# Restoring Oculus Rift DK1 [Dumpster Diver special]



## silentbogo (Sep 23, 2015)

Yesterday I came across a heavily used and completely non-working Oculus Rift DK1 and while I was only trying to brag about my find, at least one person showed eager interest in repair process, so you can thank 
*dorsetknob *for the appearance of this thread.

You can use this article as a guide for Oculus Rift DK1 cable repair/replacement, but be warned that there will be a lot more stuff to that. 

I am an electronics hobbyist and sometimes I buy broken stuff for fun or for my personal projects and I had an idea of making my own VR headset at least for a year now. Fortunately I got lucky and found this piece of shit equipment for a low price of $60. Considering that the LCD screen and all PCBs are intact - I already got more than my money's worth.


  

*EVALUATING THE DAMAGE*

Long story short: this VR headset was working just fine for almost a year at the small attraction inside a shopping mall, but one day the owner decided to take a 2 day vacation and give his Oculus to a friend. As a result - the main cable is broken in 3 places, few cracks on headset housing + more damage due to less than intelligent attempt at repairing the device with random tools and superglue.

But, it's better to see it once to grasp the magnitude of damage:
      

As you can see, the main wire was cut off with only two 6" stubs left on each side. LVDS converter box was a bit damaged and pieced together with superglue, so it took me at least 15 minutes of grinding, cleaning with acetone and some black magic to get all 4 screws out of there. Of course, there are no rubber pads. The actual headset has some minor damage due to ridiculous idea to seal broken clamps with superglue and soldering iron. The last image shows the inside part of LVDS/USB connector. It looks like it is not tampered with, but I really don't like those parts with heatshrink tubing... We'll try to get rid of unnecessary solder joints when we make a replacement cable.

Now, let's look at what's inside. We'll start with a control box:

 
Nothing special here. Just an LCD display driver, based on Realtek RTD2483RD chip. On the right side of PCB you can see, that the 4-pin head tracker connector is wired directly to USB port, which means that theoretically we can take the head tracker out of the headset and use it separately, in case Rift repair fails 

Next up, the VR headset.
  

_[ ... to be continued ... ]_


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## dorsetknob (Sep 23, 2015)

thanks and subbed


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## Devon68 (Sep 23, 2015)

I hope you can fix what the other guy "fixed", and have a nice new toy to play with.


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## silentbogo (Sep 23, 2015)

Lenses are intact, so as LCD screen. Hopefully it will work, once the cable is ready. 
Just FYI, it is a 7" ChinMei Innolux HJ070IA-02D screen, which is quite popular and can be found in cheap tablets, or sold separately for ~$35-40.
   

As expected, the head tracker is a separate unit and it even has an unpopulated micro-USB placement! 
It is powered by 2 major components: an STM32F103C8 microcontroller (ARM Cortex M3-based microcontroller) and an INVENSENSE MPU-6000 6-axis gyro/accelerometer. 

The front side also features empty 10-pin SWD connector[J3] and an 8-pin GPIO connector[J4]. On the back, some test pads and something that looks like an UART pins, but I can be wrong on this one. The device is "Oculus tracker v2.0" and just a few minutes later I found a full schematic on Github, so I guess my investigative techniques with Rift eyepiece lens were fruitful, but unnecessary.

Now, that I've satisfied my curiosity with Oculus Rift DK1 guts, it's time to fix the damn thing!

_[ ...to be continued... ]_


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## Mindweaver (Sep 23, 2015)

Nice! and good luck! I still use my DK1 and enjoy it.


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## qubit (Sep 23, 2015)

Epic technical thread. Hope you get it going buddy.


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## silentbogo (Sep 25, 2015)

*IT'S ALIVE!
*
So, today instead of fixing the gyro I've decided to start with the hardest thing - re-connecting the LVDS interface cable. Of course, everything went bad starting from shopping to the actual process of soldering.

My first idea was: HDMI cable has 19 pins, which is very close to 20 pins in LVDS cable I'm trying to replace. Come to find out, it only has 5 shielded pairs, 4 control wires and 1 ground wire, which only gives 15... So, I went shopping...

Internet stores gave me almost nothing: only one place had shielded 24-wire cables, but they are sold only in huge 100m bobbins. The only useful thing I found was that this store specializes in security and surveillance, which gave me the clue as to where to look for this type of stuff.

So, I took off to a large electronic marketplace and started my tour around every single surveillance equipment store and I finally found what I was looking for! It was a 20-wire shielded cable, mostly used to connect mult-channel CCTV systems. It is about 2 times thicker than the original cable and has an ugly white sleeve, but it was my only option at the time.

The entire repair process is quite straightforward: strip the wire on both ends, twist it together, dip in soldering flux, poke it with iron and seal with heatshrink. Except everything was not that easy in my case: copper wire was either dipped or cured in something, which prevented me from soldering. Every attempt at soldering ended up in burned residue all over the wiring and no joint. To overcome this I had to clean each wire individually with scalpel before soldering, which lengthened the process to almost 1 hour per side (2 hours for the whole thing).

But at the end my misery and suffering has paid off - I got picture! Haven't tried to connect it to my PC yet, but I'll have updates tomorrow.


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## Mindweaver (Sep 25, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> *IT'S ALIVE!
> *
> So, today instead of fixing the gyro I've decided to start with the hardest thing - re-connecting the LVDS interface cable. Of course, everything went bad starting from shopping to the actual process of soldering.
> 
> ...



Nice! Now you just need to go over to Oculus.com/Developers and create an account. Then go to downloads and get Oculus Runtime for Windows V0.6.0.1-beta.. Then just install and do the setup. Look up "How to calibrate Oculus Rift DK1" on youtube, because it's a little tricky. Then head over to share and check out all the demos. Right now all the good demos are DK2, but you can still run them on DK1 you just won't have positional tracking. Good luck!


*EDIT: Don't mess with the latest runtime which is v0.7. There's not a lot of demo updated for .7 and it's mostly for DK2.*


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## Frogger (Sep 25, 2015)

SWEET work on that cable. A little sleaving it will better than it came with


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## AsRock (Sep 25, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> *IT'S ALIVE!
> *
> So, today instead of fixing the gyro I've decided to start with the hardest thing - re-connecting the LVDS interface cable. Of course, everything went bad starting from shopping to the actual process of soldering.
> 
> ...



Yes i hate that shit very common for today,  all the headphones i fixed over the years that stuff is annoying and time consuming.


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## silentbogo (Sep 25, 2015)

So, I've assembled the headset without a headtracker, hooked it up to PC via HDMI and voila - everything works! 

Having some issues with Oculus Runtime though. Without the driver everything works fine. I can use Rift as an extended display do whatever, but this way I can only start games in stereoscopic 3D only by using third-party software, like Perception and most games simply crash. Still good for watching movies in 3D-SBS after some aspect ratio tweaking in MPC-HC.

With Oculus Runtime I have nothing but problems. Already tried all versions from 0.4.2 to 0.7.0:
0.7.0 does not work, because it no longer supports extended display mode. DK1 is recognized only when debugging for DK1 is on, but still no image... At least I can start an SDK demo, which shows on my main screen only
0.6.0 does the same thing, Demos don't work.
0.4.2 an in-between mess-up my video driver or simpli do not work.

I'll try to get it going tomorrow with the head tracker. I guess I'll have to be content with 3D movies for now.


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## Ferrum Master (Sep 25, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> To overcome this I had to clean each wire individually with scalpel before soldering, which lengthened the process to almost 1 hour per side (2 hours for the whole thing).



Lot of time to waste... you could simply take some aspirin or any other acetylsalicylic acid containing pill and melt it using soldering gun, it will create acid. And use that to clean up the layer... just put the wire on the pill and burn, but it is toxic and stinks as hell, but works on any hard oxygenated surface...

Well, what kind of ancient crap the thing is... no wonder it works like a turd...


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## dorsetknob (Sep 25, 2015)

Ferrum Master said:


> Well, what kind of ancient crap the thing is... no wonder it works like a turd..



Interested in your apparent view of ""ancient crap""

Wilki
The Rift has gone through many prototype versions in the years since the Kickstarter campaign, around 5 of which were demoed to the public. Two of these prototypes were made available for purchase as 'development kits', DK1 in late 2012

So 2 to 3 years old is 
""ancient crap""

Suggest you visit a Dentist to have all your teeth removed as they also must be 
""ancient crap""
you can then upgrade with new teeth ( Dentures ) every 2 years to  avoid possessing  ""ancient crap""


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## silentbogo (Sep 25, 2015)

P.S. Just managed to play few levels of Portal using Perception =)


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## silentbogo (Sep 25, 2015)

Ferrum Master said:


> Lot of time to waste... you could simply take some aspirin or any other acetylsalicylic acid containing pill and melt it using soldering gun, it will create acid. And use that to clean up the layer... just put the wire on the pill and burn, but it is toxic and stinks as hell, but works on any hard oxygenated surface...
> 
> Well, what kind of ancient crap the thing is... no wonder it works like a turd...


I tried orthophosphoric acid first, which is much stronger than aspirin or other household acids - no good. Solder did not bond not because of corrosion, but because of anti-corrosive crap on the wiring.


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## Mindweaver (Sep 25, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> So, I've assembled the headset without a headtracker, hooked it up to PC via HDMI and voila - everything works!
> 
> Having some issues with Oculus Runtime though. Without the driver everything works fine. I can use Rift as an extended display do whatever, but this way I can only start games in stereoscopic 3D only by using third-party software, like Perception and most games simply crash. Still good for watching movies in 3D-SBS after some aspect ratio tweaking in MPC-HC.
> 
> ...


That's why I told you to get 0.6.0.1. I've had a DK1 for awhile now. Here is my setup






*EDIT: You're still using Win7 correct? If you've upgraded to 10 then only 0.7 will work. .7 doesn't have Extend Desktop to the HMD and a lot of the earlier demos will not work.*


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## HammerON (Sep 25, 2015)

Sub'd for interest and good job on getting her to work again


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## patrico (Sep 26, 2015)

thanks very interesting  well done on getting her going 

nice one @dorsetknob  for nudging @silentbogo  to post


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## silentbogo (Sep 26, 2015)

Finally got it all figured out: apparently HMD or gyro do not work separately, as I first assumed. In order for Oculus Rift to be detected you need both devices attached.

Today I've finished the head thacker cable and after some tweaking my Rift appeared in configuration utility and I was able to start a demo scene without a hitch.

Next on my agenda is cosmetic stuff and maybe some modding!


@Mindweaver, great many thanks for your help with runtime setup. 0.6.0 now works flawlessly and I can finally join the TPU VR club!


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## Mindweaver (Sep 26, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> Finally got it all figured out: apparently HMD or gyro do not work separately, as I first assumed. In order for Oculus Rift to be detected you need both devices attached.
> 
> Today I've finished the head thacker cable and after some tweaking my Rift appeared in configuration utility and I was able to start a demo scene without a hitch.
> 
> ...


Nice! I'll add you to the club.


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## silentbogo (Sep 26, 2015)

Holy shit! Apparently for the past 6-7 years I've been missing a lot by ignoring new 3D developments. 

Just watched briefly 5-6 minutes of Jupiter Ascending on my DK1 and even in low-resolution it is more fun than 2D.
3D gaming is good, but not perfect: while head tracker performs well and alignment is perfect, except menus in some cases, the low-resolution display makes it hard to enjoy.

My cabling works fine. After re-installing the oculus tracker and fixing the wire layout I finally got rid of small flickering and dark lines caused by interference. The only thing that bothers me is that due to increased thickness of cables my Rift feels heavy and noticeably resists head movement. Also I've noticed some artifacts on LCD screen. These are kinda weird, because they are symmetrical on bot eyepieces, so it might be a signal-related malfunction.

*NEXT STEPS:*
1. I'll have to re-visit the radioelectronic marketplace and find some hair-thin industrial wiring and proper sleeving to make better and thinner cable (it was suggested by a colleague). I'll have to twist my wire pairs by hand and wrap them in shielding by hand, but he assured me that with the right low-impedance wiring overall thickness might actually be less than normal HDMI cable.
2. Find a better LVDS driver and FullHD display. There can  be a possibility that the stock LVDS IC supports higher resolutions because HDMI accepted everything from 720p to 1080p, but I need to do more research on that. RiftUp! is too expensive, so I have to look for aftermarket options.


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## Frogger (Sep 26, 2015)

Almost makes me take up dumpster diving again


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## Mindweaver (Sep 27, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> *Also I've noticed some artifacts on LCD screen. These are kinda weird, because they are symmetrical on bot eyepieces, so it might be a signal-related malfunction.*



I think what you are seeing is the _"screen door effect_". This is due to the low resolution 720p screen. DK2's SDE (_Screen Door Effect_) was better, but you can still see it. It's already been confirmed that CV1 and the Vive both have SDE, but it's barely noticeable, and with each new release it gets better. Someone came up with a small fix using Laminating Pouches, and it's not a bad idea. I have not tried it, mainly because I don't focus on it and I don't see it as bad.

You should try adding positional tracking using IR leds attached to the front of the Rift and a Wii controller as the camera. I did this a few years ago by using a pair of safety glass with led lights. I swapped them out with IR led lights and used the Wii remote as the camera and it was pretty amazing. It made my monitor feel and look like a 3d monitor. I got the idea from a guy named Johnny Lee. Here is his video.


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## OneMoar (Sep 27, 2015)

I could't live with a device that had a screendoor effect or any other visual defect
thats oculus being lazy right there
after seeing the tear down of this one I am convinced that oculus is cheap garbage with a bloated price point
why they refuse to put a panel in with higher PPI/pixel density is beyond understanding
they make faster,better looking panels then what they currently use which is el-cheapo 3d tier--chinese manufactured crapola


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## silentbogo (Sep 27, 2015)

Mindweaver said:


> I think what you are seeing is the _"screen door effect_". This is due to the low resolution 720p screen. DK2's SDE (_Screen Door Effect_) was better, but you can still see it. It's already been confirmed that CV1 and the Vive both have SDE, but it's barely noticeable, and with each new release it gets better. Someone came up with a small fix using Laminating Pouches, and it's not a bad idea. I have not tried it, mainly because I don't focus on it and I don't see it as bad.
> 
> You should try adding positional tracking using IR leds attached to the front of the Rift and a Wii controller as the camera. I did this a few years ago by using a pair of safety glass with led lights. I swapped them out with IR led lights and used the Wii remote as the camera and it was pretty amazing. It made my monitor feel and look like a 3d monitor. I got the idea from a guy named Johnny Lee. Here is his video.


The artifacts I'm talking about are different: I have a small, but identical pattern of white pixels on both sides, which are visible all the time. I think the panel was damaged.
The guy that sold me this device upgraded to DK2 and he is also quite unhappy with it, because his unit suffers from screen door effect, even though it has that fancy Samsung screen (I tried it out and except better resolution there is no significant improvement: tried all lens sets).

Last year I've tried a few demos without IR LEDs - tracking was done by optical tracking of your head and eyes position. It looks cool when you move, but lacks depth when you sit still...

I have a Wiimote from the olden days, but it refuses to connect to my PC (software implementation conflict with my CSR bluetooth dongle). Would've been nice to use it as VR game controller.

I wanna try and make my own wireless head tracker, similar to Oculus tracker v2 in DK1. Already got a 9-axis gyro/accelerometer/magnetometer and some other parts to make a prototype. 
Would be cool to have a small device, which you can clip to your headphones and not worry about IR cameras, LEDs and other stuff.



OneMoar said:


> I could't live with a device that had a screendoor effect or any other visual defect
> thats oculus being lazy right there
> after seeing the tear down of this one I am convinced that oculus is cheap garbage with a bloated price point
> why they refuse to put a panel in with higher PPI/pixel density is beyond understanding
> they make faster,better looking panels then what they currently use which is el-cheapo 3d tier--chinese manufactured crapola



Can't deny that DK1 is cheap. I believe at today's prices you can make your own DK1 analog or better from aftermarket parts under $100. LCD screen is quite bad even for its price category, and even though it is made in China, I don't think it's even genuine Innolux (model number matches chimei innolux, but has a TS prefix, which is TaiShan).

DK2 is a bit better : they've managed to combine almost all electronic components into a single PCB, but I don't understand why they got rid of gyroscopic tracker in favor of power-hungry IR LEDs and a dedicated camera. OLED display is not that hard on your eyes, but still not enough.

I hope that Oculus manages to make a better consumer model, because at $350 DK2 is not good enough. Wires definitely need to go: I'd like to see a battery-powered wireless VR headset with 1440p screen, audio interface and  an old Oculus Tracker v2, or a newer cheaper version of it.


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## Mindweaver (Sep 27, 2015)

silentbogo said:


> The artifacts I'm talking about are different: I have a small, but identical pattern of *white pixels on both sides*, which are visible all the time.



That's what I'm saying the white pixels you're talking about is the SDE. Have you used any other DK1's? It reminds me of AutoCAD's grid.









OneMoar said:


> I could't live with a device that had a screendoor effect or any other visual defect
> thats oculus being lazy right there
> after seeing the tear down of this one I am convinced that oculus is cheap garbage with a bloated price point
> why they refuse to put a panel in with higher PPI/pixel density is beyond understanding
> they make faster,better looking panels then what they currently use which is el-cheapo 3d tier--chinese manufactured crapola



You have to remember how old the DK1 was when it was first made, but I do agree they could have went with a better panel and shipped it in a cardboard box.. Even though I really like the case the DK1's came in. I would have bought a Pelican 1300 or 1400 case to care it around in.


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## silentbogo (Sep 27, 2015)

No, I'm talking about different artifacts. I made some annotations on a screen photo. The good thing is, these screens are so cheap, you can get a used one in excellent condition for like $15, or ~$25 for a brand new unit.
I guess I'll have to start hunting for some broken Lenovo tablets or shitty Android-powered car entertainment systems.


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## AsRock (Sep 27, 2015)

So glad i have not bothered with one yet and sounds like i will not for some time by the sounds of this..  I will stick to my TrackIR for a good while yet.


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## silentbogo (Sep 27, 2015)

AsRock said:


> So glad i have not bothered with one yet and sounds like i will not for some time by the sounds of this..  I will stick to my TrackIR for a good while yet.


Just wait for consumer-oriented versions of Oculus or HTC Vive. DK2 is already decent, but by the next year we'll have some cool 2K and maybe even 4K VR headsets. LED screens and MIPI interface boards are already on the market, phone screens steadily migrate to 1440p and higher resolution, so it's just a question of time. 

Plus I still have high hopes for wireless streaming.


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## Mindweaver (Sep 27, 2015)

AsRock said:


> So glad i have not bothered with one yet and sounds like i will not for some time by the sounds of this..  I will stick to my TrackIR for a good while yet.


Trust me that even with DK1's flaws it's sti


silentbogo said:


> Just wait for consumer-oriented versions of Oculus or HTC Vive. DK2 is already decent, but by the next year we'll have some cool 2K and maybe even 4K VR headsets. LED screens and MIPI interface boards are already on the market, phone screens steadily migrate to 1440p and higher resolution, so it's just a question of time.
> 
> Plus I still have high hopes for wireless streaming.


Yea, I agree even with DK1's flaws it's still very immersive experience. It's hard to explain how great it is without showing you @AsRock.


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## dorsetknob (Sep 27, 2015)

I wear glasses ( creaping old age and diabeties ).
How do these units cope with people who wear glasses ??
Having to wear glasses put me off the "" 3D tv and Cinema ""  expedience the supplied Glasses never worked well with what i wear
people with 20/20 vision don't realize how having to wear glasses affects this sort of expedience

i would definitely be one that insists on try before i buy with this tech


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## AsRock (Sep 27, 2015)

Mindweaver said:


> Trust me that even with DK1's flaws it's sti
> 
> Yea, I agree even with DK1's flaws it's still very immersive experience. It's hard to explain how great it is without showing you @AsRock.



I have a very good idea how immersive it is, how ever that shit fades after a while.  And i am not saying it's not a load of fun i just feel that it's to early of a tech and actually thought they might of sorted this crap out by now.

I understand DK1 being cheaply made, i guess we will see when it actually hits public release and see what the quality is then.


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## silentbogo (Sep 27, 2015)

dorsetknob said:


> I wear glasses ( creaping old age and diabeties ).
> How do these units cope with people who wear glasses ??
> Having to wear glasses put me off the "" 3D tv and Cinema ""  expedience the supplied Glasses never worked well with what i wear
> people with 20/20 vision don't realize how having to wear glasses affects this sort of expedience
> ...


Oculus comes with 3 sets of lenses for different focal distances, but if you wear glasses you should be able to fit the VR headset over them. Straps are located a bit higher, so all you need to do is to adjust eye cover to the maximum distance (so your glasses won't touch inner lenses).


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## Mindweaver (Sep 27, 2015)

AsRock said:


> I have a very good idea how immersive it is, how ever that shit fades after a while.  And i am not saying it's not a load of fun i just feel that it's to early of a tech and actually thought they might of sorted this crap out by now.
> 
> I understand DK1 being cheaply made, i guess we will see when it actually hits public release and see what the quality is then.


Fair enough buddy. I may be the only one who thinks this, but I think the quality of the DK1 was very good for comfort. I do wish the screen was better, but that probably had something to do with keeping it $300 at the time. I can't wait to see the consumer version of the Vive. I only hope they keep the price under 400 bucks, but we will see. The Oculus Rift CV1 will be mostly made out of cloth and they are comparing it to wearing a ball cap, weight wise.


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## RealNeil (Sep 27, 2015)

dorsetknob said:


> I wear glasses ( creaping old age and diabeties ).
> How do these units cope with people who wear glasses ??
> Having to wear glasses put me off the "" 3D tv and Cinema ""  expedience the supplied Glasses never worked well with what i wear
> people with 20/20 vision don't realize how having to wear glasses affects this sort of expedience
> ...



3D TV and Cinema gave me a headache every time. A friend told me not to use cheap glasses but nice ones didn't help at all.


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## AsRock (Sep 27, 2015)

Mindweaver said:


> Fair enough buddy. I may be the only one who thinks this, but I think the quality of the DK1 was very good for comfort. I do wish the screen was better, but that probably had something to do with keeping it $300 at the time. I can't wait to see the consumer version of the Vive. I only hope they keep the price under 400 bucks, but we will see. The Oculus Rift CV1 will be mostly made out of cloth and they are comparing it to wearing a ball cap, weight wise.



Cool, but you can wash a ball cap. So hope they do it right and make them cleanable and all.


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## Mindweaver (Sep 27, 2015)

AsRock said:


> Cool, but you can wash a ball cap. So hope they do it right and make them cleanable and all.


I've seen some where that they were working on a way to wash the piece that goes round your face, but not sure if they did anything.


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## silentbogo (Sep 28, 2015)

Ok, guys. Once I sobered up after my birthday I did some research: according to brief specs on official website Realtek display driver IC actually does support LVDS screens with resolutions up to 1920x1080/1920x1200. I am not sure if this will require some modifications to a display driver board, but i believe it should be OK (it did recognize 1080p resolution from HDMI source). Jut need to find a small 6-7" screen with 20-pin LVDS interface and test it out before buying a separate display driver.


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## OneMoar (Oct 3, 2015)

bwhahahahahha 
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/...350-so-there-are-no-compromises-says-founder/
1500.00
RIP occulast ....


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## Scrizz (Oct 3, 2015)

OneMoar said:


> bwhahahahahha
> http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/...350-so-there-are-no-compromises-says-founder/
> 1500.00
> RIP occulast ....


that includes the price of the computer......


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## silentbogo (Oct 3, 2015)

OneMoar said:


> bwhahahahahha
> http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/...350-so-there-are-no-compromises-says-founder/
> 1500.00
> RIP occulast ....


Yep. I agree with general direction of this article.  
Looks like Oculus went over their heads with Rift. If they had used a basic structure of DK1(small tracker and no camera), but the display and MIPI driver of DK2, Oculus could've managed to make an aftermarket headset that costs around $150-$180. Maybe even cheaper. 



> Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe hinted that a complete Rift system, including a suitably powerful computer, would cost about $1,500 (~£1,000).


That's a pile of crap. Any PC capable of reasonable 1080p gaming would do. I'm re-building my primary PC into a smaller mini-ITX form factor, and considering that I'm using only new components its price tag stands at $400 excluding SSD(already got one). I already had a chance to test DK2 on my old PC(specs are <<== here), and considering that this is the closest analog of an upcoming consumer Rift model, I can say for sure that GTX750Ti is more than capable of running most existing games in stereoscopic 3D. For the best experience you'll probably need GTX960, but again - it all depends on the game requirements, and not the headset(unless it miraculously comes with a 4K LED matrix).


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

silentbogo said:


> The good thing is, these screens are so cheap, you can get a used one in excellent condition for like $15, or ~$25 for a brand new unit.


Where? My DK1 screen is broken and I've been searching for a HJ070IA-02D display everywhere but all I come across are alibaba sellers (asking $40-$50 + shipping). Your post is only from a few months ago so I can't imagine these displays have suddenly become hard to find?


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

That's why you've got to use some creativity in your search 

That same screen was used in a variety of low-to-medium class tablets, and the easiest ones to find are Lenovo A3000, A5500 etc. Sometimes a fully functional working tablet may cost less than its replacement screen.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Idea...468801?hash=item33af8b3841:g:XMoAAOSwZG9Wjp8G

It looks like unit has no physical damage and the screen can be scavenged with the touch panel. You can use a heat gun and a guitar string to separate the two and then scrub the glue off the surface, but alternatively you could stick it in DK1 as is and only worry about holding the thing in place.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks
I'd already come across replacement screens for the A3000 Brand new for less than $15
http://r.ebay.com/CcPsCG
But the connector on it is different from the original (32 pin connector vs 40 pin on the DK1 display). So how do I connect it?


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Hmmm, checked the model number for the Lenovo A3000 display and it's an Innolux HJ070IA-01I which has only 1024x600 resolution.
Any other suggestions?


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

Probably something like this:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...270516961.html?spm=a2700.7724857.29.48.b7uIUX


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

Try Lenovo A5500. It has matching resolution and screen size.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Nope, that one's 8" 
Closest match I can find is a replacemrnt screen for the Lenovo A3500
http://r.ebay.com/xCSq8x
But again, a 30 pin connector. I'm not gonna gamble $20 on that.
No idea which tablet uses the exact same HJ070IA-02D display.


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## Toothless (Jan 21, 2016)

I wouldn't touch anything from alibaba since I keep seeing people scammed.


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Hannstar-...587639?hash=item233ebf6b77:g:tB0AAOSwxH1T45Z3

Looks like the connector is the same, just need to transfer the interface board from the original panel.  

I'm also looking at MeMo Pad displays (HSD070PFW3), which are more common. Just not sure yet as to whether it's gonna be easy to connect it...


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks again. The link you posted looks promising indeed. But unfortunately $36 is not what I'm willing to spend on a repair of which I'm not 100% sure will be successful.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Wow! An IPS for only $16
http://r.ebay.com/h0O6Ah


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

Nisei said:


> Wow! An IPS for only $16
> http://r.ebay.com/h0O6Ah



That's pretty good.

I just found a local guy with semi-working MeMo Pad display - HannStar HSD070PFW3 (white line on the edge of the screen). 
It has the same small connector and he's asking only $4.50, so I might give it a try and see if I can get it to work with Rift LVDS board.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Cool!
LVDS is the small board on the display where the DK1 breakout box is connected to right? And from there goes a short ribbon cable to the actual display connector.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

silentbogo said:


> I just found a local guy with semi-working MeMo Pad display - HannStar HSD070PFW3 (white line on the edge of the screen).


According to Panelook that one's only 1024x600 as well 
http://www.panelook.com/HSD070PFW3-D00_HannStar_7.0_LCM_overview_18817.html


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## silentbogo (Jan 21, 2016)

Revision A00 is 1280x800.


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## Nisei (Jan 21, 2016)

Ah


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## Sasqui (Jan 21, 2016)

Missed this thread before, subbed.  Too cool


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## Nisei (Jan 22, 2016)

Found an original new HJ070IA-02D for $37 including shipping and think I'm gonna order that. Further investigation has convinced me it's not gonna be possible to replace it with a 30 pin LCD because LVDS is a completely different interface. It's more than I was hoping to spend but it's a shame to throw it in the bin.


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## Nisei (Feb 7, 2016)

Update:
Received my display from a Chinese seller through AliExpress.
Great service and packaging was done very well.
It's indeed a drop-in replacement and worked right away.

Did you try anything with that MeMo display silentbogo?


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## silentbogo (Feb 7, 2016)

Unfortunately I was not that lucky: my screen was DOA beyond recognition, and the seller disappeared, so I guess a semi-working screen for cheap was a dud. Should've known better, than buying it without direct physical access.


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## Gaboer (May 23, 2016)

Happy to have found this thread, I just managed to get a hold of a DK1 where the cable was chewed in half by a cat. Trying to see if I can manage to solder the cable back together but, at least I know there's other solutions for it thanks to this thread


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## dorsetknob (May 23, 2016)

welcome to TPU Gaboer


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## Gaboer (May 25, 2016)

Attempted at doing the DIY repair. Although I'm getting weird coloring issues
http://i.imgur.com/BTYnWPX.png This looks like http://i.imgur.com/7pS5HQP.jpg

Not sure if it's with my wiring (http://i.imgur.com/jVy4pCt.jpg) , I guess I'll probably do the cable you bought if I can't figure out what's the issue


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## silentbogo (May 25, 2016)

Gaboer said:


> Attempted at doing the DIY repair. Although I'm getting weird coloring issues
> http://i.imgur.com/BTYnWPX.png This looks like http://i.imgur.com/7pS5HQP.jpg
> 
> Not sure if it's with my wiring (http://i.imgur.com/jVy4pCt.jpg) , I guess I'll probably do the cable you bought if I can't figure out what's the issue


The color issue is due to minor fault on one of cable's data lines. Gotta check each joint individually, or check if one of the connectors is loose (I had sync issues because the end of the cable was twisted inside the headset and pushed the connector up).

I'm working on the new thinner cable, made from industrial low-impedance wire (old cable hurts my neck).
May post some stuff later.


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## Gaboer (May 26, 2016)

I tugged on the lines and found some were cut even inside the sheathing itself, did a little more repair and everything works perfect now! Thanks!
I'm having trouble trying to figure out the best software though, 0.4.4 killed my W10 install, and I have no idea what's the best to use.

EDIT:
Just installed 0.7 and tried VIREIO PERCEPTION and that worked. Only weird thing is that if i tilt my head right it tilts left? looking left right up down functions normally though


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## silentbogo (May 26, 2016)

Gaboer said:


> I tugged on the lines and found some were cut even inside the sheathing itself, did a little more repair and everything works perfect now! Thanks!
> I'm having trouble trying to figure out the best software though, 0.4.4 killed my W10 install, and I have no idea what's the best to use.
> 
> EDIT:
> Just installed 0.7 and tried VIREIO PERCEPTION and that worked. Only weird thing is that if i tilt my head right it tilts left? looking left right up down functions normally though


You might have installed gyro backwards (rubber pads should be on the bottom). Mine was upside-down the first time I re-assembled an HMD 

If not - try running a calibration utility.

Glad you've fixed your headset.

P.S. You should definitely try Portal in native VR mode - probably the best gaming experience I ever had.


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## Gaboer (May 27, 2016)

Gyro is on correctly, I have no idea how to get the gyro calibration utility working?

Also, tried out some source games in VR mode, these are some amazing experiences


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## vectoravtech (May 27, 2016)

You should try:
Elite Dangerous
(and yes the menus you see in Oculus Rift are selectable.)


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## AsRock (May 27, 2016)

Is that thing badly setup or is it just like that ?, seems way to sensitive. TrackIR can be the same if not setup right. As that shit will drive you crazy after a while.

Another thought was, is there a pause button ?.


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## Fillefisk (Aug 28, 2016)

So, first off - sorry for bumping such an old thread. 

Second, I was wondering if anyone has any idea on how to re-use the screen in Oculus DK1 and hook it up to a raspberry pi? I guess I would need a new interface card that the Pi can understand?


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## silentbogo (Aug 28, 2016)

The easiest way around is to forget about MIPI/DSI interface on raspberry Pi and use the control box from Oculus instead.
This way it will simply act as a regular monitor with HDMI and VGA interfaces (same should work on any PC with any OS) =)
First time around, when I fixed my DK1, I tested it on my PC as an extended display (in order to make sure that there is no noise on LVDS lines).

The hard way - look up a breakout board with MIPI to LVDS bridge somewhere on eBay or Aliexpress, download some datasheets for both the panel and the converter, read thoroughly ,solder the sh%t out of it by hand, and then put this mess together and hope that it won't explode!


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## Fillefisk (Aug 28, 2016)

Had no idea the control box would work. Didn't even test it. But it do work like a charm. Even the brightness/contrast settings works. Thanks!


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## silentbogo (Oct 5, 2016)

A little update.
I've made yet another version of a fixed cable from even thinner industrial wiring. 
Still missed few things, like length (it's only 1.5m) and the size of sleeving (got 8mm, while 5mm should've been enough).
But overall I'm really happy with new looks! Heatshrink and hot glue does miracles:

     

Another good news: finally found a compatible display replacement for DK1. 
There's a cheap chinese tablet, called Ainol Novo7 Flame[Fire], and it uses both HJ070IA-02D and N070ICG-LD1 displays, which are almost identical.
Latter one also frequents in automotive mediacenters and DIY rear view camera kits!

The tablet itself can be purchased used for $20-25, but requires some manual labor of detaching a touch panel. I found such screen from a broken tablet for $10, so in a few days I will post an update about success of this experiment (got few dead pixels on my display already). Probably because of this compatibility the price on new displays has gone up to $40+ on Aliexpress and other sites (for comparison a FullHD display for 2nd gen Nexus 7 costs mere $20-25 w/ touch panel included).


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