Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[lightninjay]

nobody??

Found this schematic online

https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/SjfQg4dy3UfUnZ1n.full

Appears to be 1uF or 2.2uF 6.3v 0402 capacitor

 

[FueledSamantha]

can anyone tell me, what component this is (the 3,3v point)? my ripped off.

Here you go.

 

[JackFrostSMT]

Has anyone tested the XIAO seeed rp2040 with 2.6? Digikey sells for around $5 which is slightly worse than Aliexpress but better than Amazons outrageous $15

 

[LogicalMadness]

The temp differences will be minimal for such a small TDP chip. Just ensure its at least mid range (deepcool MX3/4/5 etc), only ones worth replacing are the cpu die to shield and shield to heatpipe/heatsink. The pink junk to the rf shield isnt necessary to replace as the rf shield doesnt have enough mass to really help with cooling anyway.
The switch being such a small TDP cpu, the ROI of more expensive paste isnt there. The temp differences of more expensive pastes are only really noticeable on larger TDP packages.

Just ensure whatever paste you use isnt electrically conductive!
Example Arctic Silver. If you use a paste thats electrically conductive, any overflow on the cpu die will cause shorting on the caps etc.


Source: Myself, long term semi-competitive pc overclocker and console restorer/repairer.

Perfect, suspicions confirmed. I'll stick to the MX4 on the Switchs and save the new MX6 for the bigger stuff.

I'll also now start replacing the pink stuff with cheap thermal pads JUST for a cleaner reassembly\future disassembly. Even though I'm w\ you on it being nigh pointless (clients get picky).

What about removing the copper tape (?) from the shielding altogether? Less layers equals better, correct?

 

[FueledSamantha]

unlocked picofly does not rewrite the preloader (unless it's completely broken), people asked for that to be able to use sdloader from the hwfly, for example.

Does this mean updating picofly in future we can use sdloader from toolbox?
is this a planned implementation in a future release or currently existing in 2.5?

Thank you for your great work, I really enjoyed the install!

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2023

Perfect, suspicions confirmed. I'll stick to the MX4 on the Switchs and save the new MX6 for the bigger stuff.

I'll also now start replacing the pink stuff with cheap thermal pads JUST for a cleaner reassembly\future disassembly. Even though I'm w\ you on it being nigh pointless (clients get picky).

What about removing the copper tape (?) from the shielding altogether? Less layers equals better, correct?

I just smoosh the pink junk back into a lump and reapply rf shield, but a correctly sized pad will also work fine for the picky customers who are opening the hardware that they paid you to work on? xD

Honestly I would leave that in place, its a small die and the wifi/bt modules are fairly close to it so interference is highly likely, it also helps alleviate hot spots in the die by having a nice thermal spreader (same reason desktop cpu's have heat spreaders on top of their die's to compensate for poor application of thermal paste).

 

[Dee87]

@rehius may i get the picofly image?
if u also have it without v 2.6 would be awesome

 

[LogicalMadness]

Does this mean updating picofly in future we can use sdloader from toolbox?
is this a planned implementation in a future release or currently existing in 2.5?

Thank you for your great work, I really enjoyed the install!

Post automatically merged: Apr 5, 2023

I just smoosh the pink junk back into a lump and reapply rf shield, but a correctly sized pad will also work fine for the picky customers who are opening the hardware that they paid you to work on? xD

Honestly I would leave that in place, its a small die and the wifi/bt modules are fairly close to it so interference is highly likely, it also helps alleviate hot spots in the die by having a nice thermal spreader (same reason desktop cpu's have heat spreaders on top of their die's to compensate for poor application of thermal paste).

Meh, for me, replacing the pink w\ pads is at least TRYING to stay near OG engineering. Lol, I actually JUST had my 1st client do that to me w\ an OGXB, "I always open my stuff to check it after".

K, back to re-taping the copper pads that come off then. Thanks.

Also through this little exchange, I'm now settled on leaving the APU\RAM shielding alone and cutting the metal backplate (for modchips, PZero so small!) instead. FYI, just for a little extra piece of mind, I add thermal pads to the emmc\Wifi IC\RAM, 1mm I think.

 

[lightninjay]

Here you go.

Just an FYI, you pulled up the BQ24193 schematic.

The area of the board that the photo is referencing (I only know because it's my photo) is to the right of the memory, or the M92T36 chip area. Easy mistake to make, they have very similar layouts.

 

[rehius]

Has anyone tested the XIAO seeed rp2040 with 2.6? Digikey sells for around $5 which is slightly worse than Aliexpress but better than Amazons outrageous $15

yes, I tested

 

[FueledSamantha]

Just an FYI, you pulled up the BQ24193 schematic.

The area of the board that the photo is referencing (I only know because it's my photo) is to the right of the memory, or the M92T36 chip area. Easy mistake to make, they have very similar layouts.

Fkn whoops, I need another coffee obviously.

 

[SQc04]

Thanks SQc04 I’ll see if somehow I can get a glob of solder onto that point. Man rst is so tiny.

You need stencils, solder paste and scrapers

 

[gechen]

Does anyone else have the same problem as me.I used PiCoFly FW2.5+unlock.uf2.

 

[Dandan0404]

I used AWG30 for GND and 3.3V and have no issues at all.

I bought 36 awg FOR ALL POINTS. Anyone can confirm if it us okay? Just following sthethix video

 

[swutch]

2.6 Alpha works fine on my lite + RP2040.
The only thing I've noticed:
After a few uf2 flashes, the led doesn't shine red anymore.
It stays off after an uf2 copy.
But anything else seems to work.

Thanks rehius!

edit:
I've used 40 AWG (0.1mm) for everything.

 

[NooBziN]

Does anyone else have the same problem as me.I used PiCoFly FW2.5+unlock.uf2.View attachment 363265

the fw2.6 installation is now available download it

 

[realtimesave]

You need stencils, solder paste and scrapersView attachment 363260

nah RST isn't working for me. I keep getting light purple error and the other connections are good

 

[jkyoho]

nah RST isn't working for me. I keep getting light purple error and the other connections are good

I assume you have a v1 board, here is RST alternative solder point. It's on top of those 2 resistor, gold test points(both 2 same)

 

[GarnetSunset]

Anyone got any tips? I'm trying to get a test boot out of this rp2040, I can get to the "no sd card" screen/could not init sd screen, I can't get into hekate! The resistors are 47r (yes I plan on either getting lil guys or an all in one board), basically black screen where hekate should be

 

[Dandan0404]

I bought 36 awg FOR ALL POINTS. Anyone can confirm if it us okay? Just following sthethix video

bump

 

[swutch]

bump

it's ok, up to 40 awg