Sony Ericsson MBW-150 OLED repairs

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CornholioGSM

Senior Member
Apr 13, 2005
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Hello, dou you know which communicating interface is used on these mbw watches? SSD1300 can use Parallel and SPI interface, SSD1303 (tested by me in mbw150 - picture was mirrored) use SPI/Parallel/i2C and SSD1306 interfaces are same as on 1303. New displays 96x16 uses ssd1306 with limited pinouts only to i2c.

Inside MBW-XXX watches is same ic - Philips/NXP BGB203xxxxx. This ic use for communicating I2C...BUT original display with 1300 does not have I2C...so how is it possible?
OR can be this original be connected via GPIO?
 
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CornholioGSM

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Apr 13, 2005
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...this is interesting. I have found wiring diagram of original Ritdi display with SSD1300. It looks like it is really connected via i2c...BUT again after measuring on mbw-150 mainboard are both data ways connected to GPIO pins of bgb203 and not to i2c.

It is hard...i will risk it and i will test to connect chinese display directly with wires :)
 

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CornholioGSM

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...some wiring and testing today.
Now i have connected Pictiva Oled with ssd1303.
This display is connected from another side so is needed some wiring, cutting and modding :)
I have tested it on mbw-150 and on mbw-100. On both i got picture.
On MBW-150 is picture mirrored...display glass is littlebit larger and is impossible to put in inside watch body.
On MBW-100 was needed to add capacitor between RST pin and ground. Picture is upside down and is littlebit shifted (approx 3-4pixels)...but inside watch body is space for it.

Soo is still needed to read and edit firmware from BGB203 IC. I know that this ic uses for communicating rs232...but i need help how to connect and read it :(
 

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Anna L Rivera

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Jan 13, 2020
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www.voucherhunt.co.uk
I have recently picked up a SE MBW-150 Music Edition... Just to be plagued with the super dim OLED screen issue.

From what I have read, there seems to be two major issues with these watches that are deal breakers for most people, as SE won't repair/replace your device unless it is still under warranty (kind of hard to do since they are out of production).

1) Battery issues. Status: solved, thanks to XDA members

2) Fading/dead OLED display. Status: doesn't appear that anyone has tackled this problem yet.

So, after being plenty pissed that the gift I had just bought myself was broken. I decided to get past it and make the best of it.... And take it apart.

--------------------------------------------------------------
If you don't like reading, start here.
The top part is just me being long winded.
--------------------------------------------------------------


There are two pieces of good news...
1) It still works after I got done snooping around inside and put it back together.
2) I think I have sourced replacement OLED displays.

I am waiting for the display panels I ordered to be shipped, and I will be the first guinea pig to see if my solution works.

After that (providing that everything goes well) I would be willing to offer repairs on a first come first serve basis for a nominal fee (cover parts, shipping, and buy me a beer lol).

--------------------------------------------------------------
If you don't like reading, stop here... Lazy.
--------------------------------------------------------------


So all in all, I really have some hope for extending the life of a product that all of us paid way to much for to get just enough life out of to get out of warranty. I really don't see how Sony Ericsson can do this to us in the first place, charge top dollar and then out right refuse to service them if they are out of warranty.

Once I get the panels in, I will post pics of before and after.

Hopefully after will be a pic of my MBW-150 Music with a working display... But there is always the chance of it being a pic of melted pieces, char marks, and bandages... Lets hope for the first one :)

--------------------------------------------------------------
30-Mar-2011 Update:
4-8 week for delivery of initial order of red oled displays.
--------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------
31-Mar-2011 Update:
Added information on OLED displays I am trying
to work with. Link to post
--------------------------------------------------------------

Same problem here I stop using it now it is collecting dust if anyone interested to buy my mbw-150 executive edition contact me I wanna sell it.
 

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  • 5
    New OLED

    Hi! I got to change the display!
    I used RGS08096016B001.
    Ritdisplay firm.
    DSC_0010.jpg

    DSC_0011.jpg

    DSC_0013.jpg

    DSC_0014.jpg
    3
    four times click bottom-right button after that one click top-right button
    3
    Hey :)

    What do you think about: Monochrome yellow 96x16 oled graphic display ??

    You can see this oled on ebay. Would be work with MBW-150 ??


    ... i have info for you :)
    Display on ebay is OSRAM/PICTIVA...i have purchased it from the seller in white color.
    Seller say, that display must be same as my original...BUT NOT!!!
    Display is connected from another side, is larger , and show pictures like mirrored.
    Driver is SSD1303

    img2709j.jpg


    BTW...after hard searching on internet i have found manufacturer of original display.
    It is RiTdisplay company...so i have contacted him and here is reply....not good reply :(

    Dear Sir,

    After check the product --P13707 , the project was EOL before 3 years ago.
    I'm afraid that you need to find other item and change design.


    regards,
    Joanne Tien
    RiTdisplay Corporation
    3
    Seen the first link, didn't think it applied because it looks like the FPC is facing towards the camera as well as the PCB. It was my understanding that the OLED FPC had a much finer pitch than the one shown in the first video. The second video does not apply much at all due to the OLED having windowed leads vs the standard leads on the SE display.

    Very happy about the step by step instructions you gave for disassembling the watch though! :D Where did you purchase the displays from?

    Also, you were able to remove the old display without damaging the PCB contacts?! you must post pictures! I'm very interested! :)

    I ordered the displays from http://sales.trulydisplays.com/ using the part number for the white display linked to earlier, OEL9M0023-W-E.

    I took this picture with my phone and it's a little blurry, plus the forum resized it. While some of the display leads were broken in the process, I think you can see that the contacts on the watch are intact.