Hardmodding 3DS Family Systems​

This is a tutorial for those who want to perform a NAND dump (or a "hardmod") of their 3DS/2DS/N3DS console(s).

This tutorial is mainly directed towards those who are new to the 3DS scene and want to dump their NAND to be able to easily restore later. This is for all of the 3DS models currently available: 3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and 2DS. This hardmod is useful for a myriad of reasons, not limited to just having a backup of your system in case you brick it. For the purpose of brevity, I will refer to these systems as simply "3DS" from here on when I am actually referring to any of these consoles in general.

If you have been on the 3DS scene for a while, you have may heard the terms 'hardmod' or 'NAND Dump'. A NAND is a type of flash memory that is used, in the case of the 3DS, to store important information such as firmware. The firmware is retrieved from the NAND by the bootloader when the console is powered on. One question I get asked commonly is if a NAND dump from one system can be flashed onto another system. However, the NAND is encrypted with a key that is specific to each console. Therefore, this is not possible. Hardmodding your 3DS will add a level of protection: knowing that you can simply flash the NAND dump back onto your system if it ever gets bricked. I would advise keeping your NAND file someplace safe after dumping, such as a cloud service. You never know if/when you are going to need it, and if you ever get bricked and you do not have a NAND dump available, there is no going back. You have been warned.

Before we begin the tutorial, it is CRUCIAL that you know/have experience soldering. There are many videos on YouTube on how to solder, and I will link a few at the end of this guide. Soldering takes practice to learn and get the hang of, so don't just blindly jump into modding without a solid understanding of soldering, because most likely YOU WILL BREAK YOUR DEVICE

This is a compilation of information about hardmodding each 3DS system. The majority of the information below is a detailed explanation of how to install a hardmod based on the NAND pinout images that are on 3DBrew. I am by no means an expert on this topic and I am still learning the inner workings of it all. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I will try answer them. To begin, here are some of the advantages and some of the disadvantages of a hardmod:

Advantages:

• You will have a full backup of your 3DS firmware, so that you will be able to restore your NAND if you accidentally brick your 3DS during the downgrading process.
• The tools are relatively inexpensive to perform the hardmod.

Disadvantages:

• The hardmod may cause problems if you are not careful: It may even lead to bricking your device!
• Solder splashes can be harmful as well: they may short circuit other things.
• Soldering experience is required, even though this is very simple, make sure you are fully acquainted with soldering before even attempting to come anywhere near your 3DS with your soldering iron. A solid grasp of soldering techniques will greatly help you and make sure your 3DS does not become an expensive piece of trash.

Disclaimer: I am not to be held responsible if you end up breaking your device due to incorrect soldering or irresponsibility.

Now, for the tools:

1. A soldering iron: One with a fine tip
2. Solder: I use rosin core 60/40 solder. Do NOT use acid core, as this is corrosive to the motherboard and can screw things up.
3. Tinning Flux
4. Phillips #000 screwdriver or JIS #000: Phillips #000 or JIS #000 screwdrivers are recommended. You can also use Phillips #00 or JIS #00, but you may strip the screws if you are not careful.
5. win32diskimager program on your computer
6. Wires: I personally recommend you use these wires, but if you dont want them, you can just use wires ripped out from earbuds and then buy seperate butt connectors for them. All you need to do is to solder four wires onto the male end of the connector.
7. microSD Card Adapter
8. **microSD Card Reader: NOTE: ONLY CERTAIN TYPES OF READERS WILL WORK. MORE INFORMATION ON THIS BELOW.
9. Hot Glue Gun/ Super glue: This is necessary if you plan on making this a permanent mod on your 3DS. This is used to glue on the butt connector of the wire.
10. Tweezers
11. A brain

Note: I do not own the following images of the 3DS consoles in the tutorials below, they belong to their respective owners.

Contents
Old 3DS XL Tutorial
Old 3DS Tutorial
2DS Tutorial
NEW 3DS
NEW 3DS XL
*NEW 2DS XL
Important Links/Videos​

STEPS FOR OLD 3DS XL CONSOLE:
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 3DS XL:

​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the two screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate by hinging it outward
   Spoiler: 3DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 3DS XL battery
   Spoiler: Rubber Pegs

   
4. Now remove the six screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all the screws are removed, the 3DS XL PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There are still two ribbon cables attached to the motherboard. Gently flip the back cover over and detach the ribbon cables using your fingernail. Place the back cover aside.
6. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. The top one is the DAT0 (Data Zero), the next one is CMD, and the next one is CLK (Clock). Over to the left, you will see some solder: This can serve as GND (Ground). The NAND chip in the following picture has been removed to see the points easier. You can find these points near the chip to the right of the game card slot. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter.
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
   Spoiler: PCB Images 2

   
7. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier.
8. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the solder blob). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
9. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 3DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
10. Turn on your 3DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
11. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly, highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
12. You will see 8 pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below. The diagram here shows a different point for Ground. You can also use that point or the solder blob. I use the solder blob because it is closer.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
13. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
14. Power on your 3DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 3DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
15. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
16. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
17. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR 2DS​

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 2DS. Note that they are the same as the New 3DS:
​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:

Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)
​

​

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the two screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate:
   Spoiler: 2DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 2DS battery
   Spoiler: Battery

   
4. Now remove the ten 1.587mm screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all 10 screws are removed, the 2DS PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There is still a ribbon cable attached to the back cover. Gently flip the back cover over and unscrew the two .793mm screws attaching the ribbon cable to the back panel. Place the back cover aside.
   Spoiler

   
6. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. They are DAT0 (Data Zero), CMD, CLK (Clock), and we will use the metal SD card shielding for GND (Ground). The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. All of these contacts are located on the opposite side of the motherboard. Flipping the motherboard may be a bit tedious and difficult to do, so here is a link that goes into detail on how to do it rather than me typing it here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+2DS+Motherboard+Replacement/35842
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
7. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier and prevent oxidation.
8. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the SD shielding). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
9. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 2DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
10. Turn on your 2DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
11. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
12. You will see 8 pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below. The diagram here shows a picture of the 3DS XL PCB. Disregard that, as this is for 2DS, and focus on the SD card diagram and where each wire should be soldered.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
13. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
14. Power on your 2DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 2DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
15. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
16. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
17. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR OLD 3DS

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only certain SD card readers confirmed working with this mod for 3DS (Same as XL) :
​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the Old 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace safe where the homeless won't find them
2. Flip the console over and unscrew the four screws on top securing the back plate. Note: These screws do not come off completely; they remain attached to the back plate. Remove the back plate by gently prying it apart.
   Spoiler: 3DS Back cover

   
3. Once the back plate is removed, you need to remove the 3DS battery
   Spoiler: Rubber Pegs

   
4. Now remove the nine 6.3mm screws that hold the back cover in place. Keep these somewhere safe. Don't forget the screw on the gamecard slot.
   Spoiler: Remove screws

   
5. Once all 9 screws are removed, the 3DS PCB will be exposed. DO NOT FORCEFULLY FLIP THE COVER OPEN. There are still two ribbon cables attached to the motherboard. Gently flip the back cover over and detach the ribbon cables using your fingernail. Place the back cover aside.
6. This next step involves flipping the motherboard, as the NAND chip is located on the back side of the motherboard. For the purpose of brevity, I have omitted the details on how to disassemble the motherboard properly to flip it, as this is beyond the scope of this tutorial. You can Google this, or look at video teardowns of the old 3DS on YouTube.
7. Once you have done that, get your wires and all the other materials you need to begin soldering. You will be working near the NAND: There are 4 main contacts that you will be soldering to. They are DAT0 (Data Zero), CMD, and CLK (Clock). The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. There are two points that can serve as GND (Ground). The first is a contact near the game card slot, and the other is a solder blob. Pick whichever one you want. As you can see, CLK is underneath the card reader. To access it, you must desolder the 3 legs of the card reader and slightly bend up. This may be a bit tough, so there is also another CLK point you can use that is on the opposite side of the motherboard .
   Spoiler: PCB Images

   
   Spoiler: Alternate CLK point

   
8. Apply some tinning flux to the end of your wire and use the wire as a brush to apply it onto the contacts that you will be soldering on. You could also use a q-tip to apply the flux to the contacts. This will make your soldering job easier.
9. Begin soldering the four wires to each of the contacts: DAT0, CMD and CLK, and also GND (the solder blob or the contact). Make sure your soldering is clean, neat, and make sure you soldered the right points.
10. Once you have triple checked that your solder work is perfect, cut a hole onto the back cover (not the back plate) of your 3DS console to place the butt connecter to the wires. If you are using the wires that I recommended, the connectors are already provided. You can make a hole by drilling it in or using your soldering iron to melt a hole. Then, you can finish it off using a hand file. Once you have made a hole for the butt connector, use a hot glue gun (or superglue) to glue the butt connecter to the back cover. Only apply the hot glue to the INSIDE of the back cover.
11. Turn on your 3DS system to make sure that it still works properly and you didn’t kill it.
12. Grab your microSD card adapter. It is time we solder the wires to it. If you are using my recommended wires, grab the second set of wires that came with the package. I highly, highly recommend that you color code the wires (one color for GND, another for CMD, CLK, and DAT0). Open your microSD adapter by using your fingernail to pry open the casing. Pull out the chip inside.
13. You will see a few pins inside the adapter. Solder the wires to the respective pins according to the diagram below.
    Spoiler: SD Images

    
14. Now, once you have done that, it is time for the software portion. Plug your SD adapter into the recommended reader, but DO NOT plug the reader into the computer...yet.
15. Power on your 3DS. If you did everything right, there should be a bootrom error message on a blue screen. In this state, you are now able to read/write the NAND. Do not power off your 3DS, and plug the reader into the USB port of your computer.
16. On your computer, right click win32diskimager and select "Run as Administrator". Type in your administrator password and the program will open.
17. Name the file whatever you want, but make sure you end it in (.img), so the program recognizes it as a Disk Image File. For example, you can name it NAND.img. Click on "Read". This process will take a few minutes. If you want to ever restore your NAND dump back to your device, then choose the disk image file and click on "Write" instead of "Read".
18. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR NEW 3DS​

NOTE: Only the following SD card readers work with the New 3DS! (Not the same as the Old 3DS models):​

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:
Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
(Due to complaints about the Transcend reader not being compatible, it has been removed from this list. It is recommended that you use one of the other readers)

Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the New 3DS. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

Card reader chipsets known not to work on N3DS with the Samsung eMMC, but may still work on one with the Toshiba and the 3DS/XL eMMC:
GL3220
GL3233
GL834

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace where the homeless won't find them.
   
2. Remove the back plate of the console by unscrewing the top two screw that secure it. Note: These do not remove completely, they still remain attached to the motherboard.
   Spoiler: Back cover removed

   
3. Remove the battery. Now, unscrew the three screws that secure the microSD card reader. The New 3DS motherboard will now be exposed. BE CAREFUL!! There is still a ribbon cable underneath the microSD card reader. Carefully detach them with your fingernail.
   Spoiler: New 3ds

   
4. Remove the 5 screws that are on the border of the console and carefully open the back case of the New 3DS. Additionally, there should be two rubber pegs at the top of your console. Remove them with tweezers, and unscrew the two screws that are underneath. Carefully flip the back casing open. There are still two ribbon cables underneath, so detach them with your fingernail. You should have now exposed the whole motherboard.
   Spoiler: Unscrewing the screws

   
5. The next step involves flipping the motherboard to access the NAND on the other side. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial. For a detailed guide on disassembling the motherboard, look here: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+XL+2015+Motherboard+Replacement/41361. Warning! The NEW 3DS and the NEW 3DS XL have certain clips that do NOT open. These clips are shown in this picture (taken by pbanj). The cables simply pull out. Do not attempt to bend these clips to open them. Click here for a fix if you accidentally bend these clips.
   Spoiler

   
6. The following image shows the NAND pinout for the New 3DS. We will only be soldering to DAT0, CMD, CLK and also ground (GND) You can simply use the metal game card shielding for GND. Just solder to a corner of the game card shielding. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. NOTE: Here is a link to a thread with details about an alternative CLK point for the New 3DS.
   Spoiler: N3DS NAND Pinout

   
7. Now, it is time to mount the butt connector. You can pick any place to mount it. You can use your soldering iron to melt a hole, and then use a hand file to finish it off. Once that is done, hot glue the butt connector to the hole. If you are using my recommended wires, then the butt connectors are already attached. If not, you will have to manually solder wires to a separate butt connector.
   
8. Grab your SD card adapter and pry it open using your fingernail. Place the casing aside and pull out the actual adapter itself. If you are using my recommended wires, then grab the second set of wires that came in the package and solder each wire according to the diagram below. If not, then you must solder a butt connector to one end and solder the other ends of the wire to the SD adapter shown in the diagram below.
   Spoiler: SD Adapter

   
9. Once you have created your Franken-SD Adapter, connect the butt connectors together, and then put the makeshift microSD adapter into the SD reader (Make sure you have one of the readers from the list above!). DO NOT plug the SD reader into your computer yet…
   
10. Turn on the N3DS console. If everything went well, you should be on a blue bootrom error screen. In this state, the NAND can be read/written to. Now, without powering off your device, plug the SD reader into the USB port of your computer.
    
11. Your computer may ask you if you want to format your NAND. DO NOT DO THIS. EVER. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR DEVICE. CLICK CANCEL. Now, right click on win32diskimager and select “Open as Administrator”. Once it is open, type whatever you want to name your file and make sure you add (.img) at the end. For example, you can name it nand.img. Click on "Read".
    
12. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR NEW 3DS XL​

NOTE: Only the following SD card readers work with the New 3DS XL! (Not the same as the Old 3DS models):

Anker® USB 3.0 (68UNMCRD-B2U) : Realtek RTS5306
TekRepublic TUC-300 : Realtek RTS5307

Some other card readers that use the same chipset /controller but have not been tested although should work:
Plugable USB3-FLASH3 -
SIIG JU-MR0E12-S1-
Startech FCREADMICRO3 -

Other card readers that work
SanDisk SDDR-121-A11M : GL827
Transcend P8 TS-RDP8K : ALCOR AU6476 (Thank you Gamerquest1 and zchtoy)
(Due to complaints about the Transcend reader not being compatible, it has been removed from this list. It is recommended that you use one of the other readers)

Anker® USB 3.0 4-Slot Card Reader (A7612) : RT5301 (Ava)

(The "Anker" readers have been highly tested by me and others who have performed a hardmod. They are confirmed to work with the New 3DS XL. Therefore, the "Anker" readers are best recommended to work with this hardmod)

Card reader chipsets known not to work on N3DS with the Samsung eMMC, but may still work on one with the Toshiba and the 3DS/XL eMMC:
GL3220
GL3233
GL834

​

1. Remove all peripherals from the console and store them someplace where the homeless won't find them.
   
2. Remove the back plate of the console by unscrewing the top two screw that secure it. Note: These do not remove completely, they still remain attached to the motherboard.
   Spoiler: Back cover removed

   
   
   
3. Remove the 6 screws that are on the border of the console. Additionally, there should be two rubber pegs at the top of your console. Remove them with tweezers, and unscrew the two screws that are underneath. Carefully flip the back casing open. There are still two ribbon cables underneath, so detach them with your fingernail. You should have now exposed the whole motherboard.
   Spoiler: Unscrewing the screws

   
4. The following image shows the NAND pinout for the New 3DS XL. These pinouts are located on the other side of the board. You will need to flip the motherboard to access them. Warning! The NEW 3DS and the NEW 3DS XL have certain clips that do NOT open. These clips are shown in this picture (taken by pbanj). The cables simply pull out. Do not attempt to bend these clips to open them. Click here for a fix if you accidentally bend these clips.
   Spoiler

   
5. We will only be soldering to DAT0, CMD, CLK and also ground (GND) You can simply use the metal game card shielding for GND. Just solder to a corner of the game card shielding. The other DAT contacts (DAT1, DAT2, and DAT3) are not required, but you can solder to them if you are looking for faster transfer speeds. This is beyond the scope of this tutorial, but the basic principle is the same except you now need 7 wires with a connector and you need to solder the extra DAT points on the microSD adapter. An alternate CLK point is also provided
   Spoiler: N3DS XL NAND Pinout

   
   Spoiler: Alternative CLK point

   
6. DO NOT use this area for GND because of the power connector in blue near it:
   Spoiler: Don't Use this for GND!

   
7. Now, it is time to mount the butt connector. You can pick any place to mount it. You can use your soldering iron to melt a hole, and then use a hand file to finish it off. Once that is done, hot glue the butt connector to the hole. If you are using my recommended wires, then the butt connectors are already attached. If not, you will have to manually solder wires to a separate butt connector.
   
8. Grab your SD card adapter and pry it open using your fingernail. Place the casing aside and pull out the actual adapter itself. If you are using my recommended wires, then grab the second set of wires that came in the package and solder each wire according to the diagram below. If not, then you must solder a butt connector to one end and solder the other ends of the wire to the SD adapter shown in the diagram below.
   Spoiler: SD Adapter

   
9. Once you have created your Franken-SD Adapter, connect the butt connectors together, and then put the makeshift microSD adapter into the SD reader (Make sure you have one of the readers from the list above!). DO NOT plug the SD reader into your computer yet…
   
10. Turn on the N3DS XL console. If everything went well, you should be on a blue bootrom error screen. In this state, the NAND can be read/written to. Now, without powering off your device, plug the SD reader into the USB port of your computer.
    
11. Your computer may ask you if you want to format your NAND. DO NOT DO THIS. EVER. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR DEVICE. CLICK CANCEL. Now, right click on win32diskimager and select “Open as Administrator”. Once it is open, type whatever you want to name your file and make sure you add (.img) at the end. For example, you can name it nand.img. Click on "Read".
    
12. Your NAND should now be successfully dumped! Make sure to check the file sizes of the NAND to see if the dump was completed successfully.

STEPS FOR THE NEW 2DS XL​

I currently do not have an in-depth tutorial for the New 2DS XL system. Little is documented about the NAND of this system, and I personally have not attempted to do a hardmod on this device. However, NAND pinouts for the New 2DS XL system have been found, and a full tutorial for this particular system can be found in this video. Once enough people have tested these pinouts, I will do an actual tutorial for the New 2DS XL:

​

Warning! Many people have not tested these pinouts for the New 2DS XL. 3DBrew has not documented the NAND pinouts for this system either. As such, follow this video at your own risk. I am not to be held responsible for any damage that you do to your system by following an unofficial video tutorial.

Important Links:
​

NAND Error Codes
3DBrew has documented details about the 3DS NAND, including other useful information. Here is a list of all the error codes that is shown by the ARM9 bootrom when the NAND isn't initialized during startup (including when you have a franken-SD attached):

NAND Sizes
This shows the different NAND sizes for 3DS consoles

Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 1
A video tutorial on hardmodding the Old 3DS XL Part 1

Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 2
A video tutorial on hardmodding the Old 3DS XL Part 2

How to Solder (for beginners)
A video that teaches soldering concepts to beginners. Make sure you become proficient in soldering and have attempted it before you solder your 3DS

Hardmod Installers
For those who want somebody to install a hardmod on your 3DS console, this link shows trusted hardmod installers by region (UK, France, Germany, USA, Italy, and Brazil).
​

 

[Durig]

I need an answear to my question please XD :[ ^^"

try to be more specific in your question ( english not my native language so i dont understand what exactly you mean with your question)
also with forum rules you can use 2 language in your post : english and your native
try it and maybe german members can help other to understand what exactly do you mean.

as i can assume you dont know where to take GND, right?
just use ( as guide says) use the metal game card shielding

Spoiler

ignore the red circles in this photo ( image getting from ifixit from replace card reader guide)

 

[Lyuksus]

try to be more specific in your question ( english not my native language so i dont understand what exactly you mean with your question)
also with forum rules you can use 2 language in your post : english and your native
try it and maybe german members can help other to understand what exactly do you mean.

as i can assume you dont know where to take GND, right?
just use ( as guide says) use the metal game card shielding

Spoiler

ignore the red circles in this photo ( image getting from ifixit from replace card reader guide)

So just solder on
it ? xD

 

[Hbizzy]

I have used this tutorial to successfully hardmod an o3dsxl and now I am hardmodding a n3dsxl but I can't get computers to recognize the n3dsxl. Everything points to the card reader so I bought the suggested Tek Republic TUC-300 but it still doesn't recognize it. I have double checked all my connections end to end and they all look really good and pass connectivity tests. Any chance it could still be the card reader and I should try the Anker reader? I get the proper blue bootrom error screen when plugged into the reader, and the 3ds works normally when not in the reader on boot.

 

[TheToaster]

I have used this tutorial to successfully hardmod an o3dsxl and now I am hardmodding a n3dsxl but I can't get computers to recognize the n3dsxl. Everything points to the card reader so I bought the suggested Tek Republic TUC-300 but it still doesn't recognize it. I have double checked all my connections end to end and they all look really good and pass connectivity tests. Any chance it could still be the card reader and I should try the Anker reader? I get the proper blue bootrom error screen when plugged into the reader, and the 3ds works normally when not in the reader on boot.

It may be an issue with your computer? Probably not the reader. You should try the other reader just to be sure

 

[TheToaster]

So just solder on
it ? xD

Onto a corner, yes

 

[Hbizzy]

It may be an issue with your computer? Probably not the reader. You should try the other reader just to be sure

I've tried multiple computers. Don't want to buy another reader and have the same result. Are there any reports of the Tek Republic TUC 300 not working for the n3dsxl? What else could be the problem?

 

[xstefanx]

@TheToaster So I was just tearing down a friends 2DS and was following the guide here. Looks like the 2DS guide needs some work because the soldering pads are on the other side of the board so the whole thing actually needs to be removed in order to get at them to solder the wires on.

 

[Vlo]

I've just setup a O3DS XL hardmod. It is currently bricked by likely 9armloaderhax (my own OTP).

Unfortunately after writing (first reading to test, right image size read), my O3DS XL is still displaying the Bootrom 8046 error. Few questions here.

If I can write and read with Win32 Disk Imager, does this imply that hardmod setup is good physically?

I've tried writing multiple images (Decrypt 9 Synand, Emunand, Emunand 9d Synand), all of them would boot into bootrom 8046. What are my options at this moment?

edit: unbricked. Double checked my soldering. Helpful hints and things I learned.

• I used a Transcend SD Card Reader (TS-RDF5K), Vastar 60w Soldering Iron and 3S Lipo JST-XH Connector Cable. The cable doesn't matter. I would actually not recommend this cable. I would recommend 4 pieces of soft long wire.
• I would also not commend the HexEditor (inefficient) or MD5 (possible collision) non sense. Do this instead. a) Back up your corrupt sysnand with read. b) Flash a known working backup THEN read the image back to your computer. Use cmp on Linux/fc on Windows to do a bitwise file comparison of the file you wrote and the file you read. If they are identical, you are good. If they are not. Your hardmod is broken physically or your nand is corrupted physically.
• 3. Make sure that you are not connected to a SD card adapter when attempting to boot up your 3DS after flashing. By doing this, you'll continue to trigger a blue screen.
• 4. If you watch the video, you DON'T need to make a permanent entry point for hard mod (ie burn a hole in your inner shell/side shell. If you are like me, you probably don't plan on hardmodding your 3DS more than once. Once you have succeeded. It is not that much work opening everything up and going through the process again.
• 5. Double triple check your soldering. Make sure they are clean. I did this process without flux. It would have been 500% easier with flux or a desoldering pump. But it is doable without.
• 6. Not all SD card adapters are the same. Make sure you check your layout. I busted through 3 adapters before I found one that I didn't accidentally destroy or was usable. The first adapter, I was not able to determine the pin layout. There was no reference for pin 1. Second adapter, everything fell apart when I opened it.

 

[TheToaster]

not only o3ds XL, also regular o3ds need jis 00 too

@TheToaster So I was just tearing down a friends 2DS and was following the guide here. Looks like the 2DS guide needs some work because the soldering pads are on the other side of the board so the whole thing actually needs to be removed in order to get at them to solder the wires on.

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I haven't had much time to make solid changes to this guide as I have been busy developing (or attempting to develop) 3DS Homebrew. Plus school takes up a lot of my time as well. I released this guide pretty quickly, without much revisions and edits,

Anywho, I will revise the guide a bit and add more in-depth information. Please comment any other feedback/suggestions that I should add

 

[EliteNewbz]

Toaster - ever have problems with your N3DS not turning on? I applied the hard mod but I can't do anything cause I can't get anything to power on. No lights, nothing.

 

[TheToaster]

Toaster - ever have problems with your N3DS not turning on? I applied the hard mod but I can't do anything cause I can't get anything to power on. No lights, nothing.

Hmm. That's strange. Does the power LED turn on at all?

 

[EliteNewbz]

Hmm. That's strange. Does the power LED turn on at all?

Nothing - absolutely no power at all. I'm not sure what's wrong but I'll be checking it out tonight.

 

[Kourin]

Damn, have to wait until between the 10th and the 18th for the micro JST wires I ordered.
Really looking forward to trying this too. Everything else is just sitting quietly in my drawer waiting to to be used.

 

[TheToaster]

Nothing - absolutely no power at all. I'm not sure what's wrong but I'll be checking it out tonight.

Did you mount the connector near the contacts of the battery? If so, check if it is interfering with it.

 

[EliteNewbz]

Did you mount the connector near the contacts of the battery? If so, check if it is interfering with it.

Yessir all the connectors are attached (the mic and the one right next to it). I quadruple checked all ribbons and they were connected but I'm still not getting power. Thought the fuses might have been blown, but nope they are still working... I don't know what else to do.

There was a slight beep when I tried to turn it on but I couldn't replicate the beep. It was if I held the n3ds tightly to "close" it as I only applied 2 screws instead of everything back.

Still no leds.

 

[pre10c]

Nothing - absolutely no power at all. I'm not sure what's wrong but I'll be checking it out tonight.

silly question but did you put in the battery the correct way?

 

[EliteNewbz]

silly question but did you put in the battery the correct way?

Yessir. I always pop on the backplate before I put on the battery, so it matches the hinge and lock before I press the power button.

I've also tried just plugging in the charger - nothing. Don't see how I could have goofed up this board so badly.

 

[TheToaster]

I don't have any thoughts other than I hope you figure it out :/ I would contact Hundshamer or someone by PM and see if he knows the problem. I have never heard of this happening before.

Are you sure there are no solder splashes anywhere? Try desoldering the points and see if the console turns on.

Yessir. I always pop on the backplate before I put on the battery, so it matches the hinge and lock before I press the power button.

I've also tried just plugging in the charger - nothing. Don't see how I could have goofed up this board so badly.

 

[DKB]

I don't know man, but uh, I can't seem to find the NAND points on my New 3DS XL. I do not see anywhere where there's a Samsung chip or anything like that. Do I need to flip the whole motherboard over or something?

 

[TheToaster]

I don't know man, but uh, I can't seem to find the NAND points on my New 3DS XL. I do not see anywhere where there's a Samsung chip or anything like that. Do I need to flip the whole motherboard over or something?

Yes, you do, unfortunately, have to flip the motherboard to access the NAND. I haven't added much detail for this because I wanted to release it as soon as possible. I am working on the guide and making necessary changes and adding more detail to sections.