Repair & Schematics
Game Gear

CleanScreen V3.0 Game Gear (VA4 VA5)

12min

There are several variants of the VA4 and VA5 boards and the CleanScreen supports them all. Make sure you purchase specifically the VA4/5 CleanScreen board. Although it is physically the same, the code on it is different than the VA0/1/2.

Installation

The VA4/5 variant of the CleanScreen requires the following pins soldering:

Soldering Pads
Soldering Pads
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Secure the IPS screen and CleanScreen in place with 4 screws.

Document image
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IPS In Place
IPS In Place
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5V & Ground

Remove L4 to disable the backlight high voltage circuit.

Next up solder the 5V and Ground wires from the points shown to the CleanScreen pads.

5V and ground
5V and ground
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At this point you can flick the Backlight Test and Screen Test switches to on and turn on the console.

Backlight Screen Test
Backlight Screen Test
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You should see a white screen (or flickering between colors), with a border of red, green blue and magenta, as well as the menu popping up after a few seconds.

Test screen
Test screen
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This means the CleanScreen is good and the IPS is good, so you can carry on with the install.

Remember to turn off the screen test and backlight test switches once done, otherwise all you will see is the debug screen.

Start & 2

Next up, solder the Start (M16) and 2 (M15) wires.

Start and 2
Start and 2
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Backlight Brightness

Before soldering to the backlight wheel (optional, you could just leave the Backlight Test switch on), you will need to cut the traces on the top and bottom sides so the middle 2 pins do not connect to anything.

Wheel Top Cut
Wheel Top Cut
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Wheel Bottom Cuts
Wheel Bottom Cuts
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Now solder to the middle two pins, over to the CleanScreen WH+ and WH- pins. There is no orientation they can go on either way around.

Backlight Wheel Wiring
Backlight Wheel Wiring
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At this point you can test your backlight wheel. Turn off the Backlight Test switch, but turn on the Screen Test switch.

Now turn the console on and use the backlight wheel. It should show the test screen again, and the contrast wheel adjusts the brightness.

Left

Solder Left to M12.

Left Pad
Left Pad
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Now we can test the OSD and buttons work. Enable the Screen Test switch, turn on the console and this time the OSD should not pop up.

Using the buttons on the CleanScreen you can hold Start, Left and 2 to open the menu. Pressing Start goes in and out of the menus, and pressing Left and 2 (Right) moves left and right.

SMS

Now solder the SMS pin. This is pin 44 of the cartridge slot.

SMS Pin
SMS Pin
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HSYNC

Next is the HSYNC pin. This goes to T13.

HSYNC
HSYNC
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VSYNC, INV, MCLK & Data Pins (VA5)

This step differs between VA4 and VA5. For the VA5 all the remaining pads are on the resistor array below the ASIC.

NOTE: The black rectangles are just carbon resistors, if you damage the resistor pack just remove it and replace them with 470R resistors across where the black rectangles would connect.

VA5 Pinout
VA5 Pinout
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VSYNC, INV, MCLK & Data Pins (VA4)

For the VA4 there are solder pads on passive components below the ASIC:

VA4 Pinout
VA4 Pinout
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Usage & Testing

TODO