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5140 Video

LCD Display
   Backlit LCD
   IBM 5144 PC Monochrome Display Model 1
   IBM 5145 PC Convertible Color Display Model 1
CRT Display Adapter
   CRT Video Port Pinouts

LCD Display

Each system unit is furnished with a detachable LCD. When latched closed, it forms the cover for the keyboard and diskette drives. The LCD is attached via a "quick disconnect" connector, so that the 5140 System Unit may be placed below an optional 5144 PC Convertible Mono Display or 5145 Color Display. 80x25 text, 640x200 and 320x200 graphics 16K RAM display buffer, 8KB LCD font RAM.

From Don Hills:
   The original systems had a first generation LCD display- my first machine came with one. These were grey and low contrast. They were upgraded with a supertwist LCD (sort of green/navy blue) that had much better contrast. My first machine came bundled with this upgrade which I performed myself. I only ever saw one system with the backlit LCD. It used an electroluminescent panel rather than a fluorescent tube and diffuser. They fell out of favour because they couldn't produce as much light as a tube.

The backlit LCD was OK in very poor light conditions, but in normal room lighting or sunlight you were much better off with the standard supertwist. I used to sit up in bed writing code (DOS device drivers in ASM, for example) with my machine. I had a small lamp mounted on the wall behind me that shone at just the right angle for good visibility. The display characters were large, and it was easy to load different fonts into the font memory until you found one you liked.

Backlit LCD

Backlit LCD has internal illumination, which means it can be used in low-light conditions. Battery life is dependent on the setting of the brightness control. The Backlit LCD works on all PC Convertible models by plugging it into the LCD assembly, in place of the current screen, and installing the new power supply. A new power supply is packaged with the Backlit LCD Option Kit.

Use of the Backlit LCD with the illumination feature turned all the way up could shorten battery life to between 2.5 and 4.0 hours. The brighter the intensity the shorter the battery life. Battery life is also dependent on the application used and the amount of I/O activity. The Light Panel for the Backlit LCD has in excess of 1500 hours of illumination time. Replacement light panels (81X8536) are available as a maintenance part.

IBM 5144 PC Monochrome Display Model 1

The 5144 Display is a 9-inch (measured diagonally) composite video display that is attached to the system unit via the CRT Display Adapter. The display stand, an AC power cord, and a signal cable that connects the 5144 to the CRT Display Adapter are provided with the 5144. Character box size is 8 x 8 pels. Text modes are 80 x 25 and 40 x 25. Graphics modes are 640 x 200 and 320 x 200.

IBM 5145 PC Convertible Color Display Model 1

The 5145 is a 13-inch (measured diagonally) color display that displays in medium resolution (320 x 200). It is designed for those customers whose application requirements will be satisfied by that resolution. It is attached to the system unit via the CRT Display Adapter (#4020). The display stand, an AC power cord, and a signal cable that connects the 5145 to the CRT Display Adapter are provided with the 5145. The display includes a speaker for external audio output. The 5145 will display business and graphics data in 40 x 25 character mode. In 80 x 25 character mode, the 5145 can be used for word processing and text applications.

CRT Display Adapter (#4020)

Resolution: 640 x 200 or 320 x 200
Colors: 16

Port Pinouts

Direct Drive Interface (2x9-pin)

Looking at the side of the adapter, pin 1 is at the bottom. Column A is on the left, B on the right.

RF Modulator Interface (6-pin)

Pin 1 at bottom, column A on left.

Composite Video Interface

Interior of RCA jack Peak-to-peak amplitude (approx. 1.5 V)
Exterior of RCA jack is Chassis Ground

It allows the user the option of connecting a separate CRT display to the system. The optional 5144 PC Convertible Monochrome Display or 5145 PC Convertible Color Display may be attached via this adapter. Through the use of optional connectors or cables, the CRT Display Adapter (#4020) also allows the attachment of the IBM 4863 PCjr Color Display, IBM 5153 Color Display, or a standard television set.

Don Hills saves my bacon by saying:
   The RCA jack is composite video out. The 18 pin header is the CGA output for the monitors (mono and colour) sold specifically for the Convertible. They came with an optional stand that held the monitor just above the system unit, in the airspace created by unclipping the LCD display after opening the unit. The connector is the same as that used on the PCjr. There is an optional 6 inch long cable with a plug to fit the header on one end and a 9 pin CGA connector on the other for connecting a standard CGA monitor.

The 5-pin header is for an optional RF modulator, again like the PCjr one, for displaying the composite video on a standard TV set without video in socket.