Hacking Hardware Switch Lite Rehab (no no no)

[binkinator]

So I bought this $80 Switch Lite to experiment w/ the Pico Fly discussion going on over here:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/pikofly...-modchips-or-not.622701/page-14#post-10058218

With all the money I saved buying a broken Switch Lite I decided it was time to invest in those poor children of Extremerate engineers to ensure they can afford to go to college!

(In reality I just wanted an excuse to buy a Lite and custom mod it.)

Here’s what we’re starting with:



Cheap Switch Lite with a cracked screen

Laminated one piece screen replacement from Ali E https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804496995627.html
Extremerate soft touch shell (white)
Extremerate buttons (white)
Extremerate glass protector (white rim) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801218913400.html
Gulikit Hall Effect joysticks (joysticks in the switch are shot!)
Satifeye grip and case (there goes the budget)
HWFLY modchip (in case the Picofly thing doesn’t work) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803809562640.html
Rpi 2040-zero (in case the Picofly thing works out!) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804090654134.html
Super tiny USB to UART adapter (want to mount it inside to UART-A since Lite has no Joycon rails)
Silver Magnetic USB cable (to connect to internal UART)

I’ll be following this guide and replacing things as I go

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+Lite+Screen+Assembly+Replacement/156978

I’ll add some more pics and links as I come across things that deviate from the guide or are just generally interesting…

I guess this might be mildly interesting…she’s completely stripped down. I hope I remember where all these screws go!

 

[icantfly]

what color is the screen bezel? think u gonna need some adhesive for it too

 

[binkinator]

what color is the screen bezel? think u gonna need some adhesive for it too

The bezel is white. I have got to have some sticky stuff laying around that I can make work. :-)

 

[TheStonedModder]

So I bought this $80 Switch Lite to experiment w/ the Pico Fly discussion going on over here:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/pikofly...-modchips-or-not.622701/page-14#post-10058218

With all the money I saved buying a broken Switch Lite I decided it was time to invest in those poor children of Extremerate engineers to ensure they can afford to go to college!

(In reality I just wanted an excuse to buy a Lite and custom mod it.)

Here’s what we’re starting with:

View attachment 353879

Cheap Switch Lite with a cracked screen
View attachment 353881
Laminated one piece screen replacement from Ali E https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804496995627.html
Extremerate soft touch shell + buttons (white)
Extremerate glass protector (white rim) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801218913400.html
Gulikit Hall Effect joysticks (joysticks in the switch are shot!)
Satifeye grip and case (there goes the budget)
HWFLY modchip (in case the Picofly thing doesn’t work) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803809562640.html
Rpi 2040-zero (in case the Picofly thing works out!) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804090654134.html
Super tiny USB to UART adapter (want to mount it inside to UART-A since Lite has no Joycon rails)
Silver Magnetic USB cable (to connect to internal UART)

I’ll be following this guide and replacing things as I go

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+Lite+Screen+Replacement/137376

I’ll add some more pics and links as I come across things that deviate from the guide or are just generally interesting…

Is it my end/gbatemp or are only the first 2 images in this post loading?

Spoiler

 

[binkinator]

Is it my end/gbatemp or are only the first 2 images in this post loading?

Spoiler

Hmmm. Yes only two actual pics. The rest should be links (Auto formatted…I’d prefer just the links but oh well)

My end looks like this:

Spoiler: My end

Maybe tap in the empty space?

 

[WigWrm]

Very cool. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

 

[binkinator]

Very cool. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

I wrapped up the easy parts earlier today. I did a strike through of everything that’s done in the OP.

Here’s what left (and my excuse for not getting it done yet):

• HWFLY modchip (pending new curved cable)
• Rpi 2040-zero (still pending reverse engineering efforts)
• Tiny USB to UART adapter (space is tight yo!)

Had a mishap with the curved cable on the modchip. I desoldered all the components trying to “tin” the back of the mosfet circuit board so I got a little buzz killed. Ordered another cable set and will finish the rest when it come in from China.

Without further ado, here are the latest glamour shots:


Family photo with V1 back left and V2 back right


Solo


Butt shot


With Satisfye grip and slim case


grip is self standing with room for 90mdegree power cable in “mini TV mode”


Edging


Underboob


Overall I’m pretty happy with how it’s turning out.

 

[slaphappygamer]

That’s awesome. Looks great! I had a soft touch shell on my joycon, also from extreme rate. I wasn’t very stoked on them. They seem to be plasti-dipped, but not “sealed”. I mean, there seems to be no coat to protect the image. Within a year, the corners started to peel. Hopefully, yours won’t do that. Also, I have kids playing mine too. I like to share, but damn, kids are hard on things. Lol.

 

[binkinator]

That’s awesome. Looks great! I had a soft touch shell on my joycon, also from extreme rate. I wasn’t very stoked on them. They seem to be plasti-dipped, but not “sealed”. I mean, there seems to be no coat to protect the image. Within a year, the corners started to peel. Hopefully, yours won’t do that. Also, I have kids playing mine too. I like to share, but damn, kids are hard on things. Lol.

I’m definitely concerned about this. Feels soft and…fragile. If it starts peeling like a bad car wrap I’ll swap it out. The Switch Lite is so easy to work on, it’s not too awful a prospect.

Truth be told I wanted to buy the one piece aluminum shell from Macho Nacho but site says sold out with a note that they were hard to build so they aren’t likely to do another run. :-(

 

[slaphappygamer]

I wonder….if you had a CAD file for the housing, it could be sent to an online metal shop. I recently had some pieces made out of steel at SendCutSend.com. They accept CAD files and seem to cut almost anything.

 

[binkinator]

I wonder….if you had a CAD file for the housing, it could be sent to an online metal shop. I recently had some pieces made out of steel at SendCutSend.com. They accept CAD files and seem to cut almost anything.

My wallet just shuddered a little in my pocket just thinking about the number of times I would have to fail to make a proper CAD drawing. I know how badly I screw up 3D printing models. I made a button to fix our Washing machine. It’s a rectangle with a bendy circle in the middle. Took me 4 tries to get it right! LOL

Post automatically merged: Feb 19, 2023

what color is the screen bezel? think u gonna need some adhesive for it too

The kit I linked came with adhesive!

It was a rectangle but I cut it into 4 strips and put them on one side at a time because it was too hard to try to line up the entire sticky rectangle.

 

[cearp]

How much of an upgrade is the laminated screen? I want to get one too!

 

[binkinator]

How much of an upgrade is the laminated screen? I want to get one too!

You have to strip the entire machine down. The Switch Lite is, in my opinion, WAY easier to manage. The case is a bit more “wiggly?”, things are in bigger chunks and less complex and even the screen was easier to pop out. I didn’t even need to use hot air on my Lite where it was way more dicey on my V1.

I did a write up on my V1 replacement over here:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/aluminum-switch-wip.614047/page-3#post-9975399

Lite was child’s play in comparison…

e: here are the iFixit instructions for the Lite

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+Lite+LCD+Replacement/137376
(rated Moderate)

vs the V1

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+LCD+Replacement/117395
(rated Difficult)

I agree!

 

[Lamcza]

That’s awesome. Looks great! I had a soft touch shell on my joycon, also from extreme rate. I wasn’t very stoked on them. They seem to be plasti-dipped, but not “sealed”. I mean, there seems to be no coat to protect the image. Within a year, the corners started to peel. Hopefully, yours won’t do that. Also, I have kids playing mine too. I like to share, but damn, kids are hard on things. Lol.

Extreme rate sucks: / i get dpad mod on my v1 from them and the dpad sucks so much in it(it is completely flat and pointless!) ... plus i have once slightly dirty hands from some red marker and I cant clean it off from gray joy cone shells...

In addition fitting is bad I need to sand off a few parts to make it work even when they send me a replacement for these parts they still are as bad as the og parts they are sending to me.

 

[binkinator]

Adding the bits I did for the jim.sh UART

Here’s my final pics of the inside of the Switch Lite. I forgot to hook up a GND wire in the previous pic.



Here’s a cleaned up diagram based on CTCaer’s pic.



Here it is in action!


“It is finished” -Jesus


Full Frontal


Overhead Drone Shot

Spoiler: Secret OnlyFans Pics

Oh, you naughty little monkey, you!

Here you go!

Magnets!

With LED!

Post automatically merged: Mar 11, 2023

Instructions for wiring up the UART on a Switch (now including the https://Jim.sh)

https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-make-a-joycon-rail-uart-to-capture-boot-log.625784/

 

[hippy dave]

Extreme rate sucks: / i get dpad mod on my v1 from them and the dpad sucks so much in it(it is completely flat and pointless!)

I've found that wedging a bit of rounded plastic of the right size under the d-pad makes it roll like a proper pad, and I've been really happy with it since. I guess the ideal shape of plastic would be a hemisphere, but the first bit I tried was like a corner that broke off the top of one of the screw posts inside the shell, and it worked great.

 

[Lamcza]

I've found that wedging a bit of rounded plastic of the right size under the d-pad makes it roll like a proper pad, and I've been really happy with it since. I guess the ideal shape of plastic would be a hemisphere, but the first bit I tried was like a corner that broke off the top of one of the screw posts inside the shell, and it worked great.

i have moded it ;P with a polished screw head it is working like dpad now but still hate it i need a rubber pad dpad so i will mod it again but it sucks because i buy it for dpad and dpad is the weakest point of it...

 

[cearp]

How much of an upgrade is the laminated screen? I want to get one too!

You have to strip the entire machine down. ...

Sorry, I meant how much better is the screen compared to the original

 

[binkinator]

Sorry, I meant how much better is the screen compared to the original

Indoors, not much difference. Walking around outside it‘s pretty damn cool. I’ve had mine outside twice, once to see the impact of the different angle of light refraction, and another time when I went to a relatives house. There might be times when it’s a little better indoors but I don’t notice it on the daily.

 

[O_xTanjax_O]

What is the UART mod thing you did there? What does it do? (as i proceed to look up this on google)