or if the RAM gets corrupted, simple power it off and restart it, no big deal (hold the power switch for ~10 seconds if it is hard-locked)

And homebrew is not worth passing up. I wouldn't give up my custom firmware running PSP any day, even if you offered me two new PSPs for it. Perhaps you just didn't get to experience all that the homebrew scene has to offer (such as the aforementioned custom firmware that allows me to do things like run ISOs straight from the XMB and change the CPU frequency on the fly, or use the built in sony PSone emulator without a PS3)

EDIT: And incase you are wondering, I have successfully downgraded several PSPs and upgraded them to various versions of a custom firmware with no problems. Most bricking occurs either for people testing beta downgrades (who probably have modchips that prevent permanent bricking anyway), or from people who don't read the README and don't follow the directions correctly

Its fine. I knew I had some stuff wrong, I just forgot to say so, heh . I read that somewhere and thats what I remember, note how I say 'somewhere' =/

Now, I wouldn't say entirely inncorrect...


Similar to what I meant when I said - nvm, I erased that part cause it didn't make sense to me >.<


3.10 oe-a or b?


No... not really... I played Pong and thats about it...
I can't say 'at least I have a web browser' or 'I can play demos' because you can as well with the custom firmware.


So have I... but just downgrading em so my friends could play Homebrew. They were like 'Holy shit! Is that okay?!' when they saw the letters in the top-left part of the screen

This post didn't make me look any better on my previous post... curses... oh well, we're all bound to be wrong at points in our lives. Just gotta except it =P

I'm running 3.03 OE-C still

And you couldn't say "at least I have a web browser" back when 1.5 was the only homebrew-capable firmware because the much superior and faster links has been ported to the PSP, and it renders pages in a fraction of the time that the official sony web browser does.

Some of the things homebrew lets you do....
* Watch unconverted videos (MPEG, AVI, WMV, etc...)
* Watch full-resolution videos (PMP-AVC FTW!)
* Download while surfing the web (links and background downloads! w00t)
* Stream videos and music across wifi from a PC (any format, converted on-the-fly)
* Set up a wireless FTP or HTTP server (I kid you not)
* Use your computers hard drive as a memory stick (either wirelessly or via USB)
* Emulation (NES, SNES, GBA, N64, PSX, MAME, Commador64, to name a few)
* Manage the files on your memory stick (file browser w/ cut, copy, paste, and delete capabilities)
* Customize any aspect of the XMB (from the wave in the background to the font and icon set - its all changeable)
* Remove that annoying sony gameboot (both on system startup and change the one that plays when launching a game)
* Various homebrew games (from pong to doom and quake)
* Change the CPU frequency (on boot and on-the-fly) from the default of 222mhz all the way up to 333mhz (not overclocking)
* Use plugins for custom firmwares to get gameshark-style cheats

Bold - Known
Italicized - Unknown
Underline - Usefulness!

Meh, i've always been over-cautions though. even with all the advantages and stuff listed above, even if I could play PS3 games on the PSP (heh, yeah right, but lets just say) I wouldn't go to homebrew. I'm Over-cautious.

We got off subject XD

EDIT: Didn't people exploit the browser in Wipeout? I was tempted to try, but I didn't want to spend 50$ bucks to buy a game just for the web browser. When I got to play they game, the speed realism just wasn't good enough, felt like I was moving sooooo slow even when the speedomete said I was going at 180+mph. Same with Ridge Racer... =/ So I never bought those games...

There was an "exploit" for ridge racer, but it was just to USE a web browser. Remember that 1.0 and 1.5 didn't have a web browser option in the XMB, thats the only reason that you would use wipeout "exploit"

If you have any new firmware (you say you keep yours up to do, so I'll assume its the newest), then you already have the web browser (and flash ), then there is no reason to get wipeout just for that (as its the same browser)

Oh, and there might soon be a JVM for the PSP, go homebrew!

I try to keep it upto date. I won't update if the're just adding 'Support for PLAYSTATION®Network titles has been expanded' like in 3.11 (I have 3.10) I'm not updating. I don't have a PS3, yet. The last 2 updates has only added 'Support for PLAYSTATION®Network titles has been expanded' oh but wait, sony added '[Reset Game] has been added as an option to the menu for PLAYSTATION®Network titles' Like I'll update. I hear thats a nifty feature because before you had to quit the game

Just think, you could have that exact same firmware, but with a bunch of tweaks and additions, and homebrew support, along with improved stability (thanks to the 1.5 recovery mode that allows you to avoid a partial-bricking)

Once you go custom, you won't go back, its totally worth it

@admin: Split please?

I'm having second guesses about updating now. What if a game requires FW3.10+ and you have 3.10 OE-A/B or 3.03 OE-C? Gotta get all zeh facts =P (So far as of 2/9/07, all games that come with a Update via UMD, are 2.82. So... yeah...

Split... we're got way off topic. XD

Offtopic to the extreme (whit.... nevermind)

No... I meant "brick" as in that it doesn't work. The screen and the control board are severed. It's a plastic ribbon-type cable with no visible wires. I guess I'm just screwed, then, unless anybody with any knowledge of non-PSP stuff can put in some info.

I should post with caution here:
But I do know what 'bricked' means, and how would your calc be bricked if all you cut was a 'plastic ribbon-type cable with no visible wires' as you state. There's wires in there, microscopic more than likely. Plastic can't transmit electrical signals as far as my knowledge goes.

I'd see what the ribbon connects to (if it plugs/snaps in or is glued in) and try to remove it, if you wan't to risk it, and replace it.

Good luck on what ever you choose

you know what would be really awsome. if you could add a potentiometer to it to control how much the light actually lit up.

You're all wrong in relating the calculator issue to the PSP issue (and could someone please split off a PSP topic?). Anyway, you cut the TOP cable? That one's just about impossible to do anything about, so yeah, you've got yourself a paperweight. Your only hope is if you have a second calculator that doesn't work yet has an intact LCD. The mobo<-->LCD PCB cable is fixable up to a point, but the LCD PCB <--> PCB cable is just about unfixable unless you feel like finding a site that sells new ribbon cable and the proper solvent to remove the old one. And don't worry, I too "bricked" my only TI-83+SE by cutting through one of the cables ('twas the other one, though). I eventually fixed it with tin foil, tape, and glue.