Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[tsukimaru]

Do you think that replacing the fan would fix it? I can find nothing about this specific issue online anywhere

nvm, I just tried with a regular switch fan and there was no difference. It appears that the problem comes from the board. I want to shoot myself as this is for someone who leaves the country tomorrow :') fml

 

[Contra8bit]

SOLVED! Problem was in buggy version from important post.

 

[lightninjay]

this thread really needs to be split into a firmware thread and an installation thread. it sucks sifting through all the installation stuff when i just want to read about firmware changes, bugs, observations etc

Just a heads up, Rehius does actually edit and update his post as a basic firmware (with changelog) and it is available in a tab at the top of every page in this thread.

Click "Important Posts" and inside there is only one link. Firmwares. This is a direct link to Rehius post that gets updated with each new release.

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2023

I don't know why, but 2.72 doesn't work. I checked it on rev2 and oled (SKhynix). On BOTH chip flashes 2 shorts (flashes 3 times (** ** **), just like if you connect the rp2040 to a PC). I checked the soldering, cleaned everything of flux, but probably it doesn't matter. Since if I put 2.66, then everything works. What could be the reason? On both I used cpu flex cable.

Again, I will assume you downloaded the firmware from Github (which is NOT directly released from Rehius, it is a delayed mirror posted by someone else)

Download the one from Rehius' post mentioned above.

 

[ThiagoDaruma]

Just a heads up, Rehius does actually edit and update his post as a basic firmware (with changelog) and it is available in a tab at the top of every page in this thread.

Click "Important Posts" and inside there is only one link. Firmwares. This is a direct link to Rehius post that gets updated with each new release.

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2023

Again, I will assume you downloaded the firmware from Github (which is NOT directly released from Rehius, it is a delayed mirror posted by someone else)

Download the one from Rehius' post mentioned above.

I downloaded version 2.72 of the pin you mentioned and it doesn't flash red when injecting the firmware. yellow green led blinker

 

[lightninjay]

I downloaded version 2.72 of the pin you mentioned and it doesn't flash red when injecting the firmware. yellow green led blinker

View attachment 372526

Correct, the guide has not been updated to the newest LED flashes for firmware 2.70 and up. That is a fairly recent release, and in that same pinned post, there is an explanation of the new LED flashes.

 

[deeps]

So I tried the SDA/SCL points on a switch lite with v2.72 (single mosfet, single cap) and received.... much worse glitch timings? now it's 10-50s, up from 3-30s. confusing.
I followed the traces and the points certainly match the pins on the MAX77812EWB+ chip at least, and all measurements are good.

 

[Contra8bit]

Again, I will assume you downloaded the firmware from Github (which is NOT directly released from Rehius, it is a delayed mirror posted by someone else)

Download the one from Rehius' post mentioned above.

Actually I dont know about github, but redownload again from important post and that helps. Thanks!

 

[deeps]

Just a heads up, Rehius does actually edit and update his post as a basic firmware (with changelog) and it is available in a tab at the top of every page in this thread.

Click "Important Posts" and inside there is only one link. Firmwares. This is a direct link to Rehius post that gets updated with each new release.

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2023

Again, I will assume you downloaded the firmware from Github (which is NOT directly released from Rehius, it is a delayed mirror posted by someone else)

Download the one from Rehius' post mentioned above.

I'm aware. but there are two separate discussions going on in the thread; one regarding software and one regarding hardware. I'd like them separate.

 

[ThiagoDaruma]

Is there any way to know that flex dat0 is shorted to other spheres before turning everything on and testing?
unfortunately I don't have a stencil for the nand here with me to do the reball work

 

[deeps]

Alternate SDA/SCL points on the switch lite, on the APU side of the motherboard. Don't even have to remove the apu cooler! The points are tiny and have to be scraped though.

 

[lightninjay]

Alternate SDA/SCL points on the switch lite, on the APU side of the motherboard. Don't even have to remove the apu cooler! The points are tiny and have to be scraped though.

Rehius pointed these points out in one of his posts, as they exist on all motherboard variants, but recommended against it, due to the small nature of the points.

 

[deeps]

Rehius pointed these points out in one of his posts, as they exist on all motherboard variants, but recommended against it, due to the small nature of the points.

Oh well, at least we have a better picture of them now.

 

[Dee87]

Hello everybody.
today the parts I bought from china to make the mod chip on my oled switch and 4 more customers arrived.
I already made hundreds of HWFLY and it will be my first PICOFLY.
I was confident with all the documentation I read and the solder work, but after reading some pages of the forum here I got a certain fear.
first and it would just do the job, but as soon as I installed the firmware on the 2040 I already had problems. when uploading the 2.72 firmware on the chip it flashed a "yellowish" light, maybe a green mixed with yellow?
I made the rgb mod and didn't get any difference.
after uploading firmware 2.67, the colors reacted as expected, red without mod and green with mod.
Was there any change in the leds in the new update? is it safe to use it? I saw it was posted yesterday, maybe it's too early?
I have 30awg colored cables for the APU mosfet, 3.3v and 0.1mm enameled copper cable for the others, would that be correct?
And then there's the big problem that I saw in some posts and that's what scared me the most.
I bought DAT0 adapters and they came with 3 anchor points. I put pictures, recommendation? I can't wait for other adapters, they would take almost 20 days to arrive.
I'm putting pictures of the mosfets and the DAT0 adapter:
View attachment 372512View attachment 372513

if u would the updates to the new firmware u would know the yellowish color is normal withthe new update.

yes safe to use

well u dont really need colored cables for the mosfet i would perfer 0.2 magnet wire since the soloring also adds to the thickniss and maght squezze wehen adding the Apu/ram shield.
0.1 for everythign else is correct .

well dat0 Adapters is a big discussion everybody swears on them but i always recommen take the emmc of reball and set a permanent dat0 Adapter.
and u will never have issues and thats the proper way to install then since dat0 adapters ar ein my eyes just a half ass job.
plus lot off cheap ones will give u issues over time but thats ur decision.

but since u make money of off them learn how to reball if u cant do it yet and do it the proper way :-)

 

[deeps]

if u would the updates to the new firmware u would know the yellowish color is normal withthe new update.

yes safe to use

well u dont really need colored cables for the mosfet i would perfer 0.2 magnet wire since the soloring also adds to the thickniss and maght squezze wehen adding the Apu/ram shield.
0.1 for everythign else is correct .

well dat0 Adapters is a big discussion everybody swears on them but i always recommen take the emmc of reball and set a permanent dat0 Adapter.
and u will never have issues and thats the proper way to install then since dat0 adapters ar ein my eyes just a half ass job.
plus lot off cheap ones will give u issues over time but thats ur decision.

but since u make money of off them learn how to reball if u cant do it yet and do it the proper way :-)

The green dat0 adapter with clk/cmd points as well is nice though. I prefer that one.

 

[Dee87]

The green dat0 adapter with clk/cmd points as well is nice though. I prefer that one.

Yeah they look interesting but don't they add to much thickness so u can add the shield?
Not sure I just prefer to have everything easely on handy and not wait weeks for supplies .

 

[deeps]

Yeah they look interesting but don't they add to much thickness so u can add the shield?
Not sure I just prefer to have everything easely on handy and not wait weeks for supplies .

It is thin enough to fit under the shield without any bulge. The green adapter comes pre-balled on both sides so there's no reballing needed.
The installation process is:
- Detach emmc (add flux around it, then heat 160c 1 minute, 260c 1 minute, 360c 1 minute, then 400c for a few seconds until it detaches if it hasn't already)
- Clean emmc pads on the motherboard with solder wick
- Clean emmc with solder wick
- Add flux to the emmc pads on the motherboard and align green adapter on top. heat 160c 1 minute, 260c 1 minute, 360c 1 minute. Then it should be nicely attached.
- add flux on emmc pads on top of the green adapter and align emmc on top. heat 160c 1 minute, 260c 1 minute, 360c 1 minute. Then it should be nicely attached.
- solder dat0, clk, cmd wires on the nice, large solder pads of the green adapter.

Post automatically merged: May 20, 2023

The Picofly RP2040 board in hwfly-style are available from the "main" hwfly sales store on aliexpress now. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005591152539.html

 

[H3xxCat]

I'm trying to understand what CPU fuses

The Picofly RP2040 board in hwfly-style are available from the "main" hwfly sales store on aliexpress now. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005591152539.html

 

[deeps]

View attachment 372541

Where are you? EU seems fine at least

 

[H3xxCat]

Where are you? EU seems fine at least

I assume whole US

 

[EAGLE-1]

can anyone please tell me how update those picofly-hwfly?? pc dont work,so can only update using hetake?? but if does,they start running in a old firmware and that can damage the console!,so those " new " chips cant be updated via usb like the old chips? thanks for the help