Hardware Hardware help with 2DS, involves ribbon cables.

WaterDemonBaku

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Hello ya'll, I would appreciate some help from anyone who knows a bit about the guts of the 2DS and about cables.

So awhile back I had bought 2 used 2DS units from someone who said they were broken, one I was able to fix with a bit of soldering and a new charger port, the other actually has a few problems that might be fixable hopefully.

The charging port is shot on it, and sadly I don't have another one on hand and won't be paid until next week, however, I am able to charge the battery though the other 2DS so that's not a big problem. What is a big problem are two tiny ribbon cables to the 2DS.

With the unit facing down and the back plate off, a ribbon cable on the right is not connected, this is for the circle pad. The other one is for what I assume to be something for the power related to the unit booting up? With the unit in the same position, it's located on the lower right corner of the unit, it sits next to another ribbon cable, which I assume is for the touch screen based on what I know.

Both cables are completely intact, after a bit of fidgeting I was able to confirm that when connected, both cables work, and the unit turns on and the circle pad works as intended.

Now this is the main problem; both ribbon cables attach to the motherboard of the unit with a tiny clamp that is very small, it's plastic, and for some reason, this clamp is not present on the socket for the circle pad cable, nor for the power cable. This was present when I first opened up the unit, and I have not been able to make a reliable connection with them without keeping the unit open. Electrical tape does not work and I am 100% certain glue is a very bad idea. (Hot or otherwise I believe.)

I could not find a picture of the motherboard for a 2DS, however, the clamp and ribbon cable is fairly identical to the image below, not so much in placement, but in functionality and the clamp, which is important for this situation.

https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/65nSweLxMxy1GFCG.medium

If anyone knows of any way of re-attaching these ribbon cables without the plastic clamp, it would be very much appreciated. Worse case scenario I lost one unit, but I still own another one. I plan on getting another 3DS with my next check, (I'm thinking Mahogany with a Wensleydale top cover,) but if I could get this unit working, it would very much be "tubular," as they say in the "Supra Mayo Wold" game.

Thank you again for your time.

:):):)
 

KevinLSX

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I guess you could cut some paper and put it on one side of the ribbon cable and make sit flush in the connector, just for now
 

kehkou

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I used orange electric tape for the circle pad, works like a charm.

The tabs are replaceable if you can get ahold of either a non-functioning o3ds or 2ds motherboard
 

kehkou

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All right, I'll go find some that might work better and post back here with any progress.
I used copper tape, but you have to be very careful with that stuff. Also make sure you have whatever fragment of the tab that remains, and put it into place before taping; this will help to make a secure connection.
 
Last edited by kehkou,

WaterDemonBaku

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I used copper tape, but you have to be very careful with that stuff. Also make sure you have whatever fragment of the tab that remains, and put it into place before taping; this will help to make a secure connection.

I would use the plastic tabs, however, they weren't present when I first opened up the unit. Be it from someone else opening it prior to me owning it, or they got knocked out when someone dropped it.
 

The Real Jdbye

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Hello ya'll, I would appreciate some help from anyone who knows a bit about the guts of the 2DS and about cables.

So awhile back I had bought 2 used 2DS units from someone who said they were broken, one I was able to fix with a bit of soldering and a new charger port, the other actually has a few problems that might be fixable hopefully.

The charging port is shot on it, and sadly I don't have another one on hand and won't be paid until next week, however, I am able to charge the battery though the other 2DS so that's not a big problem. What is a big problem are two tiny ribbon cables to the 2DS.

With the unit facing down and the back plate off, a ribbon cable on the right is not connected, this is for the circle pad. The other one is for what I assume to be something for the power related to the unit booting up? With the unit in the same position, it's located on the lower right corner of the unit, it sits next to another ribbon cable, which I assume is for the touch screen based on what I know.

Both cables are completely intact, after a bit of fidgeting I was able to confirm that when connected, both cables work, and the unit turns on and the circle pad works as intended.

Now this is the main problem; both ribbon cables attach to the motherboard of the unit with a tiny clamp that is very small, it's plastic, and for some reason, this clamp is not present on the socket for the circle pad cable, nor for the power cable. This was present when I first opened up the unit, and I have not been able to make a reliable connection with them without keeping the unit open. Electrical tape does not work and I am 100% certain glue is a very bad idea. (Hot or otherwise I believe.)

I could not find a picture of the motherboard for a 2DS, however, the clamp and ribbon cable is fairly identical to the image below, not so much in placement, but in functionality and the clamp, which is important for this situation.

https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/65nSweLxMxy1GFCG.medium

If anyone knows of any way of re-attaching these ribbon cables without the plastic clamp, it would be very much appreciated. Worse case scenario I lost one unit, but I still own another one. I plan on getting another 3DS with my next check, (I'm thinking Mahogany with a Wensleydale top cover,) but if I could get this unit working, it would very much be "tubular," as they say in the "Supra Mayo Wold" game.

Thank you again for your time.

:):):)
I have heard of people reattaching these cables by using paper at the bottom and building up several layers of tape, which should help apply some pressure to the cable. It's worth a try, and at least it'll be easy to remove without damaging the cable if it doesn't work.
I don't think hot glue would work very well, because it's hard to get the hot glue to apply pressure to the cable, and hot glue is somewhat flexible so that doesn't help things either. But if nothing else works, that's worth a try as well. Hot glue is still easy to remove by peeling but with how flimsy ribbon cables are you may end up having to replace the ribbon cable.
 

kehkou

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I would use the plastic tabs, however, they weren't present when I first opened up the unit. Be it from someone else opening it prior to me owning it, or they got knocked out when someone dropped it.
Okay, I see that in the OP. I must have missed that part. For me, I had the misfortune to crack the tab in half with a splunger tool, which I then proceeded to tape back onto the port.

Your options then are to position it just so that the cable makes a connection with the tape alone, as iAqua presumably did, or purchase a cheap 'for parts' motherboard,2DS ONLY will have the tab you need for circle pad.

Hot glue is still easy to remove by peeling but with how flimsy ribbon cables are you may end up having to replace the ribbon cable.

With removing glue, you run the risk of pulling out the connector pins.
 
Last edited by kehkou, , Reason: 3DS has differant circle pad connection; other tabs are compatible

WaterDemonBaku

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After much fiddling I FINALLY got it to work with electrical tape and it seems to be all right now after dropping it off a table. Thank you all so much for the help! :3
 

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