Hardware Need help hard modding an original 3DS.

[Spork Schivago]

Hello,

I need some help modding my brothers original 3DS. I decided to go with a mini USB port (I am aware of the dangers with using this more common of a port). I successfully made an adapter. I used a MicroSD to SD adapter. I tore it apart very careful like, I stripped the wires on the end of a mini USB cable and soldered them to where the MicroSD card normally goes. I then took a mini USB port and soldered four wires on to it.

I know where CMD, DAT0, and GND go. However, I'm having trouble figuring out where I solder the clock signal, CLK. Looking at pictures, it appears that I need to remove the game cartridge "shield". Is this true or is there an easier way to find this connection? In the picture I'm following ( https://gbatemp.net/threads/micro-usb-or-micro-sd-mod-on-normal-3ds.363454/#post-4945027 ), it appears the guy creates a pad and has it connected somewhere to the underside of the PCB. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Spork Schivago]

I ended up going for the CLK test pad on the underside of the board. Now I just need to solder the other three wires. Wondering what's the best way to route the wires...

 

[Spork Schivago]

So, I finished hardmodding my brothers 3DS. I believe I soldered everything correctly, however, when I turn it on now, there's a blue screen and boot code 8046. Is this normal? How do I make it go away? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[piratesephiroth]

So, I finished hardmodding my brothers 3DS. I believe I soldered everything correctly, however, when I turn it on now, there's a blue screen and boot code 8046. Is this normal? How do I make it go away? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

it should not display an error when it's not connected to the SD reader

 

[The Real Jdbye]

If it's showing the error without the reader connected, check your soldering and make sure you haven't bridged anything on the board or in the adapter.

 

[Spork Schivago]

It worked. The blue screen was because the adapter was plugged in. After reading the firmware twice, I wrote the old firmware and she's running fine. Now, I want to take the firmware up to the highest version that the Gateway 3DS can handle without needing internet access. We have Luigi's Mansion 2. Would this game take the SysNAND to the highest version the Gateway can support without internet access?

 

[Spork Schivago]

Never mind. I guess the key when you're going from 4.2.x to 4.5.x is to make certain!!! you're not hooked to the internet. That's what got my brother the latest firmware to begin with. He borrowed Luigi's Mansion - Dark Moon. I knew it only needed 4.5 to work. I said he could hit update. Not only did it update it to 4.5, it connected to the net and downloaded the latest for some reason. This time, I just deleted the internet connection, popped the game in, and she updated to 4.5.0-9u! Thanks guys!!!!

 

[Cavioe]

Never mind. I guess the key when you're going from 4.2.x to 4.5.x is to make certain!!! you're not hooked to the internet. That's what got my brother the latest firmware to begin with. He borrowed Luigi's Mansion - Dark Moon. I knew it only needed 4.5 to work. I said he could hit update. Not only did it update it to 4.5, it connected to the net and downloaded the latest for some reason. This time, I just deleted the internet connection, popped the game in, and she updated to 4.5.0-9u! Thanks guys!!!!

But make sure you tell your brother to not play newer games on the sysnand. Some games have cart updates on it that are higher than 9.2. But since you have a hardmod you can always revert back.

 

[Spork Schivago]

Yeah, this might be a problem. I'm a biological child to my parents and I have a biological sister, but my parents were foster parents and adopted special need kids (my parents were very nice). The kids aren't kids anymore, physically, but mentally, my brother Jaison, he probably has an IQ of an 8 or 10 year old. Great kid though, really cool and always wanting to help me fix stuff. I think it's probably best I leave the mini USB port in. Also, I really tip my hat to the people that hard mod these things for a living. It was a lot more harder than I thought it'd be. At first, I thought making the custom cable was the hardest. Then I thought using a file to file the 3DS to add the mini USB port was the hardest, then I thought soldering the cables to the mini USB port was the hardest! Finally, I realized the hardest part was soldering a wire to CLK! Usually things get easier as you go along, but with this thing, it just kept getting harder and harder!

The good thing is the mini USB port is real tight in there. You have to push the cable really hard to get it in. This should help prevent Jaison from trying to plug the 3DS into a USB port on a PC using a mini USB to USB cable.Yes!