Hardware Can anyone identify this ribbon cable? New 2DS XL

GC64

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I took apart my New 2DS XL last night, and I'm having some issues reassembling it. There are about 7 ribbon cables to reconnect, but there is one of them where every time I reconnect it, the console won't turn on. If I unplug it, it boots up fine. So can anyone identify this ribbon cable or maybe why its doing this? Maybe its not being plugged in all the way? idk.. This is a picture with the ribbon cable disconnected and its connector right above it.

EDIT: Apparently I can't upload an image because I'm a new user? Well that is inconvenient. Then I guess my new question will have to be is there any reason plugging in a ribbon cable to its proper connector can cause the system to not turn on? If it helps you can look up new 2ds xl internals and the ribbon cable is the bottom one in the middle, left of the battery.
 

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I took apart my New 2DS XL last night, and I'm having some issues reassembling it. There are about 7 ribbon cables to reconnect, but there is one of them where every time I reconnect it, the console won't turn on. If I unplug it, it boots up fine. So can anyone identify this ribbon cable or maybe why its doing this? Maybe its not being plugged in all the way? idk.. This is a picture with the ribbon cable disconnected and its connector right above it.

EDIT: Apparently I can't upload an image because I'm a new user? Well that is inconvenient. Then I guess my new question will have to be is there any reason plugging in a ribbon cable to its proper connector can cause the system to not turn on? If it helps you can look up new 2ds xl internals and the ribbon cable is the bottom one in the middle, left of the battery.
Use imgur, then post a link to the pic.
 

GC64

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My question is, does anything other than the battery have to be connected to the motherboard (like ribbon cables or plugs) for the blue "on" light to appear when I turn the board on? Because after disassembling it again, I can't seem to turn the system on at all. There are only a couple scratches that were made when unscrewing the board.. I can't tell if I'm missing something. I mean it worked fine before disassembling, so its crazy to think the system broke just like that from some scratches that removed some solder mask.
 

SirNapkin1334

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My question is, does anything other than the battery have to be connected to the motherboard (like ribbon cables or plugs) for the blue "on" light to appear when I turn the board on? Because after disassembling it again, I can't seem to turn the system on at all. There are only a couple scratches that were made when unscrewing the board.. I can't tell if I'm missing something. I mean it worked fine before disassembling, so its crazy to think the system broke just like that from some scratches that removed some solder mask.
If there was solder that was scratched off, perhaps you unbridged a connection? I would take mine apart to check but I don't have a Tri-Wing.
 

GC64

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If there was solder that was scratched off, perhaps you unbridged a connection? I would take mine apart to check but I don't have a Tri-Wing.
Solder mask, not solder, the green stuff covering the copper. But it was only scratched in a plain green area so I don't see how it could have shorted or unbridged anything.
 

SirNapkin1334

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Solder mask, not solder, the green stuff covering the copper. But it was only scratched in a plain green area so I don't see how it could have shorted or unbridged anything.
Oh, I see. Perhaps that ribbon cable is connected to another, and both need to be connected? Just a guess, make sure all ribbon cables are connected. Perhaps your plugging it into the wrong spot? You shouldn't have to twist them–if you allow them to assume their natural positions, they will be more or less on their connector.
 

GC64

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Oh, I see. Perhaps that ribbon cable is connected to another, and both need to be connected? Just a guess, make sure all ribbon cables are connected. Perhaps your plugging it into the wrong spot? You shouldn't have to twist them–if you allow them to assume their natural positions, they will be more or less on their connector.
I have connected everything, yet it still won't turn on. I should also mention the charge light does turn on when I plug in the charger, yet it wont power on still.
 

GC64

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Alright I've spent the entire day trying to figure out what happened, and I still have no idea. All I am looking for right now is to see the blue light, which I'm not getting.

I guess my question is , then, do the ribbon cables have to be connected to the board for the blue light to turn on? Or does it just need the battery? Maybe I accidentally tore a ribbon cable somewhere, causing the light to not turn on at all? I have no clue.
 
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All connections have to be connected and secure in order for the 3DS/2DS to properly boot up including both LCDs, camera, and speaker assembly. If even one is not seated right or the corresponding cable has a broken lead, the system will boot up blank or boot up/shut off. You might have to start using a multimeter to probe end-to-end leads in the flex cables, see which ones are open/disconnected.
 

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All connections have to be connected and secure in order for the 3DS/2DS to properly boot up including both LCDs, camera, and speaker assembly. If even one is not seated right or the corresponding cable has a broken lead, the system will boot up blank or boot up/shut off. You might have to start using a multimeter to probe end-to-end leads in the flex cables, see which ones are open/disconnected.
Thanks for the info. I understand the system wont boot if they're not connected properly, but what about the blue light? Will the blue light at least turn on for a brief second? Or could a bad ribbon cable cause the light to not show up at all? (my situation)
 
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A non-working blue light when trying to boot.. i hate breaking the bad news.... but that sounds like it may be a hard brick. Try disconnecting and reconnecting single cables one at a time (ie, have only one cable unconnected at any time). If you get a blue light response with any disconnected ribbon configuration, you're N2DSXL is still in the green with intact working motherboard.
 

GC64

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A non-working blue light when trying to boot.. i hate breaking the bad news.... but that sounds like it may be a hard brick. Try disconnecting and reconnecting single cables one at a time (ie, have only one cable unconnected at any time). If you get a blue light response with any disconnected ribbon configuration, you're N2DSXL is still in the green with intact working motherboard.
See I just don't think it could be a hard brick. All I did was disassemble a 100% working system and made a couple rough scratches around one of the motherboard's screws, but nothing I think that would completely destroy the system.. But earlier today, I disconnected one of the ribbon cables and the system turned on, blue light and everything. But after I disassembled it a second time, I got no power once again but removing that same ribbon cable made no difference that time :/
 
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The tricky thing about electronics is that scratches that damage a single, hairline subsurface trace you can't even see without a microscope can ruin the entire board. Constantly exposing the motherboard to on and instant off due to electric surges from poor cable connections cause electric spikes/leaks that can kill the weakest SMD components god knows where when they die. Even unsafe handling of fabrics, rubbing your sock against the floor with build up of static electric > one finger touch shock = instant hard brick.

N2DSXL.png


Let me know if this is indeed a N2DSXL motherboard. If so, which of these connectors did you fiddled that last got the blue light to turn on?

Edit : Also, what happens when you try charging the 2DS with a not fully charged battery? Does the orange charging LED comes and stay on?
 
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GC64

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The tricky thing about electronics is that scratches that damage a single, hairline subsurface trace you can't even see without a microscope can ruin the entire board. Constantly exposing the motherboard to on and instant off due to electric surges from poor cable connections cause electric spikes/leaks that can kill the weakest SMD components god knows where when they die. Even unsafe handling of fabrics, rubbing your sock against the floor with build up of static electric > one finger touch shock = instant hard brick.

N2DSXL.png


Let me know if this is indeed a N2DSXL motherboard. If so, which of these connectors did you fiddled that last got the blue light to turn on?

Edit : Also, what happens when you try charging the 2DS with a not fully charged battery? Does the orange charging LED comes and stay on?

#3 is the ribbon cable. When I removed it, the system turned on. But that was before I disassembled it again; now that’s not having an effect. But still, the blue light wouldn’t appear at all until that one was removed.

Also yes, when I plug in the charger the orange light will stay lit. I also fully charged it overnight and it cut off when done, meaning the protection circuitry still works
 
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Can't tell for sure if #3 is the flex cable that leads to the front camera or upper LCD.

Nintendo 2DS XL Teardown - Full, Detailed Disassembly Guide


@ 6:11 time mark, tear down specialist points out the cables for 4 & 5?? are bundled and lead to the hinges.

Best guess is that it's the front camera.
 

GC64

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Can't tell for sure if #3 is the flex cable that leads to the front camera or upper LCD.

Nintendo 2DS XL Teardown - Full, Detailed Disassembly Guide


@ 6:11 time mark, tear down specialist points out the cables for 4 & 5?? are bundled and lead to the hinges.

Best guess is that it's the front camera.

Yes, it is the front camera. I should have specified that. But of all ribbon cables, that is the one that caused me problems.
 
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Yes, it is the front camera. I should have specified that. But of all ribbon cables, that is the one that caused me problems.
If reseating it does not fix boot up, your camera flex cable is shot. Time to get a replacement new camera assembly. You won't be able to boot until your motherboard is able to sync with camera. If you later change this out with a replacement and that still doesn't fix it, your problem lies in either a different faulty component -or- the motherboard has a not so obvious hard bricked.
 

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If reseating it does not fix boot up, your camera flex cable is shot. Time to get a replacement new camera assembly. You won't be able to boot until your motherboard is able to sync with camera. If you later change this out with a replacement and that still doesn't fix it, your problem lies in either a different faulty component -or- the motherboard has a not so obvious hard bricked.
When you say hard bricked, is it something that can be fixed? Like replacing a fuse that's shot?

I'd also like to add that, as I mentioned before, I can boot without the camera attached at all, that's how I got it to turn on the first time -- by not connecting it at all. The blue light wouldn't even show until the camera was disconnected. Is there even an explanation for that? Maybe the camera's ribbon had a short, therefore shorting the entire system when plugged in?
 
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When you say hard bricked, is it something that can be fixed? Like replacing a fuse that's shot?

I'd also like to add that, as I mentioned before, I can boot without the camera attached at all, that's how I got it to turn on the first time -- by not connecting it at all. The blue light wouldn't even show until the camera was disconnected. Is there even an explanation for that?

A hard brick means an electronic device is now a paper weight due to physical damage that either makes it non-repairable or neigh impossible to resuscitate. Whichever one of those tiny SMD components died on your N2DSXL due to electric surges/shorts finally killing it, could be anyone's guess. For all intents, hard bricks equate permanent death.

You may have been able to boot without that camera attached then, but that's no longer the case for your latest attempts. Unless you have a spare intact/known working front camera to test against, your N2DSXL with its boot response exhibiting no blue light would point to a hard brick state.
 
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GC64

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A hard brick means an electronic device is now a paper weight due to physical damage that either makes it non-repairable or neigh impossible to resuscitate. Whichever one of those tiny SMD components died on your N2DSXL due to electric surges/shorts finally killing it, could be anyone's guess. For all intents, hard bricks equate permanent death.

You may have been able to boot without that camera attached then, but that's no longer the case for your latest attempts. Unless you have a spare intact/known working front camera to test against, your N2DSXL with its boot response exhibiting no blue light would point to a hard brick state.
Oh, alright. Well that sucks, but I’ve ordered another 2ds xl that had a broken screen which I plan to just swap motherboards with. Thanks anyway for all the help!
 

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