As you might have read (Firmware hacking / custom modding - #19 by Sjef), I’ve made great progress in my quest to enable 4k native mode. I’ve managed to find which LCD commands are being sent to the panel. However it’s hard to make sense out of the configuration data without a datasheet.
So, in order to get a datasheet for the LCD panel, we first need to know: which panel is used ? I was hoping that someone who opened up his panel could see if there was some info on the LCD board like a type number ?
There seems to be a detection against opening up though and it seems it’s being activated by the light sensor, so if you open up the headset, DO NOT attach it to your computer. Only attach it to your PC again if you’ve closed your headset correctly in such a way that no light can get inside.
BTW I was just watching that Pimax disassemble video again and after removing the cover, it shows on the back of the LCD panel: “SN-4k”. In the FW code it says “Sonic 4k”. So this seems to be a big hint …
Sjefdeklerk, you are so great ~!
I wanted to let you know about the LCD panel, but my information was not accurate.
I look forward to good results in the future.
Go for it~!
BTW, This is my pimaxservice.log.
12:03:48 T:1964 LOGNOTICE: (hmd info): LCD_type: 0, hd_mode: 5, display_mode: 1
Interesting, so you seem to have a different display panel than I have, although it might just be a different revision, not sure yet …
Anyway, about the datasheet: I don’t think we even need the datasheet for the panel itself. What we really need is the datasheet for the display chip on the Panel. On the Sharp panel is a ‘COG’, which stands for “Chip on Glass”, which is the chip driving the panel. Ours is manufactured by “Novatek” and the type is: NT35950.
I’ve already mailed Novatech for the datasheet, not sure they’ll mail it though …
That’s the 04, not the 05. I’m not sure how similar they are. BTW, the 04 is only capable of 60 hz it says in the documentation ! If this is true for the 05 too, then this whole project of getting 4k30hz running is doomed in the first place.
It would explain why Pimax hasn’t released 4k@30 hz…
BTW on forums I also saw talk about how this (04) panel only has 4 single channel lanes which supposedly is not enough for 4k 60hz (and compression is needed). That would explain why Pimax has put hdmi 1.x connectors in it in the first place. If the 05 panel also has only single channel lanes, then the only way to get 4@60hz would be via compression. So even if they had put DP connectors, the panel itself wouldn’t be able to support it.
But who knows, maybe the 05 panel is an improvement …
its is a starting company after all (atleast on VR) and if they want support from the community
then they more likely to support us. Besides there working on there new brainchild the 8k project anyway.
There are at least 2 different type of display panels used.
I own 2 pimax 4k headset serial numers starts 102xxx and 100xxx they clearly have different panels in them.
sn102xxx have maybe little bit more screendoor effect but have no ghosting at all.
sn100xxx have less screendoor effect but have awfull ghosting.
also i can clearly see different kind of pixel patterns with both headsets.
here are picture from back of sn102xxx headset does it look same in other headsets? could this be oled pimax 4k?
i will not disassemble other of my headset (i try to sell it)
i did buy both of them from gearbest
at lest this youtube video shows different internals.
Boxes seem to be different too. different fonts and sn100xxx have red color and sn102xxx have blue color.
Man ! I really wonder what panel this is. Maybe it even supports 4k without DSC compression ? The only reason that the Sharp panel doesn’t support it, is that that panel only supporst 2 data lanes. Maybe this new panel actually has 4 data lanes, which would mean that it would support 4k without compression ! So it could be enabled right away.