NDSL disassembly/reassembly guide

[Prime]

Great guide, I've been meaning to replace my NDS case for a while (hinge problems) and i was hoping to find a guide.

 

[thieves like us]

just an fyi:
all of the images are now in place but I will probably be going back this weekend and modifying the guide at least once more to arrange the images a bit better with the [alt] text located underneath them. I'm also toying with the idea of increasing the size of the thumbnails from 135px to 200px wide (making it a bit easier to see what is being discussed without having to open up [all of] the full sized images.

I will also be adding a step showing how to correctly disassemble the lower lcd panel from the pc board with a diagram on how the smaller, touchscreen flexible cable connection works.

I encourage anyone using this document to submit their comments and suggestions so that I can continue to improve the guide.

 

[xzxero]

coll.
for sure
thieves.
your work in progress is revolutionary.
im havin mad problems tho.
if its not one thing its the other
so suggestions you say?
detail the troubleshooting

 

[junfeng85]

I replaced my shell but the black color hinge is still spoiled. Any idea where I can get 1? most replacement shell have everything except that hinge =(

 

[thieves like us]

junfeng85:
a number of ebay sellers offer replacement axel hinges
http://search.ebay.com/ds-lite-axle-hinge_...Q20axelQ20hinge

 

[junfeng85]

Thanks alot!! =)

 

[xzxero]

off topic?
my suggestion was that you should detail the troubleshooting
as in the if the touch screen isnt working what flexible cable should i be looking at.
i just want to get thru this without any grief

 

[thieves like us]

xzxero:
should should have made your original post clear to understand. as it was entered, I wasn't sure if you were attempting to try and be "funny" or what you were attempting to communicate (I don't speak [yoda]).

I may consider going into further detail regarding the touch screen in a future update, however since I didn't advocate removing it, there was really no reason to include anything on it in the intial release of the guide.

 

[Searinox]

I've got one question that really bothers me.

See those four pins? I've bent one out of shape, then bent it back, could that have any adverse effect? As far as I checked those pins aren't conencting to anything, they are only 'claws' holding the cable since its connectors are actually on the lower side, not upper side where those things are gripping. Can I get confirmation that connection-wise they are unimportant and that bending one wouldn't cause the touchscreen not to respond?

 

[thieves like us]

I've still got a system lying in pcs. at home that I'll take a look at after I get out of work today.

to the best of my knowledge, you are correct that they sort of function as a [claw] keeping the smaller flexible cable in place, however I can't be sure that's their only function until I get home and can have a closer look and possibly check some things with a multi-meter.

 

[Searinox]

Please do so, I would be very grateful. My DS is broken and I have replacements under way. My memory is what frustrates me, because I am not sure wether after I reassembled it the touchscreen worked for a few seconds and then stopped working. If it did I would expect a little more than TS damage, maybe somethng shorted out because of my bend? In any case I ordered a 2nd touchscreen to make sure, and I'd be devastated to find it doesn't work because the clip is damaged. If it is I'd suspect either the pin bending or the fact that the cable came out forcefully under the screen's weight...

 

[thieves like us]

although the connector is reasonably small, once it's in the locked position, it would take quite a good deal of force to pull the screen free (trust me, I messed one up before and know this via 1st hand experience).

 

[Searinox]

It WAS locked into position when it came out. Could that damage the connectors? The clip seems to be working perfectly now but the touchscreen is not.

 

[thieves like us]

ah... you didn't mention that before.

my guess is that you accidentally ruined the connectors under the lock (which is what I did when it happened to me as well). if you have a magnifying lense and an hobby knife and an extremely steady hand, you might be able to identify and re-align a shifted connecting pin (which is subsequently not making contact with the touch screen's ribbon cable).

if that's not the case, then your best best is to win an auction on ebay for a broken ds lite (broken as in the screens or hinge but not the power switch, because you're going to need the PCB from the broken system to swap with yours). a replacement touch screen from DX won't correct this problem, because the problem lies in the connection to the PCB under the lock.

 

[Searinox]

The pins underneath look healthy, it's the claws on top, ONE of them WAS damaged but I straightened it back. Could you give me a picture of what the inside pins look like with the clip open? I looked at them and they all look healthy but just to make sure, I need a referrence pic.

 

[thieves like us]

yes, I can try and take a picture and post it late tonight. the problem being that even a $1500 SLR is only as good as its lense and since I haven't bothered to go out and purchase a nice macro zoom lense, I'm restricted to how close I get get (and still remain in focus). (I think it may be time to just pick up a $250 digital camera with 12x optical for this stuff).

hopefully, I can get good enough light source and picture for you.

 

[thieves like us]

ok, here are your images:

 

[Searinox]

Thank you very much. Ya know they look about right. Mine look that way. Does the cable go in all the way to the other side? To those 4 metal strips that run over the cable have a role in connection? I mean the connectors are on the bottom side... it's the 'kennels' underneath, the faintly-visible golden ones down from where the clip ends that ensure data transfer right?

 

[thieves like us]

here are two more pictures with the ribbon cable removed so that you can see (as best as my camera will allow), what the connector by itself, looks like:

 

[Satangel]

I have a White DS Lite where the R button doesn't work properly anymore.
I've found that it's probably caused by dust in the spring that is inside the R button.
On which pic can I see where that spring is?