DIY 5k Monitor - success :-)

[Edge]

I’ve gambled on my PSU’s MTBF rating of 400,000 hours and sealed it in….

Seems like a solid choice of power supply.

As I weigh up my options for my Late-2015 (B1) model with the inexpensive JRY board (which has now arrived) the choices I'm looking at to supply reliable 12v/24V power are as follows;

1) The MeanWell above
2) The exisiting iMac 12V supply. Has anyone tried and proved it does not activate when wired directly to the driver board?
3) A Mac mini supply (I have an 85W model lying around, but the 150W version may be necessary? Apple power supplies seem very well made and are efficiently packed/small in size.)
4) A 24v/12V slim LED driver at an appropriate wattage (or higher, to allow for overspeccing on the label)
5) An external 12V power pack (the simplest and safest option)

I also wondered whether a high quality USB-PD supply could provide the appropriate voltage, but it seems beyond my technical (in)abilities.

My first conversion will be an experiment, and I have a second 2017 model waiting (bought cheap with a small chip on the edge of the display glass) to improve upon the first attempt.

I wonder if anyone has quantified what the required (12-24V) amps/voltages for the various board models are (without backlight booster, speakers, USB-PD or other USB functions)? AliExpress is not a reliable source for that info.

 

[thewilewizzard]

Summary on different board capabilities:

R1811 (with fan):
1x USB-C + charging: 5k 10 bit (DSC, full RGB)
1x DP 1.4: 5k 10 Bit (DSC, full RGB)
no standby issues reported

R9A18 (no fan):
no USB-C
2x DP 1.2/1.4:
Dual DP 1.2 5k 10 bit (full RGB);
single DP 1.4 5k 10bit (not full RGB) - no DSC

T18 (no fan):
1xUSB-C + charging: 5k 10 bit (DSC)
1x DP 1.4: 5k 10 Bit (DSC)
2x HDMI2.0

T19 (no fan):
no USB-C
2x HDMI 2.1 5k 10 bit (DSC)
2x DP 1.4: 5k 10 Bit (DSC)

JRY (no fan):
USB-C + charging: 5k 8 bit
1x DP 1.4: 5k 8bit
1x HDMI 2.0: 4k 60Hz

U49 (no fan)
USB-C + charging 65w
single DP 1.4: 5K 8-bit
3 x HDMI 2.0: 4k 60Hz

----
connections:

USBC: Displayport Alternate Mode + Audio + USB 2.0 + Charging

USB-C to USB-C Cable (min Thunderbolt3 cable, not Apple charging cable)
USB-C to DP1.4 via cable possible (DP alternate mode)
HDMI2.1: cable with HDMI 2.1 port (min MacbookPro M2 Pro)
USB-C to HDMI 2.1 (only with active adapter dock)

If I missed something or did mistake please correct me.

Greetings to all from Russia. I recently made one monitor from a 5k matrix and a case with glass from imac 2010 on an r1811 board and I want to repeat it again. Could you please send links to each product (I can't find most of the products on aliexpress) and tell me who owns these boards, what problems they have and the best price/quality ratio. The last monitor cost me about 40,000 rubles, which is very expensive for me (5000 matrix, 2000 housing, 1000 speakers, 2500 glass, 1000 oca film flushing, 25000 r1811, and various consumables (fishing line, sealant, delivery, bracket, etc.). I would like to reduce this cost without visible losses.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Quote: @Regulus67
"Most likely the DisplayPort versions causing this on the iMac Pro. DP 1.2?"

Yes. I think when Apple quote the external monitor resolution as supporting up to 5K, they are referring to the first generation of LG 5K displays, which (only) supports two streams of DP 1.2 video data over a single TB 3 cable.
Like the R9A18 card, but that uses two cables.

The R1811 card can have its firmware flashed (on a Win PC with DP) to support two DP 1.2 streams.
I'm not sure if this disables single DP 1.4 use.
You would have to ask StoneTaskin, who sell the firmware downgrade.

 

[Izzie24]

@PaulD-UK and others that may be interested to be powering 🔋 the R1811 with 12 volt. 😃

I have the seller also asked the question, the support reply this 👇

The R1811 model can indeed be powered using a 12V 4A power supply in low-power mode, and this configuration is fully supported. However, considering the LCD screens you mentioned, namely QQ1 and QQ2, we strongly recommend using a 24V 5A power supply for enhanced performance and stability.

The utilization of a 24V 5A power supply offers several advantages, including improved power efficiency and product stability. This ensures that the product operates smoothly without encountering any unforeseen issues. It's worth mentioning that the power supply units we provide have undergone rigorous testing and have received positive feedback from users.

I trust that this information addresses your concerns and provides clarity regarding the optimal power supply configuration for your requirements.

So I just decided to order a 24 volt from Mean Well and install it. Then I know for sure whether it is right, after all, it must also be safe and reliable.

But that's my idea, i test it first with the power supply that includes in the package.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Quote: @Edge
"I also wondered whether a high quality USB-PD supply could provide the appropriate voltage"

No, a USB-C PD power supply only works with another input if that input has a PD controller chip.
The R1811 has a USB-C PD output chip, to power a laptop.

Regarding power requirements, the only posts with actual figures are:
@i486dx2-66 posted this about his T18 board's power draw:
"...the provided no-name 19V 4.74A power adapter. This is with the T18, on a 2014 5K iMac panel, with no supplementary backlight driver board.

Power adapter alone (unplugged from the T18): <1W
Display connected but in sleep (no backlight, red LED lit on the button board): <1W
Display on (0% backlight brightness, which is still "on" and visible, just low): 25W
Display on (50% backlight brightness, the default value): 72W
Display on (100% backlight brightness): 82W"

"I've been doing a test with another power supply - a 19V 3.42A (65W) LITE-ON, which is the closest I had with the same connector... Display backlight brightness is set to 35% so that power consumption is 55W... Power supply itself is only moderately warm..."

Later @i486dx2-66 added:
"I ran another set of tests with a beefy 19.5V 9.23A (180W) Dell power supply (DA180PM111, with a modified cord for a 2.5x5.5mm plug).

The <1W measurements all bumped up to 2W. But the other three measurements (0%, 50%, and 100% backlight) dropped down to 23W, 64W, and 72W!! So aside from the higher standby consumption, there are some significant efficiency differences between these supplies."

My R1811's figures (with my 24v Cincon 93% efficiency PSU which is hardly warm at all) with an M1 Mac mini 16/512:
Sleep power use: < 1w.
During the minute before Sleep kicks in, whilst the shut-down timer is displayed: 9w.
Backlight 0%: 22.5w.
Backlight 50%: 33w.
Backlight 100%: 52.5w.
Backlight 62%: 37w. This is the setting that I use for reading web pages or writing text.
Viewing Hollywood movies (shot in HDR) requires more backlight, but text pages are much too bright for me at more than ~ 65%.
The inbuilt audio chip adds up to another 7w power consumption if I turn the iMac Pro speakers which I have fitted up to screen-rattling level!!!

So the T18 seems to use at least ~50% more power than the R1811 on these figures, more with an inefficient PSU.

EDIT: This may not be accurate.
See a further post by @i486dx2-66

“So for normal usage, the power usage for my (T18) combo really is at or close to that 22.5W.”

 

[vakman]

Hi All,

Just wanted to share my positive experience converting a 2017 i5 27” 5k iMac to a monitor.

Used the following configuration:
- Open it up using the roller
- Gutted everything
- Used the R1811 v4 board
- Disconnected the R1811 v4 fan
- Used the inbuilt USB-C port
- Used 2 x DP1.4 right angle male to female adapters into the chassis back
- Used 1 x Thunderbolt 4 right angle male to female adapters into the chassis back
- Used PSU as supplied with the R1811 board
- Installed a 4K Webcam as per original
location. Powered by USB-A onto the board
- Connected both DP1.4 + Thunderbolt 4 ports on the R1811 board to back of iMac chassis using male to female cables into 90 degree adapters
everything held firm with Hot glue
- Used counter weights in the chassis to provide right level of balance for the tilt stand
- wired up the original power switch to the power cable on the board
- No need to externalise the board control panel, since I have a remote
- Used a Dremmel tool to make the old chassis back ports larger to accomodate the 3 x right angle port adapters- Hot glued in and trim to pass the cosmetic test.
- Panel fixed using aftermarket iMac adhesive strips
- Unused port holes on back of iMac infilled with hot glue and then trimmed flush
- Used hot glue everywhere else to hold things down
- Wired R1811 onboard PSU to iMac power cable harness in back inside part and used the grounding wire to chassis frame inside
- Used original iMac power cable. Nothing else showing from behind. Looks completely stock. no other wires or boards hanging out or externalised
- NOT using the two DisplayPort 1.4 at the moment. There for future proofing, just in case
- Connected the monitor to my new Mac Studio M2 using a Thunderbolt 4 cable (Thunderbolt 4 on both ends)

The other reason to use USB-C is that the webcam camera will be picked up automatically. Using DisplayPort 1.4 will only provide video and one will need to run a separate USB cable to outside the chassis and take up another USB port on your connecting computer.

Tested this configuration without the R1811 fan for two weeks in the hot Australian summer at native 5k resolution scaled for normal size.

End Result: Perfection.

A new 27” Mac Studio Display in Australia runs about $2,500 AUD. So, definitely worth the effort

 

[fhall1]

As a data point for this long PSU discussion, this is the power supply I ordered for use on my T18 build. I don't use the USB-C on the driver board at all - so no power delivery going on. I have it mounted outside the iMac case and it gets barely warmer than ambient with the monitor in use.

ALITOVE 24V 6A Power Supply Adapter Converter 100-240V AC to DC 24 Volt 144W 6Amp 5.5A 5A 4A Transformer with 5.5x2.5mm Plug for LED Strip Light CCTV Camera LCD Monitor Massage Chair

ALITOVE 24V 6A Power Supply Adapter Converter 100-240V AC to DC 24 Volt 144W 6Amp 5.5A 5A 4A Transformer with 5.5x2.5mm Plug for LED Strip Light CCTV Camera LCD Monitor Massage Chair

www.amazon.com

 

[Patrick874]

Hello, I'm Patrick from Germany.
I built a monitor from an iMac late 2015 (LM270QQ1 SD B1) with the R1811 driver board.
Unfortunately I only get 1920*1080@60Hz displayed.
I connected the board to my iMac 2017 5k with a Thunderbolt 3 cable and also with a DisplayPort 1.4 cable.
The board's firmware is V03.
both cables are 40gbps. I tested different cables. I only ever get a maximum of 1080P.

 

[Regulus67]

Hello Patrick874.
edited: If I only read your post and understood what your issue was first. I see my reply was wrong.
If you look at PaulD-UK post 1,128. It might be a firmware issue?
As I could not get it at full resolution either, when I tested on my iMac Pro, also from 2017.

But you should get higher resolution than 1080p, for sure.
Is the DP1.4 cable rated 8k? It needs to be

 

[PaulD-UK]

I think you may only get 4K from a 2017 Intel Mac over a single cable, and in HiDPI Retina mode that will display at 1920x1080.

But the R1811 should show the full 4K resolution as the output parameters.
And so should System Settings>General>About-Displays (in Ventura, presumably in the equivalent About This Mac in Monterey).
So I don't know what's going on. Sorry.

EDIT: Since your iMac is only DP 1.2, maybe setting the R1811 to DP 1.2 instead of 1.4 would make a difference?

 

[Regulus67]

PaulD-UK is right. You can check with the remote control what resolution the R1811 has.
Just press the menu buttom on the remote, and it will display the resolution in a pop-up window.
If R1811 reports the resolution at 3840 x2160 @ 60Hz. It is correct. Then adjust the Mac Display setting to More Space
System Preferences>Displays in Monterey

 

[fhall1]

I think you may only get 4K from a 2017 Intel Mac over a single cable, and in HiDPI Retina mode that will display at 1920x1080.

But the R1811 should show the full 4K resolution as the output parameters.
And so should System Settings>General>About-Displays (in Ventura, presumably in the equivalent About This Mac in Monterey).
So I don't know what's going on. Sorry.

Not sure what you mean there? My panel from a 2015 iMac will do 5K with one cable (TB to DP1.4). The 2017's should be able to do it too?

 

[PaulD-UK]

The panel (any year) + R1811 can only do 5K over a single cable with a DP 1.4 graphics card in the Mac.
Apple only moved from DP 1.2 to DP 1.4 in 2018 (iMac 2019).
And to get 5K RGB instead of YUV the graphics card has to support DSC, which came even later.

 

[Regulus67]

Not sure what you mean there? My panel from a 2015 iMac will do 5K with one cable (TB to DP1.4). The 2017's should be able to do it too?

The panels in the 5k DIY displays works with 5k.
But the issue here is the Mac or iMac. Whatever we use as output, has to meet the requirement PaulD-UK mentions.

Example: my iMac Pro (2017) can not deliver 5k resolution to the R1811, even if the R1811 is capable.
That is why my DIY 5k with R1811 displays 3840 x2160 @ 60Hz.
On my Mac Pro 2019, the same DIY 5k gives the full 5k resolution without any issue. See?
I tested it.

This is fascinating stuff. I haven't felt like this since the early 2000s , learning about hardware. 🥰

 

[Edge]

Quote: @Edge
"I also wondered whether a high quality USB-PD supply could provide the appropriate voltage"

No, a USB-C PD power supply only works with another input if that input has a PD controller chip.
The R1811 has a USB-C PD output chip, to power a laptop.

I should have added in my original post that I had just found this marvellous circuit board.

PD Buddy Sink

USB Power Delivery is a cool standard for getting lots of power—up to 100 W—from a USB Type-C port. Being an open standard for supplying enough power to charge phones, laptops, and just about anything else under the sun, USB PD is poised to greatly reduce the amount of e-waste produced worldwide...

hackaday.io

It takes USB-PD input and can be manually programmed to output one of a range of outputs. The project creator believes it is fully compliant with the USB-PD spec.

To the best of my knowledge, the PD Buddy Sink is compliant with the USB Power Delivery Specification, Revision 2.0, Version 1.3, and with Revision 3.0, Version 1.1.

I had been trying to figure out how to achieve a reliable supply of power with my existing equipment, and this seemed interesting, especially where 20V @ 5A is one of the available outputs.

The same creator also linked to this USB-C splitter board they designed which I believe splits USB 2.0 data from the USB-PD power.

https://hackaday.io/project/26263-pd-buddy-wye

And thankyou @PaulD-UK for the power figures, very useful indeed. If anyone else is in a position to measure the power consumption of their 27" 5K conversion, with board type and other internal power usage, that'd be very helpful too.

 

[Rembihnutur]

Hey @Aiwi

I got the same camera as you and I want to mount it in the same way as you.

How did you fit the original camera holder on the new camera? It's slightly bigger.
What did you cut off from the black camera holder?

 

[Patrick874]

Hello Patrick874.
edited: If I only read your post and understood what your issue was first. I see my reply was wrong.
If you look at PaulD-UK post 1,128. It might be a firmware issue?
As I could not get it at full resolution either, when I tested on my iMac Pro, also from 2017.

But you should get higher resolution than 1080p, for sure.
Is the DP1.4 cable rated 8k? It needs to be

 

[Patrick874]

Hello Patrick874.
edited: If I only read your post and understood what your issue was first. I see my reply was wrong.
If you look at PaulD-UK post 1,128. It might be a firmware issue?
As I could not get it at full resolution either, when I tested on my iMac Pro, also from 2017.

But you should get higher resolution than 1080p, for sure.
Is the DP1.4 cable rated 8k? It needs to be

Hi, the DisplayPort cable is designed for 8K according to the Amazon description. And my USB-C cable is also a Thunderbolt 3 cable with 40gbps.

 

[PaulD-UK]

"my USB-C cable is also a Thunderbolt 3 cable with 40gbps."

Unless its certified to meet the standards for video transmission, it may not work.
Certification costs, so only reputable brands can be relied on.
Many cheaper cables only have the internal connections for the 40GB/s data transmission.
Alt-mode DP video transmission can be not, partially (2-channel) or fully (4-channel) implemented.

The most common reasons for problems in this long thread are cable problems.

Yours may be OK, or not.

 

[Aiwi]

Hey @Aiwi

I got the same camera as you and I want to mount it in the same way as you.

How did you fit the original camera holder on the new camera? It's slightly bigger.
What did you cut off from the black camera holder?

I did not take any pictures while cutting the part, so bear with me:

- I cut away the four tabs to the left and right. This makes the new module fit along the x- and y- axis.
- I filed down the flat area until i reached the original circular surface on which the original camera rests. This gives enough room in the z-axis.

I've marked the surface which was ground down with pink on the attached picture.

 

[Patrick874]

"my USB-C cable is also a Thunderbolt 3 cable with 40gbps."

Unless its certified to meet the standards for video transmission, it may not work.
Certification costs, so only reputable brands can be relied on.
Many cheaper cables only have the internal connections for the 40GB/s data transmission.
Alt-mode DP video transmission can be not, partially (2-channel) or fully (4-channel) implemented.

The most common reasons for problems in this long thread are cable problems.

Yours may be OK, or not.

I used an Intel certified brand new Thunderbolt 3 cable from a reputable company. This cable cost $60.
So i thik the cable is OK.
I think it's due to old firmware because I bought the board in 2021 and only recently started the DIY project.
There is also no Dual DP in the menu.
If I connect both DisplayPort cables to a Thunderbolt 3 to 2x DP adapter, two more monitors are displayed. Only max. 1080P each

 

[PaulD-UK]

Here’s a source of firmware updates:

DIY 5K universal R1811 V.4 Driver Board USB-C Freesync EDP DP1.4 Comp

For creating a good consumer experience, please confirm your LCD/LED Screen part number before ordering. If you're a wholesale/distributor in your country please contact us for a better price and the best logistic options...

stonetaskin.com

The DP1.2 option does dual-DP I presume. It needs Windows on a PC with DP to do the update.
V1.4 will be the latest version.
My R1811 bought in May 2023 is v04, but l think there is a newer version, but that may only for the new HDMI V2.1 version of the R1811.

 

[wolfcry911]

Nearing completion but I have two issues. First is how to control the audio when selecting the display speakers. Second, there's a strange problem when I do select the display as the sound output. Video and audio play fast and skip. Happens with both video and audio files. Anyone encounter this?

Edit/ this is through the USB-C port on a R1811 v4 card

 

[PaulD-UK]

I use Monitor Control (from Github) to control the R1811's brightness/volume
Other utilities and apps can do this.

"Video and audio play fast and skip."

There's lots of similar cases if you search with Google. Mainly with MacBooks...
The only fix I've read involves quitting the CoreAudio process in Activity Monitor.
Or this:
"I’ve found that the only work around is to first connect the MacBook to the external monitor/tv..., set the external sound to the monitor/tv, then restart the computer. This will fix the issue. "

Do you have any third-party software running?

 

[wolfcry911]

Thanks, I'll get Monitor Control and give it a try. No third party software running. I'll try the restart fix soon and report back.