Hardware [HELP]Bricked N3DS without NandBackup

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

Hello guys!

So, I've made a hardmod wiring to my N3Ds and modded with a micro USB port, I was waiting my SD reader to come as my old one (wich I used to do a hardmod on my O3Ds wasnt compatible, at least the PC was not asking to format the memory when connected nor could I read the NAND with win32disk).

So my wife was trying to play a game, the device was dicharged, she saw the microUSB port and on trying to recharge it she connected a 5V/ 0,5A power to the microUSB port

Now the N3Ds is showing the normal blue screen with some error code (the last line I can read is "0000400") different from the ones I've saw.

So I think its a hard brick, I didnt had the time to make a backup of the NAND and I'm having a hard time to find any compatible SD Reader with the toshiba memory of my N3ds.

Now the question is: can I still have a backup of the memory, do all the stuff to patch it and write back the NAND? Will it work and unbrick itself or she just fried the memory?

Saw a couple of guides that shows pretty much the same procedure in this case, just want to know if it will work or should I just run for another logic board.

Also, I've tryied about 4 SD readers, none of then seem to work in 3 different computers.

Can anyone give me a tip of the models compatible?

I know that the Noob guide have a couple of known working ones, but I live in Brazil and I cant see to find any of then to buy online, amazon international delivery is triple the price of the ones being sold there, the dollar costs about 4x the Real (R$) and I'm almost giving up on this, just accepting I thrown my money in the garbage.

thanks for any assistance! :yay3ds:

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

ps.: I'm thinking about buying this one to give a try:

https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br...=1&c_uid=9e7ffc15-f0a3-43e6-b681-17db68a34a17

Do anyone have a similar one or can help me look into the controller model?
My head is a mess with this stuff, info about the controller IC of those things is really hard to find...

Hayato213 · Dec 9, 2019

Yep looks like hard brick if the wrong voltage is apply through the usb port made from hard mod.

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

Hayato213 said:
Yep looks like hard brick if the wrong voltage is apply through the usb port made from hard mod.

But the question is, will a NAND backup and rewrite resolve the brick?

This guide says so:
https://hackinformer.com/2017/06/01/unbrick-3ds-without-sysnand-backup-hardmod-boot9hax/

just wanted to check in order to keep looking for a compatible SD reader.

Thanks for the answer

Hayato213 · Dec 9, 2019

DarkWinterCloud said:
But the question is, will a NAND backup and rewrite resolve the brick?

This guide says so:
https://hackinformer.com/2017/06/01/unbrick-3ds-without-sysnand-backup-hardmod-boot9hax/

just wanted to check in order to keep looking for a compatible SD reader.

Thanks for the answer

That is soft brick, you got a hard brick as it is hardware damaged, you can't apply voltage directly to the usb port.

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

Hayato213 said:
That is soft brick, you got a hard brick as it is hardware damaged, you can't apply voltage directly to the usb port.

So... Its a "no go" situation here?

Aquadraws · Dec 9, 2019

The nand is fried, this is the same reason why you don't directly connect the sd reader to your pc but use a usb adapter instead

Hayato213 · Dec 9, 2019

DarkWinterCloud said:
So... Its a "no go" situation here?

Yea the NAND is fried, the nand is dead as you can't directly supply voltage toward the hardmod port, the unit isn't recoverable without a motherboard swap, at this point you may as well just hard mod another unit.

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

Hayato213 said:
Yea the NAND is fried, the nand is dead as you can't directly supply voltage toward the hardmod port, the unit isn't recoverable without a motherboard swap, at this point you may as well just hard mod another unit.

hmmm...

Okay.

Thanks for the help!

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

https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br...=1&c_uid=9e7ffc15-f0a3-43e6-b681-17db68a34a17

Can you tip if this SD reader is compatible for N3Ds Nand read?

Thanks again

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

Looking further into this I've found this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/3dshacks/comments/9p0ns2/i_unbricked_my_old_3ds_hardmod_mistake_error_8046/

Seems to be a problem with CLK via on his O3Ds.
I think my line should be damaged (an SMD resistor with wrong value, "open" or higher than it should be) making the NAND not being recognized by the controller.

Can any technician help me find where this resistor is on the N3Ds board to recover from this error?

I work daily with Mobo repairs and have plenty components laying around, I'm sure if I could find its location I could repair it and maybe this topic would help further people in the future

The Real Jdbye · Dec 9, 2019

DarkWinterCloud said:
Hello guys!

So, I've made a hardmod wiring to my N3Ds and modded with a micro USB port, I was waiting my SD reader to come as my old one (wich I used to do a hardmod on my O3Ds wasnt compatible, at least the PC was not asking to format the memory when connected nor could I read the NAND with win32disk).

So my wife was trying to play a game, the device was dicharged, she saw the microUSB port and on trying to recharge it she connected a 5V/ 0,5A power to the microUSB port

Now the N3Ds is showing the normal blue screen with some error code (the last line I can read is "0000400") different from the ones I've saw.

So I think its a hard brick, I didnt had the time to make a backup of the NAND and I'm having a hard time to find any compatible SD Reader with the toshiba memory of my N3ds.

Now the question is: can I still have a backup of the memory, do all the stuff to patch it and write back the NAND? Will it work and unbrick itself or she just fried the memory?

Saw a couple of guides that shows pretty much the same procedure in this case, just want to know if it will work or should I just run for another logic board.

Also, I've tryied about 4 SD readers, none of then seem to work in 3 different computers.

Can anyone give me a tip of the models compatible?

I know that the Noob guide have a couple of known working ones, but I live in Brazil and I cant see to find any of then to buy online, amazon international delivery is triple the price of the ones being sold there, the dollar costs about 4x the Real (R$) and I'm almost giving up on this, just accepting I thrown my money in the garbage.

thanks for any assistance!

And that's why you don't use a USB port for the hardmod. Much better to use a micro JST port, then it's not possible to accidentally plug the wrong thing in. It's even possible to build a (very) small MicroSD reader right into the 3DS, and have the Mini or MicroUSB port actually wired to the MicroSD reader so it works as a normal USB device. It requires a switch to switch the CLK (or was it CMD?) line on or off though, otherwise the 3DS will conflict with the MicroSD reader and BSoD.

am714 said:
The nand is fried, this is the same reason why you don't directly connect the sd reader to your pc but use a usb adapter instead

What do you mean by USB adapter?

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

I think he meant the use of a SD Card reader as adapter to read the NAND

The Real Jdbye · Dec 9, 2019

DarkWinterCloud said:
I think he meant the use of a SD Card reader as adapter to read the NAND

He mentioned a SD reader. That doesn't explain what he means by USB adapter.

Balallax · Dec 9, 2019

So... An update

I will remove the Emmc from the board, atach a jumper wire from the emmc CLK pad to the actual CLK point and see whats the universe presents me.
Complete falure or succsses

"Impossible to repair" is a phrase that I really hate to read.

TurdPooCharger · Dec 10, 2019

Did you ever backed up the n3DS SysNAND *.bin image before the accident?

You can repair the n3DS motherboard by replacing the eMMC (nand chip). If you know a electronic repair specialist who does micro-soldering and has a professional grade work station, it's possible to put in a new nand chip and flash back that image.

[noodevisions] Creating a USA Non-XL *New* 3DS Hardware Variant

***

That hardmod USB power delivery to the eMMC would be like a prisoner sentenced to death by electric chair.

fried nand = brain dead

Aquadraws · Dec 10, 2019

The Real Jdbye said:
He mentioned a SD reader. That doesn't explain what he means by USB adapter.

Ignore what I said, AFAIK you can't plug the hard mod sd directly to your pc sd reader because you will fry the nand and so you need to use SD to USB Adaptor

The Real Jdbye · Dec 10, 2019

am714 said:
Ignore what I said, AFAIK you can't plug the hard mod sd directly to your pc sd reader because you will fry the nand and so you need to use SD to USB Adaptor

That's not true. Though a PC SD reader might not work as only some SD readers are compatible.

Balallax · Dec 12, 2019

TurdPooCharger said:
Did you ever backed up the n3DS SysNAND *.bin image before the accident?

You can repair the n3DS motherboard by replacing the eMMC (nand chip). If you know a electronic repair specialist who does micro-soldering and has a professional grade work station, it's possible to put in a new nand chip and flash back that image.

[noodevisions] Creating a USA Non-XL *New* 3DS Hardware Variant

***

That hardmod USB power delivery to the eMMC would be like a prisoner sentenced to death by electric chair.

fried nand = brain dead

Nah, I am a electronic repair specialist and I have the tools for it. I just removed the NAND and tested with soldering some wires direct on the BGA of the chip, put 3,7V (as the schematic says its the input voltage) and its really dead.

Seems that when you put direct voltage on the microUSB por, you and up injecting 5v on the CLK line, thus fucking the Emmc internal grid, really frying it up, so its a no go, as I've said, didnt backup the SysNAND as I was having problems with the SD Reader compatibility.

I'm looking for a new board online but since this N3Ds model is discontinued is really hard to find, on Brazil is non-existant.

Really sad news for me as I was wanting this model for a really long time.

But well... C'est la vie...

If it wasnt for this freaking AES encryption hardcoded on the CPU I could swap a new one and flash at least a generic system version and modify some keys...

I'm hopping to find someone selling the board or at least a defective/ broken device so I could harvers the Emmc/ CPU or make a boar swap as it would be easier.

If anyone have any tip I would be really gratefull.

Thanks

TurdPooCharger · Dec 12, 2019

Swap in a set of SoC and NAND from a broken n3DSXL motherboard like in that noodlevisions link. You might even be able to get away with just the NAND chip. It's possible to rebuild the NCSD header in GodMode9, rebuild the twlmbr.bin partition table, flash in the correct sector0x96.bin, install boot9strap to both firm0.bin and firm1.bin, borrow or artificially recreate the ctrnand_full.bin, twln.bin, and twlp.bin with Lazarus3DS or CTRTransfer (Type D9) v1.4.

Balallax · Dec 12, 2019

TurdPooCharger said:
Swap in a set of SoC and NAND from a broken n3DSXL motherboard like in that noodlevisions link. You might even be able to get away with just the NAND chip. It's possible to rebuild the NCSD header in GodMode9, rebuild the twlmbr.bin partition table, flash in the correct sector0x96.bin, install boot9strap to both firm0.bin and firm1.bin, borrow or artificially recreate the ctrnand_full.bin, twln.bin, and twlp.bin with Lazarus3DS or CTRTransfer (Type D9) v1.4.

Holy Cow! Thats a GREAT idea! Thanks!

I wasnt considering getting a N3Ds XL board as I thought some pins on the CPU would be different but it turns out they're the same.

You just gave me a new hope, thanks!

Now all I have to do is to get in hands a set of stencils for the bga reball, it may take sometime but I'll update this thread as soon as I do the mod.

Thank you very much!

Hardware [HELP]Bricked N3DS without NandBackup

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