Hacking 3DS unbricking progress

[hundshamer]

Where I'm at there was only a roughly a $8 USD difference (about 5-6€). I went ahead and got the model B.

 

[bkifft]

Is there a different in using the Raspberry Pi model B 512 MB or Raspberry Pi model A 256 MB?

A got only 256 mb ram, one usb port and no ethernet. B got 512 mb ram, 2 usb ports and ethernet. I'd go for the b (especially as they are only 5ish € apart nowadays)

 

[gamesquest1]

if you already have a A or have access to a model A, just use that, but if your looking to buy, the model B is a lot more useful to have around once your not using it to unbrick XD

so unless your getting the model A very cheap/free , you may as well get a B

 

[TheBorg]

if you already have a A or have access to a model A, just use that, but if your looking to buy, the model B is a lot more useful to have around once your not using it to unbrick XD

so unless your getting the model A very cheap/free , you may as well get a B

Thanks all... i'm going for the model B..

 

[SpaceJump]

It just happened to me: My 3DS XL got bricked using 2.0b2! Luckily my XL is hardware-modded (already dumped and flashed NAND successfully). So I borrowed an RPi to unbrick it. So I set everything up according to the included guide. But this is what I get:


Any idea?

 

[gamesquest1]

It just happened to me: My 3DS XL got bricked using 2.0b2! Luckily my XL is hardware-modded (already dumped and flashed NAND successfully). So I borrowed an RPi to unbrick it. So I set everything up according to the included guide. But this is what I get:


Any idea?

Sorry to hear you git bricked, have you tried inserting the SD adapter a few times also try rebooting the 3ds while it's plugged in

Also I will assume you didn't run diagnostics or anything?

 

[bkifft]

It just happened to me: My 3DS XL got bricked using 2.0b2! Luckily my XL is hardware-modded (already dumped and flashed NAND successfully). So I borrowed an RPi to unbrick it. So I set everything up according to the included guide. But this is what I get:


Any idea?

• try a stabilized/filtered power source for the Pi (like powering it from a Computer USB port).
• try restarting your 3DS after having done a first s/u in the tool (while keeping the SD mod stuff hooked up).
• try it with the 3DS charger de- and attached (each time wall outlet as well as 3DS).

If those all fail you might have to try to shorten your cables some more (as USB2SD readers are sometimes able to lower their communication clock speed even lower than the Pi they are sometimes more lenient in regards to signal quality).

And out of interest: did you provoke the brick on purpose or did it just happen?

 

[SpaceJump]

Thank you for your replys! I have to say I provoked the brick. I thought that I having a hardware mod and being able to borrow a Pi should be a guarantee for unbricking.

Anyway, I once got the message that the MMC is locked, but emmidiatly lost connection so I could'nt unbrick it. So it seems to be a connection issue of my SD adapter, but not sure...

 

[bkifft]

Thank you for your replys! I have to say I provoked the brick. I thought that I having a hardware mod and being able to borrow a Pi should be a guarantee for unbricking.

Anyway, I once got the message that the MMC is locked, but emmidiatly lost connection so I could'nt unbrick it. So it seems to be a connection issue of my SD adapter, but not sure...

Yeah, sounds like interference then.

As stupid/crazy as it might sound: you might also (besides the points I already mentioned) try to turn of every electrical device in your room/flat you don't need for the unbrick or try it in a different room/location altogether. Heck, even building kind of a shielding structure out of tin foil (of course taking painstakingly care not to short anything out with it) might give you the wee edge you need to get it going.


Edit: just in case i want to stress the "with and without 3DS charger" one again, for somne that had a huge influence.

 

[SpaceJump]

I tried all your suggestions, with and without charger, didn't help. Now I get this message, which I think means nothing is detected at all:



What is the order to plug the cables in? Boot 3DS with or without SD-adapter plugged into RPi?

 

[bkifft]

I tried all your suggestions, with and without charger, didn't help. Now I get this message, which I think means nothing is detected at all:



What is the order to plug the cables in? Boot 3DS with or without SD-adapter plugged into RPi?

Yeah, that result is the worst you can get, not detecting anything at all... You really might want to consider trying to carry your stuff (including the monitor) to the cellar or attic -.- ...

When to switch the 3DS on shouldn't matter on a brick, but I prefer to advice to switch the 3DS on after plugging it in the Pi (as this is the correct procedure to get an unbricked 3DS into bluescreen mode in order to dump/flash).

 

[gamesquest1]

SpaceJump, was it you who was saying you had slow transfer speeds? Is your USB cable quite long, try shortening it if it is

 

[SpaceJump]

SpaceJump, was it you who was saying you had slow transfer speeds? Is your USB cable quite long, try shortening it if it is

Yes, that was me. I just measured my USB cable, it's 65 cm. Could the length be the problem? What is a good length?

As I told before, I was able to dump and write the NAND with the same cable.

 

[bkifft]

Yes, that was me. I just measured my USB cable, it's 65 cm. Could the length be the problem? What is a good length?

As I told before, I was able to dump and write the NAND with the same cable.

The shorter the better.

And 65 cm is well beyond everything I've seen yet in regards of 3DS NAND stuff, most mods I've seen use about 10-20 cm. This will most likely be also the reason for the abysmal speed you are getting (as already mentioned, some SD readers are able to slow down the clock speed well bellow the level the Pi is able to).

 

[SpaceJump]

The shorter the better.

And 65 cm is well beyond everything I've seen yet in regards of 3DS NAND stuff, most mods I've seen use about 10-20 cm. This will most likely be also the reason for the abysmal speed you are getting (as already mentioned, some SD readers are able to slow down the clock speed well bellow the level the Pi is able to).

I see. Can I cut the cable and wire the wires together to test this and let them solder together by someone later?

 

[gamesquest1]

I see. Can I cut the cable and wire the wires together to test this and let them solder together by someone later?

just cut and join up, should be fine, try make it around 10cm max

 

[SpaceJump]

Ok, I cut and joined the wires but still no luck. Mostly the Pi didn't find anything. But then I got this when trying to unbrick:



Some tries later this:



I was surprised to see "MMC is not locked" amongst the error messages. But now when I boot the 3DS without anything plugged in, both screens stay just black. Nothing else. When I boot it up with the USB cable plugged in I get a very strange boot errorcode I never saw before. When I boot with the USB cable plugged in the 3DS AND the SD reader in my PC I get the 400 errorcode.
With both methods my PC doesn't recognize the NAND
What happened? Any idea?

 

[gamesquest1]

Ok, I cut and joined the wires but still no luck. Mostly the Pi didn't find anything. But then I got this when trying to unbrick:



Some tries later this:



I was surprised to see "MMC is not locked" amongst the error messages. But now when I boot the 3DS without anything plugged in, both screens stay just black. Nothing else. When I boot it up with the USB cable plugged in I get a very strange boot errorcode I never saw before. When I boot with the USB cable plugged in the 3DS AND the SD reader in my PC I get the 400 errorcode.
With both methods my PC doesn't recognize the NAND
What happened? Any idea?

run query again and get your csd value

 

[SpaceJump]

run query again and get your csd value

I already have that. It's in one of the screenshots. What now?

 

[bkifft]

I already have that. It's in one of the screenshots. What now?

the CSD value would be interesting, as most likely you have removed the password lock but not the write protection.

but as i strongly believe that to be the case: i've just pushed a not that well tested hidden option ('r' for remove writeprotection) to github.

so just do the update again and spam r till it runs through.