Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[rehius]

Thank you! It worked, but now this. Crap
View attachment 359940

Ensure the CPU flat cable is properly attached and well-soldered.

If you use a single MOSFET, ensure the wires are short and thick. You need at least 0.2mm diameter copper wires, like here:

Spoiler: CPU Wiring

 

[binkinator]

Ensure the CPU flat cable is properly attached and well-soldered.

If you use a single MOSFET, ensure the wires are short and thick. You need at least 0.2mm diameter copper wires, like here:

Spoiler: CPU Wiring

View attachment 359943
View attachment 359944

You sure have made a lot of creative wire routing. Impressive little mini-creations.

 

[Kingdedede]

Ensure the CPU flat cable is properly attached and well-soldered.

If you use a single MOSFET, ensure the wires are short and thick. You need at least 0.2mm diameter copper wires, like here:

Spoiler: CPU Wiring

View attachment 359943
View attachment 359944

@rehius
congratulations did you do these installations?

 

[viperbite]

I needed a third Switch anyway. Kids growing up and getting into gaming (He's going on 9). I'm not quite at the point I want him playing on my retro consoles. So, he's getting my old one and I'm getting the OLED.

@vittorio Please DM me. I'd like to see how far you are along so I don't have to reinvent the wheel twice.

I do not recommend using the OLED version for testing. The high complexity of restoring a backup due to the need to remove the emmc if something does not go according to plan and the mandatory presence of a programmer. Better use v2.

 

[rcpd]

I do not recommend using the OLED version for testing. The high complexity of restoring a backup due to the need to remove the emmc if something does not go according to plan and the mandatory presence of a programmer. Better use v2.

v2's were not available in my area. I had the choice between a Lite and an OLED. I didn't want the Lite.

 

[Kingdedede]

v2 non erano disponibili nella mia zona. Ho avuto la scelta tra un Lite e un OLED. Non volevo il Lite.

for v2 I can do the tests, I already have it ready

 

[rehius]

I do not recommend using the OLED version for testing. The high complexity of restoring a backup due to the need to remove the emmc if something does not go according to plan and the mandatory presence of a programmer. Better use v2.

You can always restore eMMC backup with picofly + Hekate. It boots no matter what, even with completely erased eMMC

 

[rcpd]

You can always restore eMMC backup with picofly + Hekate. It boots no matter what, even with completely erased eMMC

This was my understanding as well and why I wasn't too upset about having to get an OLED versus a v2.

 

[SylverReZ]

Any progress on the Pikofly reverse engineering?

Post automatically merged: Mar 18, 2023

I guess not, lol.

 

[Warbeast]

Nice to know it can boot with a blank emmc as I read once that hwfly-nx can boot with a blank emmc but the stock fw can't something to do with how it checks boot0 so with replacing the oled skhynix emmc it could be a pain however I havnt tested stock hwfly fw.
also oleds with skhynix and hwfly nx have random black screens with sandisk sd cards so pico might actually work better

 

[rcpd]

I sold my 1st

I sold my v2 switch with sx core and bought a new oled installed hwfly then found a cheap banned oled for sale so installed a hwfly on that and now as I already had a pico I just bought a faulty v2 again replaced m92t for the fun of it
I've never played a switch game myself lol

Yea. Sounds like me. I play the games. Sometimes. Mostly I enjoy the exploit process. Soldering is getting harder as I get older, so usually I let someone with better eyes and steadier hands handle that now. Man I miss through hole printed boards.

 

[rehius]

Nice to know it can boot with a blank emmc as I read once that hwfly-nx can boot with a blank emmc but the stock fw can't something to do with how it checks boot0 so with replacing the oled skhynix emmc it could be a pain however I havnt tested stock hwfly fw.
also oleds with skhynix and hwfly nx have random black screens with sandisk sd cards so pico might actually work better

Replaced the Samsung eMMC with a blank SanDisk one, restored the Hekate backup - everything works like original

There is a common issue with hwfly / sx solution that corrupts OFW boot (picofly 2.5 has it fixed), might be the thing you are talking about.

 

[rcpd]

Damn glad I bought the OLED now. I was using my v1 as a template for a custom made board that incorporates many of the resistors required for Picofly. The v1 is slightly different than the OLED. It wouldn’t have worked anyway.

@binkinator can you link me the adapter you used to connect the eMMC to a PC? I had it bookmarked but Firefox hates me.

 

[Kiuxn]

I dropped the capacitor of switch lite 3.3V. Does anyone know what the specification is?

 

[binkinator]

Damn glad I bought the OLED now. I was using my v1 as a template for a custom made board that incorporates many of the resistors required for Picofly. The v1 is slightly different than the OLED. It wouldn’t have worked anyway.

@binkinator can you link me the adapter you used to connect the eMMC to a PC? I had it bookmarked but Firefox hates me.

Sure thing! It was @evil_santa ’s comment here:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/switch-oled-256gb-nand-upgrade.608377/page-2#post-9762068

 

[Warbeast]

Replaced the Samsung eMMC with a blank SanDisk one, restored the Hekate backup - everything works like original

There is a common issue with hwfly / sx solution that corrupts OFW boot (picofly 2.5 has it fixed), might be the thing you are talking about.

I mean oleds that have a skhynix emmc and hwfly-nx show random black screens when using sandisk sd cards to boot emunand but work fine with Samsung evo sd cards

 

[rcpd]

Sure thing! It was @evil_santa ’s comment here:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/switch-oled-256gb-nand-upgrade.608377/page-2#post-9762068

Very many thanks. I’m gonna grab one. No point not doing this right and getting a backup before I even touch the darned thing.

 

[binkinator]

Very many thanks. I’m gonna grab one. No point not doing this right and getting a backup before I even touch the darned thing.

Your V1 should be able to mount you eMMC for you as well. Might want to try that first.

 

[rcpd]

Your V1 should be able to mount you eMMC for you as well. Might want to try that first.

I had thought of that, but the problem is that I can’t have a Switch down for that long. My kids currently playing one and my wife will be when she gets done doing her after work thing.

I can wait. Gives me time to start the software side of it. Still no word from @vittorio.

@rehius Am I to assume I may ask you for pointers or advice? If not, that is perfectly acceptable.

Edit: thank you, @rehius. You’re very much appreciated.

 

[Adran_Marit]

I had thought of that, but the problem is that I can’t have a Switch down for that long. My kids currently playing one and my wife will be when she gets done doing her after work thing.

I can wait. Gives me time to start the software side of it. Still no word from @vittorio.

@rehius Am I to assume I may ask you for pointers or advice? If not, that is perfectly acceptable.

Edit: thank you, @rehius. You’re very much appreciated.

Good luck, this may seen like a stupid idea but why not compare the original firmware we got that was I'd locked (assuming it can boot atmosphere) compare it to the Ubuntu only one. Find where the sd payload is in the Id locked one and copy it over?

Note I'm not a programmer and have no idea I'd this would even work