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).
​

 

[fireblaster_lyz]

Is there an alternate CMD point for the 2DS? Mine came in busted and I have no way to solder my wires on.

 

[Fwiller]

Wish I had read through the comments before buying the stuff. Phillips #000 doesn't seem to work. Guess I'll have to order a JIS #000 screwdriver.

 

[Tupac is real]

Does anyone know if the O3dsxl has an alternate CLK point?

 

[Ethan Sawicki]

Okay so I'm not sure what is causing this but I have a n3dsxl. Had the hard mod installed but I didn't get anything on the screen. All it does now is blue light pop and cut off? I've read that it could be a ribbon cable that got damaged? Any help would be appreciated

 

[TechAndrew]

Okay so I'm not sure what is causing this but I have a n3dsxl. Had the hard mod installed but I didn't get anything on the screen. All it does now is blue light pop and cut off? I've read that it could be a ribbon cable that got damaged? Any help would be appreciated

This is usually caused by a ribbon cable not being connected properly or being damaged (usually Top Screen). Re-open the 3DS and check all ribbon cables to ensure that they are snug.

 

[Ethan Sawicki]

This is usually caused by a ribbon cable not being connected properly or being damaged (usually Top Screen). Re-open the 3DS and check all ribbon cables to ensure that they are snug.

I have I think it's the speaker/LCD ribbon. Is there a guide somewhere that shows how to snake it back through the hinge?

 

[burningstallion]

The TSRDP8K isn't working to n3dsxl samsung mmc.

 

[dizz00]

I have finished the hardmodding part, few question here:

1. I think my nand is not samsung nor toshiba(?) there is only type name TDxxx or something like that. WIll the transcend one work?
2. My n3ds is working fine if not connected to the franken sd/reader/etc, but i only got bootrom error on the lower screen. Its fine right?

 

[rog9001]

Quick question. I have watched the 2 videos (just incase) the ones which are called Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 1 and Pt 2. I was wondering if I dump my NAND and then unplug the SD card and the cable which connects my 3DS XL to the SD card will I have to remove the wires which I soldered on or will it be ok if I keep them just so I don't have to solder them on again? And also was wondering will it work for me if I follow the instructions in the video because he is on firmware 4.5 and i am on 11.0? Also I was wondering who has done this hardmod and if it worked for them? The last question is for my sake before I start doing all this weird stuff with my 3DS XL.

 

[Deathscreton]

Man, it would be my luck that none of the card readers that work properly are being sold in retail stores. Its all online product.

 

[Tupac is real]

Quick question. I have watched the 2 videos (just incase) the ones which are called Old 3DS XL NAND Dump Video Pt 1 and Pt 2. I was wondering if I dump my NAND and then unplug the SD card and the cable which connects my 3DS XL to the SD card will I have to remove the wires which I soldered on or will it be ok if I keep them just so I don't have to solder them on again? And also was wondering will it work for me if I follow the instructions in the video because he is on firmware 4.5 and i am on 11.0? Also I was wondering who has done this hardmod and if it worked for them? The last question is for my sake before I start doing all this weird stuff with my 3DS XL.

Well, i have an O3dsXL on 11.0 and I'm working to hard mod it. Haven't completed it yet but I'll answer what I know currently doing the mod. First, definitely get a recommended sd card reader (don't roll your luck with a walmart brand). Second, my blue screen error boot rom message only appeared when I plugged in the custom micro sd connector to my soldered connector on the back (like the one he made in the video) so since mine worked normally with the wires soldered on I would assume you can leave them on. Finally, yes it will work with any firmware even 11.0. There are multiple guides on how to downgrade after you have successfully hard modded your device. Just google it.

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

Wish I would have read this a week ago. I ended up burning my pads through with rosin core solder and a shitty soldering iron.

There are alternate pads on the back of the mother board. A bit of a pain to get to but it's possible. I had to use an alternate CLK point on the back of my O3dsXL since I burned mine.

 

[Deathscreton]

So I'm havin' an issue with my N3DS. I managed to solder the points listed in the tutorial, however, turning on the N3DS without it connected to the reader only gives an audible pop from the speakers, then it shuts down completely.

Turning it on with the reader connected gives a white splash of the top screen, with no pop, and it turns off completely.

 

[rog9001]

Well, i have an O3dsXL on 11.0 and I'm working to hard mod it. Haven't completed it yet but I'll answer what I know currently doing the mod. First, definitely get a recommended sd card reader (don't roll your luck with a walmart brand). Second, my blue screen error boot rom message only appeared when I plugged in the custom micro sd connector to my soldered connector on the back (like the one he made in the video) so since mine worked normally with the wires soldered on I would assume you can leave them on. Finally, yes it will work with any firmware even 11.0. There are multiple guides on how to downgrade after you have successfully hard modded your device. Just google it.

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


There are alternate pads on the back of the mother board. A bit of a pain to get to but it's possible. I had to use an alternate CLK point on the back of my O3dsXL since I burned mine.

Thanks for telling me. also damn I didn't think that the CLK, CMD, DAT0 and Ground were so small... wtf xD
But I am up for the task!

 

[George varey]

So I'm havin' an issue with my N3DS. I managed to solder the points listed in the tutorial, however, turning on the N3DS without it connected to the reader only gives an audible pop from the speakers, then it shuts down completely.

Turning it on with the reader connected gives a white splash of the top screen, with no pop, and it turns off completely.

Make sure all ribbon cables are connected properly

Also I've heard a lot of people pulled all the plastic connectors up to remove the ribbon cables.
You should only up the ones with a latch

 

[Deathscreton]

Make sure all ribbon cables are connected properly

Also I've heard a lot of people pulled all the plastic connectors up to remove the ribbon cables.
You should only up the ones with a latch

That might be the case. I didn't realize that portions of the ribbon latches were ZIF connectors and I did pull up on a few of them. Well shit. I go through all that trouble and end up tearing up the easiest portion of the process.

 

[rog9001]

Make sure all ribbon cables are connected properly

Also I've heard a lot of people pulled all the plastic connectors up to remove the ribbon cables.
You should only up the ones with a latch

ah ok. the only one I see near the DAT0, CMD and CLK is the one connecting the buttons I think it was (I forgot cuz I put my 3ds back together).

 

[rog9001]

George varey. Question... I have a built in SD card reader should I still buy the recommended SD card reader?

 

[Deathscreton]

George varey. Question... I have a built in SD card reader should I still buy the recommended SD card reader?

From what I understand, people say that built-in readers may or may not work.
I went ahead and bought two different readers, along with the chance of my laptop reader probably working too.

 

[rog9001]

From what I understand, people say that built-in readers may or may not work.
I went ahead and bought two different readers, along with the chance of my laptop reader probably working too.

ah ok. :\

 

[rog9001]

Last few question I had. How do I plug in the SD card (in which way)? have the 3ds on and then plug it in or have the 3ds off plug in the SD and then turn on the 3ds?
And the other question is how do I disconnect the SD and the wire which connects the 3ds and the SD through the connector? While the 3ds is on do I Eject the SD card (from my computer/reader) then force shutdown my 3ds and then unplug the SD card from the connector or do I force shutdown my 3ds then eject the SD card and then unplug it from the connecter (which is in the 3ds)?