GBA Let's talk about the DS Lite's GBA cartridge cover... The curiosity is killing me.

[Jayro]

So I l'm curious as to why my DS Lite's GBA slot cover has gold pins on it, if it's just a dummy cartridge to act as a dust cover and to keep the shell feeling streamlined when no GBA cart is present. So I took it apart, and found that the PCB inside has traces that connect all the pins so a single ground line. Is this meant to terminate the GBA slot for some kind of DS-mode operation? Does it serve any purpose at all, whatsoever? Does it do nothing? Wouldn't it be better to have no PCB at all, so there's no pressure on the pins in the slot?

I need answers, as I'm totally clueless.

 

[SylverReZ]

This is to protect the GBA slot contacts from damage, it doesn't serve any other purpose whatsoever.

 

[ghjfdtg]

It will keep the contacts clean. If you rub the cart slot contacts against plastic/dirt there is a chance they will get dirty as well.

 

[Ozito]

Funny thing is, although they have traces and seem to be connected, none of them actually are. The holes cut the connections.

 

[Jayro]

Funny thing is, although they have traces and seem to be connected, none of them actually are. The holes cut the connections.

I feel like an idiot... Not noticing that until you mentioned it.

 

[SylverReZ]

A better use with these dummy cartridge covers, is to create a rumble pak or CompactFlash adapter.

 

[eyeliner]

The gold connectors are to prevent corrosion if the cover never leaves the slot.

I'd wager that the vias are long and don't connect anywhere in particular to prevent a floating state.

Can't tell from the pictograph, but are the limits of the holes also covered in copper? If so, they are grounded, as they should be.

 

[Indy13]

@Jayro you can mod it with led if you want, here is a funny tutorial for that :

https://acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=37386.0

 

[Jayro]

@Jayro you can mod it with led if you want, here is a funny tutorial for that :

https://acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=37386.0

Sadly mine is opaque, and no LED will shine through.

A better use with these dummy cartridge covers, is to create a rumble pak or CompactFlash adapter.

I have a 4MB Memory Pak from the DS Web Browser, but I want to eventually get a larger one. I know there's an 8MB one, but what about 16MB?

 

[SylverReZ]

I have a 4MB Memory Pak from the DS Web Browser, but I want to eventually get a larger one. I know there's an 8MB one, but what about 16MB?

There are some homebrew that use larger memory packs, you can have a look here: https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/3_in_1_Expansion_Pack_for_EZ-Flash_V#Software

 

[RocketRobz]

I have a 4MB Memory Pak from the DS Web Browser, but I want to eventually get a larger one. I know there's an 8MB one, but what about 16MB?

How did you manage to get a 4MB one? I always thought the DS Browser bundled the 8MB one.

 

[Jayro]

How did you manage to get a 4MB one? I always thought the DS Browser bundled the 8MB one.

I think you're right... It probably is 8MB now that I did some Googling.

Post automatically merged: Feb 26, 2024

I just fired up GodMode9i and it indeed says Slot-2 is 7MB free.

 

[Kwyjor]

A better use with these dummy cartridge covers, is to create a rumble pak or CompactFlash adapter.

But why would anyone make a CompactFlash adapter when no one uses CompactFlash anymore and there are numerous different flashcarts that use SD?

I have a 4MB Memory Pak from the DS Web Browser, but I want to eventually get a larger one. I know there's an 8MB one, but what about 16MB?

There's not much point to a larger expansion pak if no one has written software that takes advantage of it – and especially if you have no interest in running that software.

 

[Flower_Chiq]

I was thinking the same thing a few months ago when I dismantled my slot 2 cover to clean it.

I noticed that if you put the slot 2 cover together without that empty circuit in, it only loosely fits into the console and falls out if you give the console a little shake.

So I guess the idea of the empty circuit board is just to ensure that the cover is secured in to the console, it would be super easy to lose it if it just fell out, a lot of people lost the slot 2 covers so imagine if it was even easier to lose.

The above doesn't apply to replacement housings though as the one I fitted to my console yesterday needed a bit of filing just to allow me to push the slot 2 cover into the console.

 

[Jayro]

I was thinking the same thing a few months ago when I dismantled my slot 2 cover to clean it.

I noticed that if you put the slot 2 cover together without that empty circuit in, it only loosely fits into the console and falls out if you give the console a little shake.

So I guess the idea of the empty circuit board is just to ensure that the cover is secured in to the console, it would be super easy to lose it if it just fell out, a lot of people lost the slot 2 covers so imagine if it was even easier to lose.

The above doesn't apply to replacement housings though as the one I fitted to my console yesterday needed a bit of filing just to allow me to push the slot 2 cover into the console.

I'm really happy that aftermarket ones are easy to come by, and the quality doesn't suffer.

There's not much point to a larger expansion pak if no one has written software that takes advantage of it – and especially if you have no interest in running that software.

Certain homebrew like Twilight Menu and Quake DS take advantage of it, and I use those homebrews. Extra rAM is always welcome, even if not everything may utilize it. Some use it as RAM, some use it as caching space, etc. Whatever keeps things running smooth. With GBARunner3 being a thing, I can just play GBA ROMs that way and keep the RAM cart in my slot now.