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603.321.0884, FAX 603.836.4436, esrquestion@anatekcorp.com

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Sources for Monitor Schematics and Parts
by
John Bachman

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:  This material is copyrighted under United States of America copyright laws.  All rights are
retained by the author. This material is being made available here for the private use of the viewer only.  Reproduction or distribution of this material by other than the author is expressly forbidden.

Two problems in servicing computer monitors are where to get schematics, and where to get parts.  Schematics and other technical data are nearly impossible to acquire for many monitors.  Some manufacturers are willing to sell their schematics and technical manuals; many will not.  Some manufacturers cannot be found.  This article will help with the schematic problem, but there are monitors for which no data is available.

Finding parts is not as difficult as schematics, but it still can be a problem.  Some manufacturers try to control parts availability, but a third party monitor parts industry fills much of the gap.  Most parts can be found if you know where to look.  But, once again, there are some parts that are simply not available.  This article will provide a list of parts sources that should solve this problem for you.

TECHNICAL MANUALS AND SCHEMATICS

There are two sources for schematics: manufacturers and reverse engineering companies.   Some manufacturers will sell a copy of their technical manuals and/or schematics which are generally very accurate, giving you all of the details, optional circuitry and design changes.  Some manufacturers restrict the information to their authorized dealers and repair centers but will supply parts.  The requirements for becoming authorized vary from just asking (Tatung) to being required to attend lengthy training sessions overseas (KFC), and everything in between.  If you want to become an authorized service center call the manufacturer and ask about their requirements.   Table 1 lists the manufacturers and their policies on schematics, technical manuals and parts.

            Table 1 - Manufacturers Manuals and Parts Policies

Reverse engineering companies purchase a monitor, disassemble it and trace the circuits to create a schematic. The result is usually representative of the unit that was disassembled, but cannot reflect any design changes, updates or optional circuitry.   The author is not aware of  any reliable reverse engineering schematic providers at  this time.

PARTS
Parts availability is a happier story than technical documentation due to an active third party parts industry.  While some manufacturers will sell replacement parts (see Table 1) they are usually the most expensive source. If you can find an independent source for the part you need, and you usually can, it is likely to be less expensive than the manufacturer's part.  Table 2 lists distributors who specialize in unique monitor parts.

              Table 2 - Monitor Parts Distributors

OTHER SOURCES

The knowledge vacuum in the computer monitor field resulted in the formation of AnaTek Corporation which provides monitor technical data including troubleshooting tips, part and data sources in its Resolve Monitor Repair Database product.  Much of the information in this article comes from the Resolve product.  We welcome your inquiries and comments.

Manufacturer operated bulletin board systems are another source of technical data.   Acer's bulletin board (408-428-0140) includes common failures and the engineering design changes.  Packard Bell's bulletin board (818-773-7307) provides basic technical data on all their monitors but not much troubleshooting help.  Other manufacturers restrict access to their bulletin boards to authorized repair centers.