Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

LogicalMadness · Mar 22, 2023

Thanks again for the replies everyone. Even more thanks for being YOU, though. Everyone here has helped bring this amazing advance to the scene.

I've been jealous of "hackers" since the OGXB days and this thread has re-sparked that interest to learn code. I'll settle w\ waiting for the scene to take care of it as @hippy dave suggested, though. Through CAD and 3D printing, I'm sure my excuse to learn is coming soon enough. I mean, I did just buy 12 P-zeros off Ali, maybe not all of them go to Switchs.

Sorry for any topic-veering

Dee87 · Mar 22, 2023

rehius said:
photos, please. + mosfet part number

here u go

mrdude · Mar 22, 2023

LogicalMadness said:
Thanks again for the replies everyone. Even more thanks for being YOU, though. Everyone here has helped bring this amazing advance to the scene.

I've been jealous of "hackers" since the OGXB days and this thread has re-sparked that interest to learn code. I'll settle w\ waiting for the scene to take care of it as @hippy dave suggested, though. Through CAD and 3D printing, I'm sure my excuse to learn is coming soon enough. I mean, I did just buy 12 P-zeros off Ali, maybe not all of them go to Switchs.

Sorry for any topic-veering

Start with Micropython for your pi zero's, if you've not coded before, it's much easier than c or c++ for noobs to learn. Also changes are instant and you don't need to compile the code. There's loads of ebooks and tutorials on the net. Start with something basic like printing a line or text of turning an led on or off, then go through things like while/for loops, basic maths and stuff like that - soon you will understand that programming is much easier than you think. Once you learn python and understand the basics then try learning c# on windows (this is also easy), then after that c++.

LogicalMadness · Mar 22, 2023

nqtal said:
This is the maximum that my camera is capable of, I don’t have a microscope. Front side switch lite.
View attachment 360769

I agree that it just looks bridged (solder blobs happen). Sorry, I cannot tell you exactly what that component is though (diode?).

I'd throw some flux on it and redo the solder joints, either by running an iron across them (special tip) or using a hot air wand until you see the 'left' capacitor is clearly separated from *that component's 2 (3?) pads. All else fails, remove the left cap and the *component* (edit: with solder braid and iron), clean up all pads and re-place.

rehius · Mar 22, 2023

Dee87 said:
View attachment 360770
here u go

GND / VCC are really solid, yeah
ensure the control wire is properly connected, once I had it staying there on the flux only.

also you can ensure the wire itself is neither broken nor cold-soldered to the other side. can we also have pictures of the rp2040?
Other than that, looks identical to what I have used before. There is a small chance your console is robust and requires two mosfets, however you can try rebooting from HOS several times

you can also probe VCC / GND pads with the right capacitor to ensure one more time that it's properly connected, must be 0 Ohm

detilmalala · Mar 22, 2023

wud3r said:
finally we got it, thank you

please help me, this is for play backups?

linuxares · Mar 22, 2023

detilmalala said:
please help me, this is for play backups?

No, it's to boot unsigned code in the boot process.

Magnus Hydra · Mar 22, 2023

joeling2 said:
I'm also trying with rpi 2040 one, but I couldn't start, where did you solder the cpu cable to the cpu flex? Could you please provide me with an image. I am also interested in having android in my oled, any link to add android please

Resistor next to the mosfet.

linuxares · Mar 22, 2023

Dumb question since it seems to be the hardest for most people. The Oled Dat0. Is their any alternative points that been found yet?

eseldiem · Mar 22, 2023

nqtal said:
Can someone tell me, please, what is this component m28? It seems I burned it (short circuit) and now my switch does not turn on
View attachment 360767

That capacitor next to the chip looks shorted. The chip’s legs too.

You probably need to unplug battery (keep unplugged until fixed), get a solder wick, and clean that solder up.

Hopefully you have some tweezers (forceps would be ideal, but tweezers would do).

Cut a small piece of wick, dunk it in flux, hold it in tweezers (if you thermally isolate the piece of wick from the tweezers or you have ceramic tweezers it will be easier), and slowly try sucking that solder away by heating the spot with an iron through the wick. Should suck the excess solder away.

Do NOT yank, push, pull, twist, etc. let it heat up through the wick under contact but minimal pressure. Or you yank the cap off. Or worse.

If you don’t have a wick, use a piece of braided cable that you twist and then flatten with pliers.

If you don’t have a flux, get some. Or go hunting for pine resin in the forest and then thin it with IPA (j/k with that last one; get some flux!).

Dee87 · Mar 22, 2023

rehius said:
GND / VCC are really solid, yeah
ensure the control wire is properly connected, once I had it staying there on the flux only.

also you can ensure the wire itself is neither broken nor cold-soldered to the other side. can we also have pictures of the rp2040?
Other than that, looks identical to what I have used before. There is a small chance your console is robust and requires two mosfets, however you can try rebooting from HOS several times

you can also probe VCC / GND pads with the right capacitor to ensure one more time that it's properly connected, must be 0 Ohm

gnd vcc are both solid even measured when it booted

wire is not brocken or cold solderd i will send a picture of the rapsberry son my wife is on the phone at the moment...
how would i install a second mosfet?
tried rebooring several times didnt work

how do u mean probe vcc/gnd with the right capacitor?

testkhmark · Mar 22, 2023

Hi all. Been silently following the thread for some time, happy that you were able to crack it after all!
I have just one question: I see in a lot of photos/videos some people don't use resistors, while some do. What are the resistors for and can it work without them on mariko?

Thanks!

Donnie-Burger · Mar 22, 2023

linuxares said:
Dumb question since it seems to be the hardest for most people. The Oled Dat0. Is their any alternative points that been found yet?

Not that I'm aware of.

eseldiem · Mar 22, 2023

testkhmark said:
Hi all. Been silently following the thread for some time, happy that you were able to crack it after all!
I have just one question: I see in a lot of photos/videos some people don't use resistors, while some do. What are the resistors for and can it work without them on mariko?

Thanks!

If you want to boot original firmware, you need the resistors. They are for signal integrity (at higher speeds the impedance mismatch will F up the emmc signals without resistors).

If you don’t install them, you will only ever be able to use the unit with emu mmc (all running from a flash card).

TLDR: don’t skip them, it’s stupid to do so.

LogicalMadness · Mar 22, 2023

mrdude said:
Start with Micropython for your pi zero's, if you've not coded before, it's much easier than c or c++ for noobs to learn. Also changes are instant and you don't need to compile the code. There's loads of ebooks and tutorials on the net. Start with something basic like printing a line or text of turning an led on or off, then go through things like while/for loops, basic maths and stuff like that - soon you will understand that programming is much easier than you think. Once you learn python and understand the basics then try learning c# on windows (this is also easy), then after that c++.

You trying to get me in trouble for "veering" this thread, or what?

I have dipped my toes into some coding before but I have not bathed in The Waters of Codalor (MANDO!). HTML in the GeoCities days and a brief encounter w\ an Android app (don't remember name). The app left me w\ the same conclusion as always, I NEED a project that pushes me to want to learn a 'thing' (OGXB is a massive cornerstone, pushed me to learn basic networking, soldering and Kung-Foogle, more?). The app did spark a name idea that I think is pretty clever, though: Andor If Thenelse (please don't steal it). I also did some compiling recently (the whole 'compile' step has been a huge barrier to me going further, so this felt like a long time coming), due to wanting to learn how to adjust my 3D printer's Marlin FW to my liking. Now I kinda see it as just a weird folder (or ZIP\ISO\etc). As you said though, not as hard as it seems. Last and largest barrier is definitely the fact that there are many languages that are ever-evolving (I'm surprised this isn't 'moving faster' though, thought Google was working on Fuscia or something?).

Your advice is golden and I will take it straight to YouTube with me

malgamer · Mar 22, 2023

Contra8bit said:
I have same issue with black screen. Did you just reset from Full stock? Already tried that but didn't help.

probably need boot0 boot1 restore files from your own tablet.

rehius · Mar 22, 2023

Dee87 said:
gnd vcc are both solid even measured when it booted

wire is not brocken or cold solderd i will send a picture of the rapsberry son my wife is on the phone at the moment...
how would i install a second mosfet?
tried rebooring several times didnt work

how do u mean probe vcc/gnd with the right capacitor?

testkhmark · Mar 22, 2023

eseldiem said:
If you want to boot original firmware, you need the resistors. They are for signal integrity (at higher speeds the impedance mismatch will F up the emmc signals without resistors).

If you don’t install them, you will only ever be able to use the unit with emu mmc (all running from a flash card).

TLDR: don’t skip them, it’s stupid to do so.

Thanks for the response!
Is the damage of not using resistors permanent?

impeeza · Mar 22, 2023

linuxares said:
Dumb question since it seems to be the hardest for most people. The Oled Dat0. Is their any alternative points that been found yet?

Donnie-Burger said:
Not that I'm aware of.

no, and will never find one, big N burry the tracks for good, there is a post where someone uses a dremel and cut a hole on the pcb to find a track for the Dat0 but don't think is a good method.

linuxares · Mar 22, 2023

impeeza said:
no, and will never find one, big N burry the tracks for good, there is a post where someone uses a dremel and cut a hole on the pcb to find a track for the Dat0 but don't think is a good method.

Oh right that... man someone need to donate an OLED to KreaktivDax so he can do one of these and Balilak011 updates his site - https://balika011.hu/switch/

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