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Modelo A1311 / Mediados de 2011 / Procesador Core i5 de 2.5 y 2.7 GHz o Core i7 de 2.8 GHz

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[SOLVED] iMac 21.5 backlight flashing/flickering

Hello guys,

I've got an iMac 21.5 mid 2011 that have a black screen issue. Right after the boot chime, the backlight goes on for a short period (100 to 200 ms) and then stays off forever. After reading Apple's technician guide and performing some tests, I found that I can see the image using a flashlight. So, the conclusion is that there is some problem with the backlight.

After reading some posts here, I would say that most probably the problem is with the Backlight Board. But, before replacing it, I would like to ensure that this is the real problem. I have knowledge in electronics, so I looked into this board and found that it has 3 connectors:

-> 4-pin Input: (Vin, 0V, PWM and ENABLE in this order)

-> Vsync 2-pin connector

-> 6-pin Output: Output voltage (63V probably...)

I think there are 2 hypothesis:

1) PWM or ENABLE signals are not correct (cable or logic board)

2) Output voltage is not being generated (defective board)

I decided to test the hypotheses 1 by soldering a 4-wire flat cable on the Input connector of Backlight Board and measuring the signals with the system running. Result:

- Vin: +11,5Vdc

- PWM: 3,0 Vdc

- ENABLE: 3,3 Vdc

So, considering that the ENABLE and PWM signals are 3v3 logic, i think everything is correct here and then the Backlight Board may be defective.

Maybe i can measure the output voltage to be 100% sure. However, i was just wondering: could a problem on the Vsync signal turns off the backlight?

Thanks!

Update (07/05/2016)

I've just replaced the backlight board by a brand new one, but unfortunately the problem remains exactly the same.

Since the backlight turns on for a short period (200 ms I would say) right after the power on, I guess that the problem would be related to some control signal.

Since I already measured the PWM and ENABLE on the 4-pin header and they are ok, I think there might be some problem with VSYNC signal that is located on a dedicated small 4-pin header (only 2 wires).

I read on another forum that the mid 2011 no longer used a V-sync cable as it switched to an internal DisplayPort connection which integrated the V-sync into the main display cable. So, it seems that this signal works as a "backlight sync" signal or something like this.

Anyway, I already tested it with the VSYNC cable unplugged, and the problem symptom is exactly the same.

Does anybody what is the expected voltage/waveform of this VSYNC signal? I could measure it with a multimeter or an oscilloscope.

Thanks,

Update (07/29/2016)

I've replaced the backlight board by a brand new one, but unfortunately it didnt fix it. The sympthom is exaclty the same, i.e, right after the Mac is turned on, the backlight turns on for a short period (300ms lets say) and then turns off forever.

I suspect about some control signal. Since i already checked the ENABLE and PWM signals, the only one left is the VSync one.

I read on other forum that he mid 2011 no longer used a V-sync cable as it switched to an internal DisplayPort connection which integrated the V-sync into the main display cable.

Could a damaged vsync cable turn off the backlight?

Thanks!

Update (08/09/2016)

Since the problem persisted even after replacing the backlight board with a brand new one, I decided to take a closer look at the troubleshooting steps on Apple Technician Guide.

I just realized that I missed a basic step, which is to reset the PRAM. I did it, and now the problem symptom has changed completely. Now, the backlight DOES NOT turns on for a short period (200 ms I would say) right after the power on, but It DOES turn on when the Apple logo shows up. However, the whole backlight is flashing intermitently. I also tried to reset the SMC, but it didn't change the behavior.

Apple Technician Guide suggests that if the flashing stops when brightness is set to maximum, then the problem might be the vsync cable. However, it still flashes when it is set to maximum. Anyway, I checked the VSYNC cable continuity with a multimeter (OK) and reseated the connectors, but the problem is still there.

Last thing I tried was to run Apple Hardware Test. It has reported the following error:

4SNS/1/40000001:VGOR-10.484

It means that there is a problem with the voltage of GPU. I decided to go deep and tried the following software: Bresink - Hardware Monitor

It shows that the MXM graphics module voltage is around 10.78 volts. Probably this is what the error code "VGOR-10.484" wants to tell me :-)

I suspect that this voltage should be around 12V. Can anyone confirm? This tool is paid, but I accidentally bought two licenses...

So, if some good guy wants to help me, I can give one license to them :-)

Cheers!

Update (08/11/2016)

After the suggestion of our colleague Dan, i tried to measure the 12V output of the PSU.

I already measured it before, but at that time the PRAM was not reset yet and the backlight was off all the time.

So, i measured again, now with the backlight turned on and flashing. I have soldered a flat cable on the 4 pin connector to be able to measure the signals with everything connected (LCD, etc...).

When turned off, the input voltage of backlight board was precisely at 12,0V. It seems that this is the stand-by voltage, but i think its very strange to see it on the input of the backlight board... Anyway.

When turned on, the input voltage of backlight drops to around 10,5V. If i set the brightness to minimum, it rises to around 11,0V.

So, definitely the problem is the PSU. I have checked the 3 output capacitors, but they are perfect. I made a quick test by soldering an additional 3.300uF cap in parallel with the existing ones, but the problem remained. I think this confirms that the PSU is bad (output voltage drops when current is drained)

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Solución Elegida

I suspect you really have a power supply problem here. From the sounds of it I think one or more of the filter caps are bad. Thats often the cause of the backlight flickering issue from my experience.

Take the power supply out and inspect the caps. Do you see any that look bulged or appear to be leaking? Try out a spare if you have one.

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Hello Dan,

Thanks for the reply. I will check the power supply capacitors. I will also measure the output to check if the voltages are correct. Im new into iMac world, do you know where i can find the PSU pinout description? I see that there is a dedicated cable that carries 4 signals to the backlight board (0V, 12V, Enable and PWM). Do you know if the PSU has a dedicated 12V output for the backlight?

Thank you!

- de

Sadly I don't have a schematic to check right now. But, here's a good vid which should answer your Q's on how to test it: How to test iMac power supply with multi meter See if that helps you.

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Hello Michael,

Yes, the problem was a defective power supply. Instead of replacing it, made some inspection on the 12V circuit. The 12V voltage created at the capacitors are splitted into two circuits: the standby voltage output (which is unswitched and goes out straight forward) and the main 12V output which passes through two high-side MOSFETs in parallel that acts as an on/off switch. I found that one of this MOSFETs was defective (gate was short-circuited) which was keeping this switch always ON but with a fairly high output impedance. This is why i have measured 12V on the main output even with the PSU turned off but then the voltage drops when computer turned on and starts to drain some current. Apparently, the motherboard circuits were able to work fine with 10,5V, but the backlight driver board didnt.

So, i have simply replaced the defective MOSFET and voilà... everthing worked as expected. Of course, replacing the PSU would also solve the problem.

Good luck!

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With your knowledge, I would go over the board with a soldering iron first looking for a cold solder joint.

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Hola para un IMAC A1311 , la falla de pantalla negra se pudo solucionar reemplazando el par de MOSFET 85T03GP, de los cuales uno estaba en corto circuito. Fueron reemplazados por su equivalente localmente en Chile y disponible IFR3205. Primeramente y como recomendación se deberían seguir los mismos pasos indicados al inicio, realizar el AHT , y verificar si el error corresponde a los del tipo indicado….4SNS / 1/40000001: VGOR- 10.xxxx….. esto se puede verificar alumbrando la pantalla en negro con una linterna y mucha paciencia…correr el TEST y verificar el código. Quedo agradecido de este sitio, ha sido de mucha ayuda….finalmente el repuesto no supero los USD 8, más unas cuantas herramientas y ya fué factible revivir el IMAC . Saludos desde Chile

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Hermano te amo!!!!! estaba desesperado ya no sabia que hacer obviamente me salte ese MOSFET gracias es mas aca en argentina tampoco tienen el original pero con tu recomendacion compre ese MOSFET de remplaso el 3205 y gracias al Universo funciono!!!!!! mil gracias desde hoy que sepas que alguien en el mundo te debe y aprecia.

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Can confirm changing the PSU fixed my problem, VGOR has to do with the power delivery to the backlight board from the PSU.

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Hello today, repair this problem. Replacing the power button, remove the power button cable from the motherboard and join the 2 pins with a screwdriver

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Here is a step-by-step guide for you to follow and fix the flickering screen issue on your macOS 10.15.

Step 1: First, restart your Mac by going to the "Apple" menu and click on "Restart."

Step 2: Next, update the operating system on your Mac.

Step 3: From there you need to reset SMC (System Management Controller). The steps involved vary according to the type of Mac you are using. If you are using one with a removable battery, you need to shut down the computer and disconnect the Magsafe power adapter. After that, remove the battery, press and hold the power button for 5 seconds and release it. From there, you can connect Magsafe power adapter, the battery and power on your computer.

macos 10.15 screen flicker solution

Step 4. You also need to reset NVRAM (or PRAM). To do so, by first shutting down your computer. When restarting it press and hold Option+ Command+ O+ R simultaneously for a few seconds and the device will restart.

Step 5. If you are using MacBook Pro, go to "System Preferences" and head to "Energy Saver." Now, search for "Automatic Graphics Switching" option and untick it. Remember this option is not available on Mac Airs.

fix a flickering screen issue

Step 6. You can diagnose the flickering screen while in safe mode. To enter safe mode, first close all the running apps on your computer and shut down your Mac normally. From there, you need to restart your Mac by pressing and holding the power button and shift the key until the Apple logo appears. Release the power button and keep pressing the shift key until the login window appears. From there, you can release the shift key since you are now in safe mode.

At this point, the flickering screen should have now disappeared. From there, you can restart your computer normally and you will have a fixed flickering screen with macOS 10.15.

Step 7. If the above steps have not stopped the Mac screen from flickering, you can try and uninstall the Firefox application. According to some users, they have reported that uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox browser is macOS 10.15 screen flicker solution.

Step 8. Assuming you have tried all the above macOS 10.15 screen flicker solutions and you Mac screen still flickers then you can try this last option. Try and create a new user account. You can do this by going to "System Preferences," select "Users and Groups" and then click on New user account and create the account. This should stop the screen from flickering, but if you see the error still persists then delete the newly created user account.

Regards,

Rachel Gomez

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