Hardware Scanlines on N3DS XL

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Apache Thunder

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The config savegame definitely appears to store information on the panel settings. I removed just that save game and allowed my 3DS to make a new one. (it acted like it was reset. After setting it up again, the only thing I actually lost was my primary Mii. But my FC and other data was still there). After that my LCD panels returned to normal.


You can find that save game in CTRNAND FAT16 partition at the following folder location:

Data\[Folder with really long name]\sysdata\00010017\00000000

The "00000000" being the save data file it self.

"[Folder with really long name]" is a folder consisting of a long string of numbers and letters. That's unique to the console and is linked to the movable.sed folder found in the private folder. Note you can't just move the config save game from a different console (or even a different emunand of the same console if that one was seeded from a different movable.sed) since you also need to copy over the movable.sed file. Also note that this folder's name matches the name of the folder the 3DS will generate on in the Nintendo 3DS folder on the SD card.

To safely move the movable.sed file from one console to another, you have to zero out the first 4 bytes after the "SEED" header and delete any data after 0x120 (immediately after the KeyY data). Once you do that , you can use the config save data file that was linked to that movable.sed. You should allow it to create the initial folder in the data folder first by allowing it to boot at least once with the new movable.sed. You will be presented with the language select screen. At this point you don't have to continue. Just power it off and extract emunand partition and inject the relevant files.

Hopefully something will get released that allows extracting/injecting content of data folder as that is still tedious to do right now. Ability to decrypt/encrypt the save data located there would also be great. One could then try and edit the config file directly once it's known where the LCD Panel settings are stored.
 

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I finally came across a really good IPS panel with the scanlines being very difficult to detect. Of the many N3DS XL screens I have come across, interestingly enough it seems like units where the serial number beginning with a 4 rather than a 1 have a much higher chance of looking good.

I have my other IPS n3DS XL to compare it to so I know I'm not just imagining that it's better. It's MUCH better. Maybe it's a different manufacturer (I noticed a very little bit of backlight bleed on the sides which is not on my other IPS panel) so maybe that has something to do with it. The scanlines show up on my newer unit for like maybe 10 seconds tops when you first open the system but then they are virtually impossible to see after that (the only place I can barely notice it is when playing a GBC game, the purple color of the GBC border shows it slightly). Overall, I have to say yes, it is possible to get an IPS with *almost* no scanline effect but it's really difficult and time-consuming.
 

leonmagnus99

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i have had a very similar problem to the op of this thread, mine could have been scanlines i never thought about it.

scanlines plus ugly flickering top screen, freaked me out.

luckily it fixed itself somehow.. after giving it some rest.
 

Apache Thunder

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Sorry for bumping the thread, but I found something interesting. If you have Gateway, take Config.csu from SDK (rename to 3DS) and put on your Gateway red card. (there is no working CIA conversion of this dev app that I know of). Then run it. I think 2.3.4 is the last available SDK version you can get config from.

In the "LCD" settings menu there is an adjustment for flicker. I changed it to a high number and noticed scanlines. Perhaps if you use this on n3DS with scanline issues and lower the number (for my o3DS XL it was set to 0x75) it might solve the scanline issues some n3DSes have?

I noticed really low or high numbers caused the scanlines to appear. Perhaps Nintendo just fudged that setting up at the factory for some n3DSes due to some having a different LCD panel that doesn't get along with the single setting they might be setting on all the n3DSes?

EDIT: Added a screenshot. Here's where to find the relevant settings for "flicker":

snapshot20150718233734.jpg
(click to enlarge - Yes I'm using googly eyes as top screen bumpers. :P )

Note that my settings may not be what yours will be. Adjust the settings on the screen you have scanline issues on until you no longer see the scanlines. :D
 
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NekoMichi

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I know exactly the effect you're talking about.

If the console screen isn't moving relative to the player's eyes then the effect isn't visible, but if the screen is sliding up and down or moving nearer/further away from the eyes, then dark horizontal lines appear to scroll across the screen. The effect happens under both fluorescent and non-fluorescent environmental lighting as well as in the dark with a backlight or built-in frontlight.

I've experienced this effect on GBC, GBA, GBA SP, DSi, and DSi XL, all of which I fixed by adjusting the potentiometer on the main logic board. The issue hasn't occurred on DS and O3DS or any other non-Nintendo portable devices with screens. My N3DS XL upper screen is affected too and like most of the people in this thread, I checked hi-res photos of the N3DS XL logic board from iFixit but didn't see any potentiometers. I did the sideways screen test and found that both my DS and O3DS are using TN displays while my N3DS XL has an IPS display, unfortunately it's on a newer sysNAND and can't be further tested with a Gateway card. Hopefully someone could come up with a homebrew application that can fix this via Ninjhax.

Here's a summary of devices tested:
GameBoy (DMG-01): Not affected
GameBoy Pocket (MGB-001): Not affected
GameBoy Light (MGB-101): Not affected
GameBoy Color (CGB-001): Affected, fixed via potentiometer adjustment
GameBoy Advance (AGB-001): Affected, fixed via potentiometer adjustment
GameBoy Advance SP (AGS-001): Affected, fixed via potentiometer adjustment
DS (NTR-001): Not affected, TN display
DSi (TWL-001): Affected, fixed via potentiometer adjustment (TN display)
DSi XL (UTL-001): Affected, fixed via potentiometer adjustment (problem returns after a few days)
3DS (CTR-001): Not affected, TN display
New 3DS (KTR-001): Not affected, TN display
New 3DS XL (RED-001): Affected, no potentiometer on logic board
 
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dekuleon

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Sorry for bumping the thread, but I found something interesting. If you have Gateway, take Config.csu from SDK (rename to 3DS) and put on your Gateway red card. (there is no working CIA conversion of this dev app that I know of). Then run it. I think 2.3.4 is the last available SDK version you can get config from.

In the "LCD" settings menu there is an adjustment for flicker. I changed it to a high number and noticed scanlines. Perhaps if you use this on n3DS with scanline issues and lower the number (for my o3DS XL it was set to 0x75) it might solve the scanline issues some n3DSes have?

I noticed really low or high numbers caused the scanlines to appear. Perhaps Nintendo just fudged that setting up at the factory for some n3DSes due to some having a different LCD panel that doesn't get along with the single setting they might be setting on all the n3DSes?

EDIT: Added a screenshot. Here's where to find the relevant settings for "flicker":

View attachment 21788
(click to enlarge - Yes I'm using googly eyes as top screen bumpers. :P )

Note that my settings may not be what yours will be. Adjust the settings on the screen you have scanline issues on until you no longer see the scanlines. :D

Hey man this is very nice!

Are there more users reporting succes using this to 'fix' the N3DS?

This should be more highlited!
 
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Pereb

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Hi, long time lurker here. Bumping this post because I'd like to find out more about this and to share my experience so far.

I'll start by saying that the TN panels DO actually suffer from the same issue to a variable extent, and I believe the correct term for it is pixel inversion artifacts (and is not exclusive to 3DS, I've seen this on computer monitors and TVs aswell).
When the LCD voltage isn't properly calibrated, the IPS panel will show a line pattern as you already know, and the TN panels will show a checkerboard pattern. I've seen this on O3DS XL (both screens) and N3DS XL TN bottom screen and it's very irritating. (I have no experience with N3DS XL TN top screen, or IPS bottom screen).

I attempted to adjust the voltage with Config.csu on my N3DS XL (don't have the old one anymore) and I succeeded in adjusting the bottom screen, but attempting to adjust the top screen did nothing.

There's two possible causes, either the voltage on the IPS screen is hardwired, or you need a more recent version of Config.csu (correct me if I'm wrong but I assume the 2.3.4 SDK was out long before the N3DS was released).

If possible, I'd appreciate it if someone could test this on a TN N3DS XL and see if changing the flicker value causes a change on the top screen.
 
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Pereb

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Got a hold of a standard N3DS, and the config tool definitely affects the top screen. This pretty much confirms that the IPS screen voltage is hardwired. Thanks Nintendo :(
 

Pereb

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How would I go about rectifying the scanline problem with the config tool?

If you have an IPS top screen, you most likely can't, as I explained above. If you have a TN top screen and are getting a checkerboard pattern (they have this instead of scanlines) you can adjust it.
Anyway, in LCD setting, there are two settings "top flicker" and "bottom flicker". When you select one, the corresponding screen will show a test pattern (which isn't very useful if you ask me) and you can change the value (either up or down, you need to find a value specifically for your screen) to reduce it, then press B twice (it should say "DONE"). Try a game, rinse and repeat.
 
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shinyquagsire23

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The HWCAL files foud on NAND also seem to effect LCD calibration as well, there's a large block in there for my small N3DS which doesn't exist in my o3DS's HWCAL files. This block actually gets shipped to LCD registers, but if I placed my o3DS HWCAL on my N3DS it would create a checkered effect. There might be more to configuration than just the settings in the config app.
 
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Hammyface

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Is there any way to do this software adjustment on my DSi XL? It has scanlining that annoys me to no end. Luckily the DSi XL has potentiometers, but I am worried about them breaking off because I fix it and then it somehow comes back. I would love a software method of adjusting it. I have a DSi and 3DS flashcart if it matters. Maybe somehow Config.csu could be converted to a DS ROM? I know CIA is out of the question supposedly.

Thank you for any info anyone can provide.
 
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Hammyface

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Sorry for bumping the thread, but I found something interesting. If you have Gateway, take Config.csu from SDK (rename to 3DS) and put on your Gateway red card. (there is no working CIA conversion of this dev app that I know of). Then run it. I think 2.3.4 is the last available SDK version you can get config from.

In the "LCD" settings menu there is an adjustment for flicker. I changed it to a high number and noticed scanlines. Perhaps if you use this on n3DS with scanline issues and lower the number (for my o3DS XL it was set to 0x75) it might solve the scanline issues some n3DSes have?

I noticed really low or high numbers caused the scanlines to appear. Perhaps Nintendo just fudged that setting up at the factory for some n3DSes due to some having a different LCD panel that doesn't get along with the single setting they might be setting on all the n3DSes?

EDIT: Added a screenshot. Here's where to find the relevant settings for "flicker":

View attachment 21788
(click to enlarge - Yes I'm using googly eyes as top screen bumpers. :P )

Note that my settings may not be what yours will be. Adjust the settings on the screen you have scanline issues on until you no longer see the scanlines. :D

Dude, I love you. You are such an amazing asset to this community.

This has completely fixed the scanline issue that has been plagued me since the day I got my n3ds XL. Trying to ignore it wasn't working and I actually got a small n3DS because those have TN panels and do not have the issue.

But now, I dug out my n3DS XL with the IPS panel and I did your fix and holy crap, it works! I used my Gateway card to boot config.3ds. I changed the upper screen's value to 0x75 (interestingly, mine was defaulted to 0x84), and I rebooted my system. And guess what? Scanlines are completely gone!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!

Now if I can only somehow get this to work on my DSiXL. The top screens on those are IPS, too, and have the scanline effect pretty bad. There are physical potentiometers I can adjust, but it seems like the scanlines always come back a day or two after I fix them. I thought maybe the pots were somehow turning on their own but after the last time I did it, I actually hot glued the pot down and the issue came back, so it's not that. So strange. I wish I knew why it did that.

But anyway, thank you again so much man! I can't believe this actually worked! I guess Nintendo is sending these things out of the factory with the wrong values or something! You're the best!

edit: it came back after a few days, or I somehow simply didn't see them after changing the values :(
 
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Apache Thunder

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Oh. There's now a SDK 11.4 version of Config (available as a CIA too) out there on that site that must not be named. :P

That one can be tested on n3DS to check if it fixes top screen scan lines. One user here reported the old version didn't impact his issue for the top screen so he can see if the newer Config helps. But good to see one other user got it fixed on both screens. :D
 
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NekoMichi

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N3DS XL (9.2 sysNAND/10.5 emuNAND), SDK 11.4
I used Config Tool and reduced flicker from 0x84 to 0x6A and it seemed to do the trick. I'm guessing that setting the value to too high or low can cause damage to the LCD?
 

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Guess you guys are luckier than I am. Not getting any change here with Config 11.4, tried on both sysnand and emunand. Unless I'm missing something... did you two adjust anything other than top flicker? Are you both using Gateway?

Also, around when did you get your XL? I'm guessing I have an older revision than you two.
 
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Guess you guys are luckier than I am. Not getting any change here with Config 11.4, tried on both sysnand and emunand. Unless I'm missing something... did you two adjust anything other than top flicker? Are you both using Gateway?

Also, around when did you get your XL? I'm guessing I have an older revision than you two.
I'm using Reinand, my N3DS XL was from June last year. The top flicker setting was the only variable I modified, what value was yours by default and which values have you tested?
 

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I'm using Reinand, my N3DS XL was from June last year. The top flicker setting was the only variable I modified, what value was yours by default and which values have you tested?

0x84 (as they all seem to be), tried a bunch of settings including 75, 6A, 4A, 10, AA, D0, FF, can't see any change at all.
 
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