Hacking Hardware HWfly-shaped Picofly boards start shipping in China

[snaker]

Hi Snaker,
Is there any quality concern on the flex cable too? (for the OLED version)
Could I get a random one from Aliexpress?
Thanks.

I dont know for sure if you can buy it as standalone (very high possibility it will be available) BUT i can tell you for sure that this flex does not work on the original oled clones. The 3.3v, gnd and other points are all messed up compared to plus model and dont use the same order. They do not have the same layout and you will make big damage if you use it at the wrong model. So in order to clarify things:
if you dont get the flex with the chip as a bundle and you dont know how to trace the points on flex dont use it because you will be in big trouble!
Now for the quality there are no conserns. You must be carefull of two things.

First use solder to the clk pad under the flex and then solder it on top of clk via point with lot of no clean flux !

Second in order to not have interference with dat0 point using the flex, because this will prevent you getting into OFW, you must see my pics from where you must trace the dat0 wire. Use exactly the same route that you can see at my pic and you will not have any interference. Also better use 30 awg wire to dat0 point instead of 36, that you can see in my pic, in order to be more safe of this issue.

I want to point out that the inteference issue happens only while using these flex cables. There is no issue if you use cables all the way!

 

[g.maverick]

if you dont get the flex with the chip as a bundle and you dont know how to trace the points on flex dont use it because you will be in big trouble!

I was planning to use a "standard" rp 2040 which I have already at home, but I can see the layout may differ so I will make sure to double-check. Thanks for the advice.

I want to point out that the inteference issue happens only while using these flex cables. There is no issue if you use cables all the way!

It seems cable is the way to go at this point!

 

[twins333]

I was planning to use a "standard" rp 2040 which I have already at home, but I can see the layout may differ so I will make sure to double-check. Thanks for the advice.

It seems cable is the way to go at this point!

If you're using the standard rp2040 you might want to also consider switching the ribbon cable with the back-of-the-board mosfet install, since it's pretty easy to install and has better compatibility than this roulette with the ribbon.
See here for more info: https://gbatemp.net/threads/picofly-a-hwfly-switch-modchip.622701/page-560
Also these mosfets worked just fine: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004109640991.html

 

[minimanimo]

Hello,
I've managed to boot to the "No SD Card" screen with an HwFly RP2040 (picofly clone). It consistently boots, but if insert a microsd with Hekate+ Atmosphere package, after the glitch (so blue led and then yellow led) I get a black screen.
If I remove the micro sd card from the reader and power on, the “No SD Card” screen is shown successfully.

I tried with 3 different SD cards (256GB, 64GB and 32GB). I have tried formatting with both “SD Card formatter” and “Rufus”.
For the content: I tried an already complete package found in a tutorial, I also tried another package from [KEFIR 709, Atmosphere 1.5.5, hekate 6.0.6].
Nothing, still the same problem.

Any idea/tip? Thanks

 

[QuiTim]

Hello,
I've managed to boot to the "No SD Card" screen with an HwFly RP2040 (picofly clone). It consistently boots, but if insert a microsd with Hekate+ Atmosphere package, after the glitch (so blue led and then yellow led) I get a black screen.
If I remove the micro sd card from the reader and power on, the “No SD Card” screen is shown successfully.

I tried with 3 different SD cards (256GB, 64GB and 32GB). I have tried formatting with both “SD Card formatter” and “Rufus”.
For the content: I tried an already complete package found in a tutorial, I also tried another package from [KEFIR 709, Atmosphere 1.5.5, hekate 6.0.6].
Nothing, still the same problem.

Any idea/tip? Thanks

What model of Switch? Where are you getting the 3v3 point for this board? Do you have pictures of installation?

 

[minimanimo]

What model of Switch? Where are you getting the 3v3 point for this board? Do you have pictures of installation?

Hi @QuiTim,

I have Mariko V2.

Where are you getting the 3v3 point for this board?

If you mean the soldering point, in this case I only soldered the V2 adapter supplied with the modchip.

Here a couple of pictures:

 

[QuiTim]

Hi @QuiTim,

I have Mariko V2.


If you mean the soldering point, in this case I only soldered the V2 adapter supplied with the modchip.

Here a couple of pictures:

On Lite models there was a similar problem caused by the 3v3 which is not the case here.
Did you try to boot to OFW just to see if everything still works?
Also, there are some small capacitors above sdcard module, check if they are still there

 

[minimanimo]

On Lite models there was a similar problem caused by the 3v3 which is not the case here.
Did you try to boot to OFW just to see if everything still works?

Nope, I actually lost the possibility to boot to OFW when I've installed the modchip. I've described the issue in this thread: https://gbatemp.net/threads/blue-screen-of-death-installing-and-removing-hwfly-switch-v2.636248/


If I remove the modchip and try to power one the console, I get black screen.

 

[abal1000x]

On Lite models there was a similar problem caused by the 3v3 which is not the case here.
Did you try to boot to OFW just to see if everything still works?
Also, there are some small capacitors above sdcard module, check if they are still there

Lol its a blackscreen problem, not a 3.3v sdcard source issue.
I think in here safely i said, stay away from opening the cpu case.
The back pcb is the safer method.
Opening the cpu case, and ship happened you got blackscreen.
This is v2, not even an oled. So corrupting the emmc because of dat0 adapter is not even a possibility.

Editted:
After seeing the picture.
Since the hwfly route the whole emmc socket.
Its still possible that the hwfly circuitry faked it up.

 

[QuiTim]

Lol its a blackscreen problem, not a 3.3v sdcard source issue.
I think in here safely i said, stay away from opening the cpu case.
The back pcb is the safer method.
Opening the cpu case, and ship happened you got blackscreen.
This is v2, not even an oled. So corrupting the emmc because of dat0 adapter is not even a possibility.

Editted:
After seeing the picture.
Since the hwfly route the whole emmc socket.
Its still possible that the hwfly circuitry faked it up.

You are right, but as I said there was a similar issue on Lite model where if you sourced 3v3 from the cap above sdcard module it would not work afterwards when sd card was inserted.
Since this is a v2 it has nothing to do with that.
I think both @Dee87 and @floxcap had a same issue a couple of months back, I don't know if you guys ever got the chance to figure it out what the problem was?

 

[Hassal]

Nope, I actually lost the possibility to boot to OFW when I've installed the modchip. I've described the issue in this thread: https://gbatemp.net/threads/blue-screen-of-death-installing-and-removing-hwfly-switch-v2.636248/


If I remove the modchip and try to power one the console, I get black screen.

If you cloned your chip try booting emunand. You should be able to boot into that assuming your nand isn't corrupt.

If you cannot boot into emunand you can rule out the possibility of needing resistors on those lines.

 

[minimanimo]

If you cloned your chip try booting emunand. You should be able to boot into that assuming your nand isn't corrupt.

If you cannot boot into emunand you can rule out the possibility of needing resistors on those lines.

Hi @Hassal,

I've had some problems with this chip, never got past the "No Sd card" screen. I've never booted a payload, I don't have any backups.
The only backups I have are encrypted, as extracted with MmcblkNX reader.

Can you give me more info on what you suggested previously?

Thanks in advance

 

[Dee87]

You are right, but as I said there was a similar issue on Lite model where if you sourced 3v3 from the cap above sdcard module it would not work afterwards when sd card was inserted.
Since this is a v2 it has nothing to do with that.
I think both @Dee87 and @floxcap had a same issue a couple of months back, I don't know if you guys ever got the chance to figure it out what the problem was?

Yeah i did have a issue with one device that a customer brought me after he installed a hwfly chip in his oled.

i did try a few things, rebuilding firmware, checking the whole board for shorts and co never found the issue.
the board ended up as a donor board since he didnt wanna spend to much money on fixing it and i personally tried to fix it just to find what caused the issue but after several hours i just doomed it as a donor board and was done with it.

i think in my case there was something wrong with the ram.

Post automatically merged: Aug 31, 2023

Hi @Hassal,

I've had some problems with this chip, never got past the "No Sd card" screen. I've never booted a payload, I don't have any backups.
The only backups I have are encrypted, as extracted with MmcblkNX reader.

Can you give me more info on what you suggested previously?

Thanks in advance

what reading do u get when u hook your switch to a usb meter? if u have one ?

 

[minimanimo]

what reading do u get when u hook your switch to a usb meter? if u have one ?

I actually don't have it
I've followed one YouTube video regarding checking the power faults on IC and I didn't find any short on surrounding capacitors. Don't know if can help

 

[Hassal]

Hi @Hassal,

I've had some problems with this chip, never got past the "No Sd card" screen. I've never booted a payload, I don't have any backups.
The only backups I have are encrypted, as extracted with MmcblkNX reader.

Can you give me more info on what you suggested previously?

Thanks in advance

I misunderstood. So you can't inject payload?
Sounds like an SD issue.

Does your PC recognize the device when you plug it in?

 

[minimanimo]

I misunderstood. So you can't inject payload?
Sounds like an SD issue.

Does your PC recognize the device when you plug it in?

With the micro SD inserted, I get black screen. Without micro SD, I have the "No SD Card" screen as third photo in my previous post


I've tried with 3 different MicroSD, but all formatted as ExFat. I will try with Fat32, but I bet won't work.
Also, cannot boot on OFW

 

[QuiTim]

With the micro SD inserted, I get black screen. Without micro SD, I have the "No SD Card" screen as third photo in my previous post


I've tried with 3 different MicroSD, but all formatted as ExFat. I will try with Fat32, but I bet won't work.
Also, cannot boot on OFW

At this point, sdcard does not matter. You need to try and figure out what is wrong with the switch and fix booting to ofw.
Once this is fixed it will boot from sd.
If possible, you could try and solder picofly to it and see what error codes it gives (if any) and maybe this would point us in the right direction

 

[minimanimo]

At this point, sdcard does not matter. You need to try and figure out what is wrong with the switch and fix booting to ofw.
Once this is fixed it will boot from sd.
If possible, you could try and solder picofly to it and see what error codes it gives (if any) and maybe this would point us in the right direction

Hi,
HwFly RP2040 (picofly clone) is already soldered and connected. There is no error code, as it boot to the "No SD card" screen with the Raspberry logo as expected.
The modchip starts with blue light and then one yellow, as successful glitch.
This happen both with and without SD card, so I assume the modchip is doing is work as expected.

 

[Hassal]

At this point, sdcard does not matter. You need to try and figure out what is wrong with the switch and fix booting to ofw.
Once this is fixed it will boot from sd.
If possible, you could try and solder picofly to it and see what error codes it gives (if any) and maybe this would point us in the right direction

He needs to inject TegraExplorer in order to fix his sysnand.
If sysnand isn't fixed first there's no way to boot into OFW.

His problem is definitely related to the SD card. There's nothing preventing the chip from injecting the payload.

Post automatically merged: Aug 31, 2023

Hi,
HwFly RP2040 (picofly clone) is already soldered and connected. There is no error code, as it boot to the "No SD card" screen with the Raspberry logo as expected.
The modchip starts with blue light and then one yellow, as successful glitch.
This happen both with and without SD card, so I assume the modchip is doing is work as expected.

Do you still get the blackscreen even without the payload.bin?

 

[abal1000x]

His problem is definitely related to the SD card. There's nothing preventing the chip from injecting the payload.

I highy doubt the sd card is the problem.