Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[LuigiGad]

hi guys, i saw in the guide that there are new points for installing the mosfet, without removing the APU cover. are they reliable? i'm thinking of testing on an oled and a lite today.

Personally, I consider the installation of mosfets on the back to be a good thing for educational reasons, but not very useful in practice. To use the alternate points, you have to completely disassemble both the Lite and Classic switches, when using the classic points avoids this. The oled has to be removed because of the clock, so it is useless to go to the alternative points

 

[superxoi]

Can you provide a link for the big boy?

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/3287...khjmRIaW&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from: this one

 

[phil-87]

Hi guys, ive just got a modded oled switch and was wondering if you guys had a tutorial on how to update the cfw and stock firmware aswel as emucfw, sorry if i sound like a noob just dont want any unnecessary bricks, ive had unpatched switch for a while so im familiar with atmosphere, sigpatches etc but im new to the modchip scene

 

[superxoi]

Hi guys, ive just got a modded oled switch and was wondering if you guys had a tutorial on how to update the cfw and stock firmware aswel as emucfw, sorry if i sound like a noob just dont want any unnecessary bricks, ive had unpatched switch for a while so im familiar with atmosphere, sigpatches etc but im new to the modchip scene

Updating is the same. Whatever you did on your unpatched you can do it for your oled.

 

[phil-87]

Updating is the same. Whatever you did on your unpatched you can do it for your oled.

cheers mate that is good to know

 

[FXDX]

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/32875033908.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.27.792a47db6eCFLu&algo_pvid=4f141550-bcf6-4287-a508-6c9d1e43cc31&algo_exp_id=4f141550-bcf6-4287-a508-6c9d1e43cc31-13&pdp_npi=4@dis!VND!28179!24013!!!1.15!0.98!@2101c5bf17051148786547085eab73!65553066185!sea!VN!3483857198!&curPageLogUid=IYJCkhjmRIaW&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from: this one

Do you have a soldering diagram on the board for it? thx

 

[psycho-neon]

Do you have a soldering diagram on the board for it? thx

For most of the mosfers, gate is the pin 1 (dot). Just double check the continuity of the source pins.

 

[Myst0gan]

Shorted dat0/1 reads about 1.1 black probe on ground from my experience

For shield barrier, I usually use mini grinder to cut it. Another thing is to use a very sharp pointed cutter and cut into small pieces.

So, other way around (red on ground) should be around .700

I just jimmy it back and forth until it fatigues the metal and breaks off on its own. Don't pull up (away from the board) at all whilst doing this. It might take a few back-and-forths.

Post automatically merged: Jan 12, 2024

So envious. I've put in an order for a grinder from AliExpress to try this method out.

I do like that right now, most of the time it takes the ground pad with it. When I'm lucky, the metal breaks leaving the pad intact.

 

[bilboadicadey]

I have a problem that I'm sure it has an easy solution, which I can't see atm.
I'm on a mariko with picofly, and I have a strange hekate/charger problem. Whenever I plug the usb cable (either wall charger or to a pc) on the powered off console, the console turns on and runs hekate!!! Even when I choose "power off" in hekate with the charger plugged in, the console briefly turns off and back on to hekate again!!! what's going on? Also: the console remains off if I have the usb cable unplugged

seem's impossible, i have the same iusse and after many experiments finally i understood what is the problem. it's caused by the sd card. Not depending by config or other type of file, but just the empty sd card which have some kind of iusse. i try the same micro sd card on 4 switch whit picofly installed and same results. try to change files and format many times but nothing change, the switch rebooting automatically after power off when is plugged in. qumox 256 gb micro sd. i have 2 of this sd card and one of them works great, the other one cause this iusse.

Post automatically merged: Jan 14, 2024

 

[Modder_Boi]

What is the best pico chip for oled? I’m planning on running Switchroot and running homebrew in the native switch os.

 

[deeps]

What is the best pico chip for oled? I’m planning on running Switchroot and running homebrew in the native switch os.

oled: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny
v1/v2: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny
lite: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny

the other "chips" you are talking about are chinese clone garbage and should be avoided.

 

[Modder_Boi]

oled: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny
v1/v2: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny
lite: rp2040-zero or rp2040-tiny

the other "chips" you are talking about are chinese clone garbage and should be avoided.

What are the differences between the two? I couldn’t find many chips on the Internet that didn’t look super sketchy, and the couple that I did find were either lacking USB or were far too big. Also, is there anyway that you could share the links?

 

[deeps]

What are the differences between the two? I couldn’t find much about either of them on the Internet. Also, is there anyway that you could share the links?

rp2040-zero is the original reference chip. You will need to add 100/100/47 ohm resistors for the dat0/cmd/clk points and remove usb connector and buttons (and optionally LDO) for it to fit inside the switch since it is a bit too thick otherwise. rp2040-tiny is a newer variant which is slim enough to fit inside the switch without modification, however it doesn't have a full usb-c port but instead requires an extra adapter board to connect and program it - the benefit being that it's easy to connect and reprogram it even after it has been installed into a switch. Not really an important function though since the picofly firmware allows updating through hekate/picofly toolbox anyway. The rp2040-tiny has 47-ohm resistors on board for the dat0/cmd/clk points already and can be used without additional resistors in many switches, however it has been deduced that 100/100/47 has a higher likelihood of working well and it's therefore a good idea to add extra 47-ohm resistors for dat0/cmd (or replace the on-board ones with 100 ohm variants).
You can and should buy them directly from waveshare, it's literally one of the top 3 hits on google, you can do that part yourself. You can also buy them from aliexpress which might be slightly cheaper depending on your location, however most of the chips sold there are clones, where the rp2040-tiny clones are simply worse than the real deal while the rp2040-zero clones seem to work fine most of the time.

 

[FXDX]

Hi Guys. I'm attaching my first Picofly Tiny mod to switch Oled, expose the DATO point using the Kamikaze method.
The tool used for drilling is MaAnt D1
I put the mosfet on the back of the motherboard.
I also put the SDA and SCL wires for a more stable glitch.
Everything went well without any particular problems. You just need to be careful and be sure of your hand.

 

[Modder_Boi]

What is the best method for installing the RP2040 tiny? I don’t think I’m experienced enough or comfortable with doing the kamikaze method, so I’m just wondering if there’s anyway to solder directly to the solder points on the motherboard. Also, what is the chance of me breaking my switch by doing this?

 

[SylverReZ]

What is the best method for installing the RP2040 tiny? I don’t think I’m experienced enough or comfortable with doing the kamikaze method, so I’m just wondering if there’s anyway to solder directly to the solder points on the motherboard. Also, what is the chance of me breaking my switch by doing this?

Just buy a RP2040 Zero, flash it with Picofly and let a professional do the work for you.

 

[deeps]

What is the best method for installing the RP2040 tiny? I don’t think I’m experienced enough or comfortable with doing the kamikaze method, so I’m just wondering if there’s anyway to solder directly to the solder points on the motherboard. Also, what is the chance of me breaking my switch by doing this?

The dat0 point goes directly from the apu to the emmc and is not exposed on the oled mainboard, which is why there are a few various methods to reach it, all of which are either inferior or complicated. There are four methods available:

1. A slide-in dat0 adapter that slides under the emmc and presses against the dat0 solder ball. The aliexpress clone chips come with this adapter. You can also buy it separately on aliexpress. This is the quickest and easiest install method, but it's not an actually soldered connection and tends to fail easily, either because of oxidation over time or because of an impact of some kind.
2. the kamikaze method. Grinding into the mainboard to reach the dat0 trace at an inner layer of the pcb. A proper connection, lets you mod the oled without detaching the mainboard from the chassis. Not for the faint of heart - a minor mistake and your switch is dead.
3. emmc reball with dat0 wire. Remove emmc, attach wire to the dat0 point, reball emmc and attach it back on top. A proper connection, but reballing is an entirely different skill set and requires specific tools and training/practice.
4. emmc mitm-adapter with reball. Remove emmc, attach reballed mitm adapter where the emmc was, attach reballed emmc on top of adapter, solder wires to the exposed dat0/cmd/clk points on the adapter. A proper connection, bonus for getting easier cmd/clk points, no need for any shield cutting. Reballing is an entirely different skill set and requires specific tools and training/practice. Requires the mitm adapter, can be ordered cheaply through jlcpcb.

....and I agree with the post above. If you are unsure whether you have the skills for this job, you probably don't. Modding a switch oled is a very advanced solder job.

 

[Modder_Boi]

Just buy a RP2040 Zero, flash it with Picofly and let a professional do the work for you.

What would be a good place to get it installed?

 

[SylverReZ]

What would be a good place to get it installed?

Maybe stop asking too many questions and look at reference pictures, which will give you an idea on where to install it. There's also a Picofly guide here if you need to troubleshoot if issues arises: https://gbatemp.net/download/a-definitive-picofly-install-guide.37968/

 

[Modder_Boi]

Maybe stop asking too many questions and look at reference pictures, which will give you an idea on where to install it. There's also a Picofly guide here if you need to troubleshoot if issues arises: https://gbatemp.net/download/a-definitive-picofly-install-guide.37968/

I meant like a place that would install it for me :/