Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[B89BER]

I don't know if anyone has posted this, but it might come in handy.
The 3.3V pin on the Switch Lite is very small. You can make it easier by soldering yourself to the place next to it.

 

[angelC992]

A capacitor is usualy placed between VCC and Ground to smoothen or to reduce noise/ripple.
So one side is positive voltage, the other side is ground. If you've damaged the trace or accidentally removed the cap then it's probably ok to leave it as is without the capacitor, it could cause instability though. But you don't want to bridge the 2 pads. Bridging these will cause a short cirquit and will cause damage to the system.

I tried to bridge those pads without capacitor, but that was after the Switch Lite doesn't boot.



Is It dead or can a professional repair it? I was talking with a guy who repair Switch consoles. He told me my Nintendo should power on without this capacitor so he needs to check everything in motherboard carefully.

 

[rehius]

I don't know if anyone has posted this, but it might come in handy.
The 3.3V pin on the Switch Lite is very small. You can make it easier by soldering yourself to the place next to it.View attachment 364491

there is a much better point

Spoiler: Lite 3v3

V.2 is here of the PicoFly install guide

https://easyupload.io/5zhege

it would be awesome to also cover the toolbox features in this guide

 

[RiotRetroGaming]

Just done a Friend's OLED.
I think I'm doubling my install price for these holy moly Batman! That DAT0 is a PITA.
And to get it reliable so I don't get any comebacks... took 3 attempts (had to buy a SMD air heater).

Finally cracked it by this method...

Added flux around whole eMMC, Started of 90c 1 min, then 150c 1 min, 200c 1 min, added more flux, then finally 260c 1 min and lots of flux.

Checked the solder point and got around 0.600 odd on the diode tester.

Boots everytime now. Tried 2.5 first, then when I was happy, updated to 2.6 and removed usb & both buttons.

Pretty chuffed, used to do SMD, but soldering under microscope, never used air.

Post automatically merged: Apr 12, 2023

Is there a cad file I can send off to produce some picofly flex's yet?

Thanks,
Ant

 

[B89BER]

there is much better point

Valuable note, but if I glue the RP2040 over the RAM, it is more convenient to pull the cable from above. At least for me.

 

[lenoa]

got my flex from ali after 2 weeks waiting,
nuke flash rpi to 2.64 directly
v2 toshiba , first boot 3 minutes now like 5 sec.
check all works good , backup etc etc. remove port and button and shorten the cable.

thx you, brb play games

Post automatically merged: Apr 12, 2023

V.2 is here of the PicoFly install guide

https://easyupload.io/5zhege

there is no rp2040 zero pin diagram might add some

 

[SQc04]

I made an RP2040 small board,
I hope it can be used

 

[DonZott]

I tried to bridge those pads without capacitor, but that was after the Switch Lite doesn't boot.



Is It dead or can a professional repair it? I was talking with a guy who repair Switch consoles. He told me my Nintendo should power on without this capacitor so he needs to check everything in motherboard carefully.

Hard to say if it's dead or not. I don't know where that 3.3v line come's from or where it goes to.
My field is laptop motherboard repair, I don't have experience with switch motherboards.
Maybe it's only the black component to the left of the missing cap that's damaged, maybe your 3.3v voltage regulator is damaged. Somebody that has experience with switch motherboards might be able to help you.

You say the wire disconnected when you assembled the switch. When you resoldered the wire, did you have the battery still plugged in?

 

[abal1000x]

Just done a Friend's OLED.
I think I'm doubling my install price for these holy moly Batman! That DAT0 is a PITA.
And to get it reliable so I don't get any comebacks... took 3 attempts (had to buy a SMD air heater).

Finally cracked it by this method...

Added flux around whole eMMC, Started of 90c 1 min, then 150c 1 min, 200c 1 min, added more flux, then finally 260c 1 min and lots of flux.

Checked the solder point and got around 0.600 odd on the diode tester.

Boots everytime now. Tried 2.5 first, then when I was happy, updated to 2.6 and removed usb & both buttons.

Pretty chuffed, used to do SMD, but soldering under microscope, never used air.

Post automatically merged: Apr 12, 2023

Is there a cad file I can send off to produce some picofly flex's yet?

Thanks,
Ant

I watch on sthetix youtube he doesn't reheat the eMMC only lock it by soldering side by side.
Have you tried that method?
I wonder the reliability of that method.

 

[ifgfgfgfgfgfg]

View attachment 364497View attachment 364498
I made an RP2040 small board,
I hope it can be used

Where can I buy?

 

[Dandan0404]

I wonder the reliability of that method.

base from the yt videos and sthethix latest video

Its better for friction method since no more reballing/reheating and when you reheat it will crack 3 months+ down the line.

 

[SQc04]

Where can I buy?

It is currently only an engineering sample

 

[angelC992]

Hard to say if it's dead or not. I don't know where that 3.3v line come's from or where it goes to.
My field is laptop motherboard repair, I don't have experience with switch motherboards.
Maybe it's only the black component to the left of the missing cap that's damaged, maybe your 3.3v voltage regulator is damaged. Somebody that has experience with switch motherboards might be able to help you.

You say the wire disconnected when you assembled the switch. When you resoldered the wire, did you have the battery still plugged in?

I'm not sure, but It can be posible that battery was plugged on.

 

[abal1000x]

Valuable note, but if I glue the RP2040 over the RAM, it is more convenient to pull the cable from above. At least for me.

In my opinion, better be from the side, because you need not to put the cable near the heat stick, and secondly do not need to take of the gamecard flex cable, which without a good handle, might broke the connector.

Unfortunately i know it recently. I've already used 3.3v from the top according to the sthetix diagram. If i could redo the time, i will put it on the side.

Post automatically merged: Apr 12, 2023

I'm not sure, but It can be posible that battery was plugged on.

If the Short Circuit problem still not fixed, at least take the battery connector out, to minimize the damage. The + and gnd must not short circuit.

 

[B89BER]

In my opinion, better be from the side, because you need not to put the cable near the heat stick, and secondly do not need to take of the gamecard flex cable, which without a good handle, might broke the connector.

Unfortunately i know it recently. I've already used 3.3v from the top according to the sthetix diagram. If i could redo the time, i will put it on the side.

Unfortunately, I also soldered from the top to the capacitor, which kept breaking my connection. I didn't know about the sideways method. In my opinion, both solutions are better than soldering to the capacitor.

 

[lightninjay]

there is a much better point

Spoiler: Lite 3v3

View attachment 364492

it would be awesome to also cover the toolbox features in this guide

I'll see what I can do after getting home from work this evening, but it shouldn't be too difficult to add to a V.3

 

[ppeach]

there is a much better point

Spoiler: Lite 3v3

View attachment 364492

it would be awesome to also cover the toolbox features in this guide

I used this 3.3v point.
PIKO works fine.

 

[vittorio]

rp2040 with flat https://m.tb.cn/h.UHON8V1?tk=q8d6dPs1FBE

 

[cliffkhew]

The 3.3V cap soldering point is a dangerous point,this tiny cap is super fragile and easily broken and missing by soldering heat built up by seconds.The 3.3V wiring diagram mess up the micro soldering work.Just use the alternate point.

 

[ZERO2028]

V1 ribbon cable on Mariko. Works perfectly with V2 console.
I will definitely be more "gentle" with a ribbon cable next time. This one was just for the science.