GCN GC/Xeno/SD2SP2 & Swiss stopped booting

[Hanafuda]

There are a couple similar threads around but they're old and never answer the question. I'm at work now and have some time, but I can't try anything to fix it until tonight.

Have cube, w/ Xeno installed. Last night added SD2SP2. At first, awesome. Tested with several games, great success. I then fiddled in SWISS settings (booted SWISS from mini-dvdr) which I guess made an ini file on the micro-sd. Next restart of the console, I got an error message.

Tested retail Luigis Mansion and burned backups, all work except the SWISS boot disc. So it's not the Cube, or the Xeno, etc.

So then I deleted the SWISS ini file off the micro-sd. No change. What the hell? One thing I didnt check for was whether SWISS created any hidden (attribute) files. I'll check tonight. But does anyone know this issue, or the fix??

EDIT: also btw I've been using this SWISS disc for months to run GBI. So the disc itself is also good. SWISS put something on the SD2SP2 microsd that now causes it to fail to load. Is it going to do this every time?

 

[Hanafuda]

Ok I think I sorted this out. The problem is that the SD2SP2 PCB is simply too thin, and is not really seating firmly in the Serial Port 2 slot. I mean it just wiggles around and would probably fall out if I turned the GC upside down without the port door installed. Sometimes it boots, sometimes not. I've got too much going on at the moment (long weekend vacation coming up) but hopefully next week I'll try very lightly tinning the contacts on one side of the SD2SP2 to add a small bit of thickness, and see how that goes (saw this suggested by someone in a reddit thread who said it worked for him).

Edit: worked out great. SD2SP2 now snicks into the Serial Port 2 slot nicely now, no wiggle, but it's not *tight*. Also it's easy to just pull the microsd alone to change content, without removing the SD2SP2, so it's effectively installed permanently now. SWISS boots every time. No replies here, but someone may find this sometime so if you have this problem, just a light tinning on one side does the trick.

 

[Kurai_496]

Nice to know! I had similar kind of problem once and a bit of wiggle fixed it.. if tinning can help making it more firm.. I'll surely do too!

 

[Hanafuda]

Nice to know! I had similar kind of problem once and a bit of wiggle fixed it.. if tinning can help making it more firm.. I'll surely do too!

Just keep it a thin layer. Not a lump, more like a plating/coating. And use flux if you have it .. will help to get even, rectangular coverage of the solder on the pads, and to avoid bridges.

 

[Kurai_496]

Just keep it a thin layer. Not a lump, more like a plating/coating. And use flux if you have it .. will help to get even, rectangular coverage of the solder on the pads, and to avoid bridges.

yeah, got it! Just tinning the pad to increase a bith the board thickness!

 

[Hanafuda]

yeah, got it! Just tinning the pad to increase a bith the board thickness!

Good. I only said that because if you watch Voultar or other mod installers on YT, theyll talk about tinning a pad or via before attaching a wire, and the "tinning" they do is to pile a big dome of solder on there. Usually a good thing for a strong joint, but not what this is about.

 

[Kurai_496]

Good. I only said that because if you watch Voultar or other mod installers on YT, theyll talk about tinning a pad or via before attaching a wire, and the "tinning" they do is to pile a big dome of solder on there. Usually a good thing for a strong joint, but not what this is about.

You did good pointing it out, I solder a lot for my hobbies but also often for my job so I got what you were talking about at first read, but maybe someone with the same problem but not so much solderings skills read this topic and I think finding precise directions on how to do it would be more helpful!

Btw Hehe no.. in this scenario a big solder blog I guess would lead to no more sd2sp2 fitting heheh