Hardware Transplanting parts between Switch Models (Ex: Switch to Switch Lite)?

[Deleted User]

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[Rahkeesh]

1. Battery life is from improved processor/memory efficiency, the battery itself is identical

2. My Mate Vince on youtube already did several takes on a Switch Mini built out of the OG parts.

 

[PonyStation4]

The Switch Lite comes out on the 20th... who are these people who already have it and could have attempted these things?

 

[Deleted User]

1. Battery life is from improved processor/memory efficiency, the battery itself is identical

2. My Mate Vince on youtube already did several takes on a Switch Mini built out of the OG parts.

1. Yeah, I figured it couldn't have just been due to the battery. Does this mean moving Forward these models will be the typical one's from the store (As opposed to an entirely new product like the DS lite was to the DS)?

2. That sounds really cool, could I please have a link to his channel?

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The Switch Lite comes out on the 20th... who are these people who already have it and could have attempted these things?

Oh, I totally forgot, I am so sorry.

 

[CompSciOrBust]

2. That sounds really cool, could I please have a link to his channel?

https://www.youtube.com/user/mymatevince

 

[FAST6191]

Two examples come to mind which I am having difficulty finding information on & would be very curious to hear other's thoughts on.

1. Could the Improved Battery from the HAC-001(-01) be used in an older Model or would it not be compatible (Or perhaps are there other factors in design that contributed to the improved battery life, which the older console would lack)?

2. While Software Modding is not an option for the Switch Lite, has anyone tried to adapt an Original Switch's Motherboard (presumably of a Hacked Console) to fit into the Switch Lite's smaller shell & interface with the parallel parts (Screen, Controls, Sound Output, etc)? If there has been no publicly known attempt, would it even be theoretically possible or are there larger fundamental issues that could not be overcome (Not in terms of costs, but technologically speaking)?

1. Yeah, I figured it couldn't have just been due to the battery. Does this mean moving Forward these models will be the typical one's from the store (As opposed to an entirely new product like the DS lite was to the DS)?

I will go a bit more theoretical design if you want.

Transplant of batteries then.

There are a few main factors to consider here.

1) Size. If smaller you can usually still tape it in or build a cage for it. Cutting a battery down though is a bad plan (depending upon the chemistry then potentially lots of fire there) so that tends to involve cutting down a board or something else, increasing internal size, or externalising it.

2) Voltage. What safety factors the devs employed or are sensible to use (can handle but will die in two years rather than 20 sort of thing) vary here but it is easy to go beyond it by changing out off the shelf things. Voltage management is possible and modern DC-DC conversion is impressive.

2a) Internal resistance should not be a problem for most things these days but historically it has been.

3) Chemistry. More of a problem in rechargeables but not absent outside it (stick cheapo zinc-carbon in a high drain application and... yeah). There are sub chemistries as well -- lithium ion batteries sometimes having different charge management requirements.

4) Identification and communications chips. Sometimes these are simple EEPROMs that need something programmed in, or for the charge count to be twiddled. Other times this is a full bore DRM setup that might see you have to cannibalise something. Other times temperature sensors will be involved, though commonly these are resistance based so historically people bypassed them with a resistor and kept an eye on it themselves. Some batteries have their own management onboard.



As far as shell swapping then I have not seen any comparative shots at this point, to say nothing of potentially different sub revisions of board (if a chip supply dried up then the later batches of old model might use parts from newer devices).

Anyway theoretically possible... that is a wide potential list there. Between board trimming (people doing wii board trimming might be a good start here to see how silly it can get -- https://hackaday.com/2018/10/08/worlds-smallest-wii-is-also-worlds-worst/ ), sorting ribbon issues by flying your own wires, possibly making a stand off to increase apparent space, making custom boards to handle any controller alignment issues and stuff like that you can get far. None of it is especially beyond someone capable of doing board repair either -- the 3d modelling aspects for a stand off might be harder but generally that would be a single or two view holes of different depths through it and some longer screws or snap tabs rather than full bore mechanical stress taking 3d job.
That said I doubt we will be seeing drop in replacements, or drop in with a few custom ribbons and wire extensions. Outside chance of something like a few custom boards, case expander and such kit but that would be a fairly extensive kit and we don't tend to see such mods approach anything like a commercial form much these days.


As far as DS to DS lite then I don't know what Nintendo's plans are here. Operating parallel lines when you have essentially the same product is not usually great business -- budget line and professional line is one thing but as both do essentially the same thing I don't know.

 

[Deleted User]

I will go a bit more theoretical design if you want.

Transplant of batteries then.

There are a few main factors to consider here.

1) Size. If smaller you can usually still tape it in or build a cage for it. Cutting a battery down though is a bad plan (depending upon the chemistry then potentially lots of fire there) so that tends to involve cutting down a board or something else, increasing internal size, or externalising it.

2) Voltage. What safety factors the devs employed or are sensible to use (can handle but will die in two years rather than 20 sort of thing) vary here but it is easy to go beyond it by changing out off the shelf things. Voltage management is possible and modern DC-DC conversion is impressive.

2a) Internal resistance should not be a problem for most things these days but historically it has been.

3) Chemistry. More of a problem in rechargeables but not absent outside it (stick cheapo zinc-carbon in a high drain application and... yeah). There are sub chemistries as well -- lithium ion batteries sometimes having different charge management requirements.

4) Identification and communications chips. Sometimes these are simple EEPROMs that need something programmed in, or for the charge count to be twiddled. Other times this is a full bore DRM setup that might see you have to cannibalise something. Other times temperature sensors will be involved, though commonly these are resistance based so historically people bypassed them with a resistor and kept an eye on it themselves. Some batteries have their own management onboard.



As far as shell swapping then I have not seen any comparative shots at this point, to say nothing of potentially different sub revisions of board (if a chip supply dried up then the later batches of old model might use parts from newer devices).

Anyway theoretically possible... that is a wide potential list there. Between board trimming (people doing wii board trimming might be a good start here to see how silly it can get -- https://hackaday.com/2018/10/08/worlds-smallest-wii-is-also-worlds-worst/ ), sorting ribbon issues by flying your own wires, possibly making a stand off to increase apparent space, making custom boards to handle any controller alignment issues and stuff like that you can get far. None of it is especially beyond someone capable of doing board repair either -- the 3d modelling aspects for a stand off might be harder but generally that would be a single or two view holes of different depths through it and some longer screws or snap tabs rather than full bore mechanical stress taking 3d job.
That said I doubt we will be seeing drop in replacements, or drop in with a few custom ribbons and wire extensions. Outside chance of something like a few custom boards, case expander and such kit but that would be a fairly extensive kit and we don't tend to see such mods approach anything like a commercial form much these days.


As far as DS to DS lite then I don't know what Nintendo's plans are here. Operating parallel lines when you have essentially the same product is not usually great business -- budget line and professional line is one thing but as both do essentially the same thing I don't know.

Now that the switch lite has actually come out (And assuming you have watched one of the teardown videos of the console) how would you change your theoretical assessment, if in anyway at all? If not the switch itself, what about re-purposing some of the more general components of the shell to make a portable of an older console not universally accessible via emulation on handheld devices (IE, PS2 or Gamecube)?

 

[IC_]

2. While Software Modding is not an option for the Switch Lite, has anyone tried to adapt an Original Switch's Motherboard (presumably of a Hacked Console) to fit into the Switch Lite's smaller shell & interface with the parallel parts (Screen, Controls, Sound Output, etc)? If there has been no publicly known attempt, would it even be theoretically possible or are there larger fundamental issues that could not be overcome (Not in terms of costs, but technologically speaking)?

The only way to make a switch lite that's hackable like the original switch is probably to swap the CPU but that is very hard
You would also get worse battery life because of the less efficient processor and you would need to find some solder point where the joycon pin for entering RCM is

 

[Deleted User]

The only way to make a switch lite that's hackable like the original switch is probably to swap the CPU but that is very hard
You would also get worse battery life because of the less efficient processor and you would need to find some solder point where the joycon pin for entering RCM is

Oh, no I did not mean to say make the switch lite hackable, but instead transplant the Original Switch's Board (With necessary trimming & other such sacrifices) to replace the actual Switch Lite's Board and if doing so would there be any possibility of it being functional or would it be doomed from the start?

 

[IC_]

Oh, no I did not mean to say make the switch lite hackable, but instead transplant the Original Switch's Board (With necessary trimming & other such sacrifices) to replace the actual Switch Lite's Board and if doing so would there be any possibility of it being functional or would it be doomed from the start?

That is probably impossible or extremely hard and I'm not sure if it would even fit after being trimmed
Swapping the CPU is probably possible and some professional expensive repair shop could probably to that for you
The normal switch board also doesn't have the joycon buttons and stuff like the switch lite

Before the switch lite came out and was announced I was thinking about trimming a switch board and make something like a DS that has the screen in the top part and the main board and stuff in the bottom and some basic controller with probably 3DS circle pads and I thought a switch mini would make it easier because of the smaller board and screen but that controller part seems to have some important chips and parts so I'm not really sure about that
If you're making a custom portable like this you have a custom and thicker (and uglier) case that can fit different boards but I doubt you would be able to fit a normal switch board into the switch lite in any way

 

[senas8]

Bump. Now that some time has passed, has anyone attempted to swapping a fat switch inside a lite?