Hacking SX Lite blinks blue and green but the screen doesn't turn on

[mvmiranda]

Hello!

I installed a SX Lite modchip and everything went smooth: solder is fine, the chip blinks blue then green but the screen doesn't turn on.
I have tried reprogramming the chip, using SX Updater, and swapped the chip three times (just for the sake of sanity) but the scenario is the same.

There is no apparent trace cut, no component removed by accident, no shorts on the solders and I have not scratched or cut any of the flat cables.
I also tried flashing a light at the screen just to make sure it wasn't the backlight..

Does anyone have any tip?

Thanks!

 

[mvmiranda]

show me the solder.

is it no power to display?

no display but backlight?


if its no display but backlight its a short to nand, aka an issue with the nand flex solder

this is why i am asking for a picture of the install

ps: asking for help on this kind of issue and not initially providing images is counter productive as 99% of the time it comes down to the soldering


if its no backlight but the console will boot fine
with touch etc (whhen chip is unplugged from flex)
then its a damaged to lcd ribbon

I made a useful image for this

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

actually edit
after seeing all your previous threads where you ahve failed core and lite installs
no way its smooth

https://gbatemp.net/members/mvmiranda.338095/

Regarding you PS, it makes total sense and I already took note. Thx for the tip!

I didn't know about that anchor spot issue but I never use it. I only use the left one from below, closer to the shielding where the modchip rests on top, although I tin every solder point on the flat. Could it be the issue?

As requested!


Back on the issue, I'm not sure the console boots fine because this was the first turn on after the modchip install and since I cannot see and the SX OS menu doesn't "sound" when I press any button I don't know if it's working.

EDIT:
"no way its smooth"
Fair enough!
The Core was my first and the Lite was a brick caused by the modchip... The solder was smooth!
Maybe I'm using the "smooth" in a wrong way, but the "idea" is that I had no hiccups during the installation.

 

[Deleted User]

Regarding you PS, it makes total sense and I already took note. Thx for the tip!

I didn't know about that anchor spot issue but I never use it. I only use the left one from below, closer to the shielding where the modchip rests on top, although I tin every solder point on the flat. Could it be the issue?

As requested!
View attachment 220415 View attachment 220416 View attachment 220417

Back on the issue, I'm not sure the console boots fine because this was the first turn on after the modchip install and since I cannot see and the SX OS menu doesn't "sound" when I press any button I don't know if it's working.

EDIT:
"no way its smooth"
Fair enough!
The Core was my first and the Lite was a brick caused by the modchip... The solder was smooth!
Maybe I'm using the "smooth" in a wrong way, but the "idea" is that I had no hiccups during the installation.

At this point I would remove anchors on chip then remove ribbons from chip.

Power on and see if there is display.

If there isn't I would check ribbon cable above power socket.

 

[mvmiranda]

At this point I would remove anchors on chip then remove ribbons from chip.

Power on and see if there is display.

If there isn't I would check ribbon cable above power socket.

The chip blinked blue and then green. Wouldn't this mean the bootloader was modified and trying to turn it on without the modchip won't work?
I will try "blindly" touch the screen and try to generate the license-request.dat...

 

[mvmiranda]

Thank you!

I removed the whole flat and the console turns on but the screen remains black. I can now hear when touching the screen.
So I fried something... :/
I'll take a look!

EDIT:
Now flashing a light on the screen I see the menu!

 

[mvmiranda]

sounds like your damaged the flex putting gamecard in

easier way to test if its the screen or the board is to swap board into another lite

You mean the actual gamecard daughter "board"?
I don't remove it, I only unscrew one screw and slip the chip between the gamecard daughter board and the screw hole...

Will try this board in another lite.

 

[Deleted User]

Thank you!

I removed the whole flat and the console turns on but the screen remains black. I can now hear when touching the screen.
So I fried something... :/
I'll take a look!

EDIT:
Now flashing a light on the screen I see the menu!

Put up some pics of what it looks like once removed.

 

[mvmiranda]

Put up some pics of what it looks like once removed.

Here you go!

 

[Deleted User]

View attachment 220423
Here you go!

Hard to tell just make sure no bridges present. Then check cable above power socket and make sure it clips in all the way and smooth.

If no go then swap board to a known good lcd etc, like suggested.

 

[Modificatorul]

i think you damaged the fcc2 inspect again the one next to batery connector, are you shore you can see anityng on screen in a dark room with flash from phone on.
Ignore so cable or connector going to back light problems or cable conected in wrong way. or damaged cable, inspect.
Corect way

 

[mvmiranda]

View attachment 220432 View attachment 220431 i think you damaged the fcc2 inspect again the one next to batery connector, are you shore you can see anityng on screen in a dark room with flash from phone on.
Ignore so cable or connector going to back light problems or cable conected in wrong way. or damaged cable, inspect.
Corect way

If I flash a light on the screen I can see it. The problem is, indeed, the backlight is not "tunring on".
Apparently, the ribbon cable and the connector is fine and I will try the motherboard in another lite full shell just for the sake of sanity.
I will report back!
Thank you!

 

[SheriffBuck]

I've had one of these. It's extremely easy to damage the connector and with the backlight delivering 17v, its very easy to trigger a short and burn the track out. It's a compromised design frankly as it's hard to disengage the power with the ribbon in place.

The connectors are expensive right now, but it's very easy to run some jumper wire from the backlight driver across to where the backlight connects to the daughter board once you figure out which line has failed.

As you say, test with another board, but if you've got a spare chassis, you can also try and drive it from this board. Mix the combinations until you narrow in on where the failure is.

Sheriff.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[mvmiranda]

I've had one of these. It's extremely easy to damage the connector and with the backlight delivering 17v, its very easy to trigger a short and burn the track out. It's a compromised design frankly as it's hard to disengage the power with the ribbon in place.

The connectors are expensive right now, but it's very easy to run some jumper wire from the backlight driver across to where the backlight connects to the daughter board once you figure out which line has failed.

As you say, test with another board, but if you've got a spare chassis, you can also try and drive it from this board. Mix the combinations until you narrow in on where the failure is.

Sheriff.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

A little update...
@Modificatorul @ModderFokker619 @squee666 @SheriffBuck

I have tested the motherboard in another known good full shell with the same error and when I moved the "good" motherboard from that known good console to the full shell of the faulty one the screen turns on perfectly. So we know the flat cable and the screen itself is fine on the faulty console!

I have swapped the IC twice using a Switch V1 and, for last, a Lite (plus the diode from the same Lite, which was purple screened) and the backlight is not coming back.


Do you guys have any tips?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Modificatorul]

Ignore the pin numbers , use the colors.

First see if your connector on mb is good test continuity on mb picture to secondary board( black is ground rest is random colors )

to the mb.

You can double check on the good board if i made any mistaches.

And some voltages.

 

[mvmiranda]

First see if your connector on mb is good test continuity on the Romanian flag picture secondary board( black is ground rest is random colors to replicate the flag)View attachment 221853 to the mb.
View attachment 221854

You can double check on the good board if i made any mistaches.

And some voltages.
View attachment 221859

So, based on your "pin trace out" I verified there is an interruption between the FCC2 from the motherboard and the daughterboard, as I pointed on the image below:

I think a short might have happened on the FCC from the motherboard, as per @SheriffBuck previous post because another known good board works fine on this full shell and this bad board presents the same issue on another known good full shell.

Is it fine for me to run a enameled wire from the test point to the other side of the board just to test this for good?
I'm gonna try swapping the the FCC2 connector if the wire works.

Thanks all for the support!

 

[Modificatorul]

Is fine good point but can by more bad pins, i'm to laizy to map all the pads, but if everyting is working exept baclight i think is enogh.

Maybe i will do all pads next week.

 

[mvmiranda]

Is fine good point but can by more bad pins, i'm to laizy to map all the pads, but if everyting is working exept baclight i think is enogh.

Maybe i will do all pads next week.

So, regarding my issue, it worked!!
I soldered an enameled wire from the yellow pad on the motherboard to the small yellow pad on the daughterboard and the thing just worked!!
Then I swapped the FCC2 connector from a donnor board and it continued working!

I didn't see any charred trace when I removed the connector and the legs were all soldered (I nudged them with a tweezers before removing the connector) so I don't know what caused the issue. Maybe the connector was damaged from inside or something.

Anyway, your trace outs were key for me!

Thanks all for the continued support!
@Modificatorul @ModderFokker619 @squee666 @SheriffBuck

Cheers!

 

[TheCatsMeow]

Thanks for this post, just helped me solve the issue with my Switch Lite that wouldn't boot after installing a picofly! Turns out a pin on the inside of the connector was bent. I tried to get it bent back, but it ended up breaking off. I ran a jumper from the yellow points on either end, and it's now powering on again