Converting a G4 Mac into stand alone monitor or converting to a PC?

[joeventura]

If you've ever opened up a G4 (Lamp/sunflower) to make it a standalone monitor or swap the guts, you know that sending a signal to the built in screen is a nightmare, you have to unplug the TMDS plug from the motherboard, chop it off and breakout all the wires!

What if you could just unplug the wire, plug it into a board with the same female plug like on the motherboard and have it come out HDMI on the other side?

In a few weeks I will have 7-10 prototype boards as pictured in the attachment, I will try and breath life into my G4 and share my findings. Anyone in the midst of a project like this who would like to help, let me know.

 

[Doq]

I swear I've seen something like this before....

edit
Oh yeah, Juicy Crumb. Sean of Action Retro fame made a video on their forthcoming iMac G4 conversion board. Though it is very expensive and also right now only for the 20" model. If you can put together a cheaper and more compatible solution there'd likely be many people (and many broken iMacs) for it.

 

[joeventura]

I swear I've seen something like this before....

edit
Oh yeah, Juicy Crumb. Sean of Action Retro fame made a video on their forthcoming iMac G4 conversion board. Though it is very expensive and also right now only for the 20" model. If you can put together a cheaper and more compatible solution there'd likely be many people (and many broken iMacs) for it.

Yes thats $252 and is for one (the rarest) G4.
My plan is to offer this for likely a tenth of that cost.
My product and subsequent ones will facilitate swapping out the guts for an Apple mini or a PC NUC
A Makers tool vs a single purpose item.

 

[Intell]

I may be interested in purchasing a few of those boards

 

[joeventura]

I may be interested in purchasing a few of those boards

I will keep you posted

 

[GeoCentral]

Add me to the list.

 

[joeventura]

Add me to the list.

HDMI to TMDS Breakout board by Stillwell Labs on Tindie

Breakout board for HDMI to TMDS

www.tindie.com

 

[swamprock]

I'm on board. I've got two broken 1.25ghz 17" iMacs.

 

[joeventura]

I have just a couple left in stock, more will be delivered in about three weeks.

 

[Adamscomputerrepair]

I'll buy one. Let me know. I have a dead 15" that could use some love.

 

[ToniCH]

I have just a couple left in stock, more will be delivered in about three weeks.

Hi, I sent you a question couple of days ago in your Tindie-page about shipping matters regarding this board.

 

[noblesoul117]

HDMI to TMDS Breakout board by Stillwell Labs on Tindie

Breakout board for HDMI to TMDS

www.tindie.com

This looks great, but only covers the screen, right?

Any idea how you’d approach USB ports? And is something like the original audio port / speakers a lost cause?

The Juicy Crumb board’s price is a bit obscene, but I guess what it has going for it is that it addresses all the ports.

Edit: Duh, we’d just use the USB ports on the machine we connect to HDMI. But still a sad loss for the speakers.

 

[joeventura]

Hi, I sent you a question couple of days ago in your Tindie-page about shipping matters regarding this board.

Yes only shipping US currently sorry

 

[evallgar]

Hi there!

Do you still have a breakout board available? I just checked and the tindie link says out of stock. Im also outside US so very few chances for me to get one.

If theres no possibility of purchasing in the near days, is there a way for you to share with me the pin pitch between the 21 pins? Is it a 0.5mm pitch? I measured them from pin 1 to pin 21 and they are around 12.7mm (which rounds about 0.5mm pitch)

My connector just felt out of the motherboard, and im unsure which is the right pin pitch in order for me to create / buy a breakout board. I dont want to rip off the foxconn connector

TIA
Regards,
Ernesto