OS-Based Horizontal Video Mirroring OR Yoke Flipping an LCD

[Necro]

I may have just hit a serious problem point with my cab.

After delaying work on the cab for awhile, I spent a good 10 hours on it this weekend.  I've gotten so far that the CP and configuring the computer is all that's left.

So, I installed Win7 today.  That went well.

Now...I need a method to flip the video output horizontally because it's a mirror cab.

Few issues:
- I'm using an LCD monitor (no yoke flipping as far as I know)
- Just doing MAME won't work as I need it to work for frontends and other emulators as well.

:/  I'm seriously upset as I didn't think this would actually be an issue.  I'm shocked I can't even find a JOKE program that does this... :/

[MonMotha]

Many modern video cards can do this in hardware, so it's just a matter of if the drivers expose it.  On Linux, "xrandr -x" will reflect in x dimension, and "xrandr -y" will do so in the y dimension.  I think the ATI drivers may expose this via catalyst control center on Windows.  I don't remember if the Intel drivers expose it or not, but I do believe the hardware is capable.  I don't think nvidia's drivers expose it at all on Windows.

Now, why are you using an LCD with a mirror?  The point of the mirror was usually to get the video "in the back" of the cabinet which was not normally possible due to the depth of a CRT monitor, but that's not a concern with an LCD.

[Necro]

Ok, couple of more details:
- GeForce 6600 (so an Nvidia card)
- LCD monitor is being used because it's a OmegaRace cabinet and I didn't want to completely rip it apart.  Part of what I was going for was the cab looking EXACTLY the same as the original.  Which it does - and it looks damn cool with the mirror due to the background,etc.
- I'm using Windows (Win7 specifically).  Switching to Linux kind of kills the ability to use Hyperspin or other frontends on it - so, it's a solution that doesn't alleviate the issue.

And, as far as I can find, there's no mirror option in the Nvidia drivers.  

I'm happy hacking something together or using experimental/hacked drivers...I just can't find them.

...this sucks on so many levels

[Thenasty]

how about another mirror 

[Necro]

Actually thought of that, but it would require a complete rip apart and redo of the cab I think.

[Necro]

ok...so...anyone know if it's feasible to flip an LCD then?  Maybe take out the screen, flip it around, and put  back together in front of the backlight?  (Or am I insane)

[SavannahLion]

Might help if we knew what LCD monitor you're using. I found this post http://forum.doityourself.com/computers/302762-how-reverse-scan-lcd-monitor.html that offers up a clue on how it might be done. The reference link is dead, so looking up any other monitor pinouts is out.

All that remains is a registry tweak I guess. But the registry entries are a bit of a mystery and I don't want to be fussing with the video settings anyways.

[SavannahLion]

I decided to quote the pertinent sections of the postings here for archival purposes. The original thread on the doityourself.com forums is from 2007 and may likely not survive as long as this site will. If anything comes of this, the information will prove invaluable to anyone looking to do the same as the OP. So here goes.

How to reverse the scan on an LCD monitor?
Hello to all:

I need to reverse the scan (left to right) on an LCD monitor so I can use it for a teleprompter into a beam splitter glass.

I've done this with CRT's by simply reversing the leads to the horizontal coil on the neck of the tube. Not sure of the principle with LCD's however. Can anyone shed some light on how I might go about this or even if it can be done?

The unit I have uses a Sharp LQ10D367 10.4" LCD panel as the base. The single ribbon cable is so thin I'm not sure I can even work with it.

The alternative is to do something between the computer's SVGA output and the monitor??

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Pin 30 (of 31) of that module's Hirose connector is the R/L scan direction. If it's left unconnected it's L->R. Unfortunately I can't find any specific info on whether it goes high or low to reverse the scan.

OTOH, you could just flip the text using PhotoShop or another graphics app ...

-- RJ

Rick:

Wow! This is fantastic. If this works it will be terrific. Can I ask where you found
the connector info and how I may get a copy of it?

Thanks,
George

I searched for the module number and the word "reverse." Came up with this:

http://www.schijf.org/wiki/index.php/TFT_pinout_reference

Hit the link for Sharp, NEC - 31-pin Hirose DF9 version 1

I hit a dead-end after that trying to find out whether hi or low reverses the scan.

Seems I lucked out as there are not too many listed that offer the reverse L to R and U and D.

My CCFL backlight seems to be burned out so I need to replace this first and then I'll try the pins. Perhaps grounding Pin 30 through a 1K resistor or to B+ will determine which way will reverse the image.

George

That's all of the pertinent posts. The original poster never came back to notify anyone if this idea worked or was ever viable for him.

[Necro]

The monitor is an HP LP2065.  I've looked up DVI pinouts and VGA pinouts...my little bit of knowledge is just enough to make me dangerous and not able to determine how the heck to flip something just via the cable...

I'll take a look at that post and see if it's something I can use.  

Edit: Looked...just need to find some schematics for the LP2065 to determine if it has a similar connector that I can do a pseudo flip through.  I need to determine what TFT module it uses...which is turning out to be hard.

Also: http://web.archive.org/web/20080527212204/http://www.schijf.org/wiki/index.php/TFT_pinout_reference

That's the reference for the pinouts.  Unless it's one specific module, it's not going to work it seems.