Hacking hardware-faulty GW card: I need help to locate the issue

[tyons]

soooo, my GW was faulty from the start. it was one of these that gave some error when trying to update its firmware. one day, I asked someone to resolder the faulty pin. even after that, it wouldn't update, but the next day it did on the first try (this was a year ago, or even more. a few minutes ago I force-reupdated the firmware and it worked on the first try).
problem: from that day, the GW card started to not recognize consistently the microsd card. I gave up trying to play with .3ds games a year ago, and then played some other games on the PC.
one week ago or so, I wanted to play a certain game on the 3ds, so I tried to put some tape in the GW card to force the pins to make contact. it worked... until yesterday.
all of a sudden, while I was playing, the black screen with "hold the power button" appeared. now my gateway won't recognize the microsd card anymore. it's "read error" every time, which is the same it gives if you don't have a microsd card inserted in the GW.

this is clearly an hardware issue (don't even bother telling me to try changing microsd card, reformatting, etc., I already tried all that, and it's evidently the GW card's fault anyway) but I need help to locate which pin/s could be the culprit/s. I dunno, maybe there are some experts around that know which pins do what.
the pins on which I put the tape are the ones on the right side, the same side of the pin that got resoldered.

related post(s), with images of the card after the soldering (inside the spoiler): http://gbatemp.net/threads/keep-get...to-install-gateway.369810/page-2#post-5119780

in the second image, you can see a pin that looks really off. it seems it was already like that, but I'm not 100% sure. anyway, in that week in which the tape method worked I didn't touch that pin, so it's unlikely to be the culprit.

thanks for the help.


edit: of course I can't get a replacement.

 

[tony_2018]

Than return it for a replacement, why would you waste time trying to figure out the issue when you have the option of getting a replacement from the reseller.

 

[Ante0]

Than return it for a replacement, why would you waste time trying to figure out the issue when you have the option of getting a replacement from the reseller.

I doubt he'll get a replacement after opening it up and soldering it. Unless OP somehow can prove it was like that before soldering.
Of course one could always try...

 

[tyons]

guys, which part of "one year ago" did you miss? lol
also I actually bought the card on november 2013. so yeah.

 

[piratesephiroth]

Well, it's 2015. You can survive without Gateway.
At least for now.

 

[sweis12]

Just use RxTools.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Try running the diagnostics test. Put the gw_testrom.nds on the microsd first, then it will perform a more thorough test of the microsd.

 

[tyons]

Just use RxTools.

you're offtopic. I'm trying to understand how to get my gateway repaired, here.

Try running the diagnostics test. Put the gw_testrom.nds on the microsd first, then it will perform a more thorough test of the microsd.

it's not the microsd card's fault, really. the tape method worked, only that it seems it couldn't last forever.

 

[tony_2018]

soooo, my GW was faulty from the start

faulty from the start, and you wait 1yr to talk about it...

 

[The Real Jdbye]

you're offtopic. I'm trying to understand how to get my gateway repaired, here.



it's not the microsd card's fault, really. the tape method worked, only that it seems it couldn't last forever.

Doesn't matter. The diagnostics test will help you pinpoint the issue, maybe it's fixable.
You could also try to force a fpga update by holding R on entering the gw menu.

I must say that the pin that looks all bent out of shape is likely to be causing some sort of problems and you should try to get that bent back into the correct position and resoldered.

 

[Deleted-19228]

Just use RxTools.

I usually use my gateway card to boot my emunand instead of rxtools simply because rxtools has the absolute worst boot success rate. I literally sat here for one day for 30 minutes rebooting the system until it finally exploited properly.

 

[StriderVM]

rxTools has like a 99.9% bootrate. Are you sure you're not talking about Palantine CFW?

 

[Zidapi]

faulty from the start, and you wait 1yr to talk about it...

*two years actually

 

[tony_2018]

*two years actually

The next generation flash card users are really starting to disappoint me on how they handle there own situations. Might as well give your money to "fill it in".

 

[sweis12]

I usually use my gateway card to boot my emunand instead of rxtools simply because rxtools has the absolute worst boot success rate. I literally sat here for one day for 30 minutes rebooting the system until it finally exploited properly.

Ive never once had RxTools fail to boot....

 

[tyons]

faulty from the start, and you wait 1yr to talk about it...

*two years actually

it's ironic (?). the gateway-guys didn't make firmware updates right away. I'm pretty sure the first one was several months after I bought the card, so I really couldn't know it was faulty, before that.
moreover, even

Doesn't matter. The diagnostics test will help you pinpoint the issue, maybe it's fixable.

but how can it work if the GW card can't read the microsd?

You could also try to force a fpga update by holding R on entering the gw menu.

already done, I wrote it.

I must say that the pin that looks all bent out of shape is likely to be causing some sort of problems and you should try to get that bent back into the correct position and resoldered.

yeah, but the fact that putting the tape on the other pins made everything work (for a week) and that the guy who "fixed" my GW was sure he didn't touch that pin, makes me think that maybe that pin is not used or anyway is not the cause of the problem. every other function of my GW card works as it should. maybe I'll leave it as a last resort.


to the others: stop talking about refunds or buying a new one. I want to try to fix this one because I hate to waste things and money (the guy didn't make me pay for the repair). if it won't get fixed, I'll buy a new one. I already found the site to buy it from.
about the custom firmwares: I don't wanna buy an sd card for .cias. I'd prefer to buy a new gateway (which is more reliable than CFWs, it seems).
so yeah, talking about refunds and CFWs = being offtopic. please stop. thanks.

 

[Deleted-19228]

Ive never once had RxTools fail to boot....

Don't know. 3 different n3DS's all the same issue. All running 9.0 USA. Gateway boots every time though *shrug* the failures are worse attempting to boot with themehax. Booting from CN is usually better.