Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[deeps]

I already bought almost $1k equipment to do a $5 mod

Same here, though more like $400. I was planning on modding and selling a few switch lites to recover the cost of equipment

 

[lightninjay]

here's an idea. maybe we should make a mold for mosfet+apu wires? it could easily be 3d printed and help shape and solder the wires onto the mosfet. then we can just put it in place next to the apu and the wires will line up with the caps. so just use mold to shape+solder wires onto mosfet, add some solder to the gnd+cap points on the apu, then lift mosfet+wires from the mold and place next to apu, and the wires will instantly line up with the right positions. it would greatly reduce the amount of time needed to get the mosfet part right.

Hmmm, I think I see where this concept is going. Give me a bit, as I have a personal 3D printer and some decent 3D modeling skills...

 

[QuiTim]

It’s not about the money it’s about the principle, playing $150 for a mod chip clone BS

I totally agree. What i wanted to say is that doing this mod seems like alot of fun, and I'm not spearing any expanse it's just that in some parts of the world things are not as accessible as they should be (i guess it's the lack of market for these things).
And reading this thread, watching all the installations and creative ideas people come up with while having to wait 2 months for a 2cent resistor it's soul crushing

 

[Dee87]

yeah bro, that's why I was asking.
Unfortunately it's very hard to buy/find these kind of components locally, that's why I ordered them from China more than one month ago.
I already read the whole thread twice while waiting for that delivery (usually it takes 1.5-2months) and its just an itch that I can't scratch.
It's not like i wanted to save $2(for 100pcs of 47r). I already bought almost $1k equipment to do a $5 mod

yeah but i bet somewhere in albania u will get 47ohm resistors . dont need to order from china
well this will not be ur last thing u did with the 1k equipment :-)

 

[QuiTim]

Same here, though more like $400. I was planning on modding and selling a few switch lites to recover the cost of equipment

I was exaggerating, it closer to 600 for me as well.
I did my first installation with a phone camera and a $10 solder and it was excruciating but I loved every minute of it so I decided to invest in this new "love interest" that i found. I only did a couple of friends switches afterwards, but never thought of doing it "commercially". I think that would be great, I will do some research to see if there is any interest for this around here.

 

[Dee87]

I was exaggerating, it closer to 600 for me as well.
I did my first installation with a phone camera and a $10 solder and it was excruciating but I loved every minute of it so I decided to invest in this new "love interest" that i found. I only did a couple of friends switches afterwards, but never thought of doing it "commercially". I think that would be great, I will do some research to see if there is any interest for this around here.

you need to watch out with doing it commercial u will prob get in some trouble with nintendo . dont know how the laws in albania are though
u might not have a prob at all

 

[deeps]

you need to watch out with doing it commercial u will prob get in some trouble with nintendo . dont know how the laws in albania are though
u might not have a prob at all

laws do not matter much in Albania, like much of eastern europe. Money matters, though, and Nintendo has plenty of it. Bribe the right people with the right amount of money and you can have anyone arrested for anything. I don't think ninty would care about someone selling a few modded switches on the local marketplace though.

 

[Dee87]

laws do not matter much in Albania, like much of eastern europe. Money matters, though, and Nintendo has plenty of it. Bribe the right people with the right amount of money and you can have anyone arrested for anything. I don't think ninty would care about someone selling a few modded switches on the local marketplace though.

yeah thats what i also thought but u never now and we know how hard the ninjas go after people so it was just a warning that he needs to keep that in mind..
selling modded consoles could be a way to go u might be right there but even if he does that in a big commercial way he also might get problem , all i can say dont do any advertisment in the public about it and u should be fine.

people who own switches mostley know other people who have switches and so on.
so one thing comes to another :-)

 

[QuiTim]

laws do not matter much in Albania, like much of eastern europe. Money matters, though, and Nintendo has plenty of it. Bribe the right people with the right amount of money and you can have anyone arrested for anything. I don't think ninty would care about someone selling a few modded switches on the local marketplace though.

laws do not matter much in Albania, like much of eastern europe. Money matters, though, and Nintendo has plenty of it. Bribe the right people with the right amount of money and you can have anyone arrested for anything. I don't think ninty would care about someone selling a few modded switches on the local marketplace though.

i couldn't have said it better myself

Post automatically merged: Apr 20, 2023

yeah thats what i also thought but u never now and we know how hard the ninjas go after people so it was just a warning that he needs to keep that in mind..
selling modded consoles could be a way to go u might be right there but even if he does that in a big commercial way he also might get problem , all i can say dont do any advertisment in the public about it and u should be fine.

people who own switches mostley know other people who have switches and so on.
so one thing comes to another :-)

By "commercial" I meant maybe 10-15pcs because I can bet you there are no more than 500pcs in whole country (everyone is obsessed with PS here).
I never do any of these things for money anyway it's just a hobby.
But you are right, I wouldn't wish for those ninjas on my worst enemy, you cannot be overly cautious with these guys.

 

[axcelmo]

hello all, first I want to thank @rehius for his dedication, and the community for all their tips an tricks, after doing my research I went and performed the install, and the first time it glitched fine, but when I went to put everything back together some wires got ripped off the board. after reconnecting everything the switch now wont boot anymore.
I Beeped out all the connection and they came out all ok. does anybody have a idea what went wrong?

 

[angelC992]

My latest revision (v.3) of the PicoFly install guide has been uploaded here on gbatemp

https://gbatemp.net/download/a-definitive-picofly-install-guide.37968/

Hello, first of all I wanted to thank you for the guide you have made.

I would like to give you a suggestion, and it is that in the image of the image points for Switch Lite it can give rise to an error.

The soldering points are correct, but the photo is skewed and the pads at the bottom are completely hidden. If someone decides to start counting from the bottom when soldering the wires, they will probably solder the CMD point wrong. It happened to a friend, that's why I'm telling you.

I hope it has not bothered you. Thank you very much for the guide again.

 

[lightninjay]

hello all, first I want to thank @rehius for his dedication, and the community for all their tips an tricks, after doing my research I went and performed the install, and the first time it glitched fine, but when I went to put everything back together some wires got ripped off the board. after reconnecting everything the switch now wont boot anymore.
I Beeped out all the connection and they came out all ok. does anybody have a idea what went wrong?


View attachment 366035

According to the definitive guide, this color indicates that you have an issue with your CLK line. You have either ripped your wire loose and the trace is still in tact (the console would boot normally) or you have ripped a trace somewhere else, and your console is not powering on at all, and therefor errors out on the CLK line.

Post automatically merged: Apr 20, 2023

Hello, first of all I wanted to thank you for the guide you have made.

I would like to give you a suggestion, and it is that in the image of the image points for Switch Lite it can give rise to an error.

The soldering points are correct, but the photo is skewed and the pads at the bottom are completely hidden. If someone decides to start counting from the bottom when soldering the wires, they will probably solder the CMD point wrong. It happened to a friend, that's why I'm telling you.

I hope it has not bothered you. Thank you very much for the guide again.

No offense to your friend, and I appreciate your thanks for the guide, but this is sort of like me putting a caution advising people against soldering while standing on their head (upside down, instead of right-side up). The simple answer to your friend's problem is to not rush through an install. Be certain of everything in an image before committing to an act that you may not fully understand.

I only speak of this, because my own rushing caused me to rip my wireless capacitors off, and break traces in my GF's switch lite, both are things I had to fix because of my own error.

In this situation, while I am sorry your friend got confused and soldered to the wrong pad, I do feel there is enough information in the graphic given to properly deduce where the pads are located.

 

[axcelmo]

View attachment 366036
According to the definitive guide, this color indicates that you have an issue with your CLK line. You have either ripped your wire loose and the trace is still in tact (the console would boot normally) or you have ripped a trace somewhere else, and your console is not powering on at all, and therefor errors out on the CLK line.

Post automatically merged: Apr 20, 2023

No offense to your friend, and I appreciate your thanks for the guide, but this is sort of like me putting a caution advising people against soldering while standing on their head (upside down, instead of right-side up). The simple answer to your friend's problem is to not rush through an install. Be certain of everything in an image before committing to an act that you may not fully understand.

I only speak of this, because my own rushing caused me to rip my wireless capacitors off, and break traces in my GF's switch lite, both are things I had to fix because of my own error.

In this situation, while I am sorry your friend got confused and soldered to the wrong pad, I do feel there is enough information in the graphic given to properly deduce where the pads are located.

unfortunately one of the cmd pads got ripped. any idea how to fix this?

 

[Dee87]

unfortunately one of the cmd pads got ripped. any idea how to fix this?

use the other one

and secure the kabel with uv mask and dont rip it off

 

[axcelmo]

use the other one

and secure the kabel with uv mask and dont rip it off

I think the switch wont boot anymore because these two pads are not making connection, need to repair it first

 

[lightninjay]

unfortunately one of the cmd pads got ripped. any idea how to fix this?

Is the console still booting, or no? If no, then you need to clean the area well with alcohol, then see if you can still see any shiny spots in the area you ripped. If there's still shiny and it's not connected to the other pad, then you likely experience issues turning on the console.

Bridge the pad to any exposed metal that is left of the trace, and try to reattach your wire, but then, like Dee said, UV-CURE IT DOWN

 

[sharlimar]

hello all
a few picture from my personal installation of cpu mosfet

View attachment 365934View attachment 365937

Looks good! What are the wire specs and what is those transparent drops? Uv mask or hot glue?

 

[JaRocker]

I totally agree. What i wanted to say is that doing this mod seems like alot of fun, and I'm not spearing any expanse it's just that in some parts of the world things are not as accessible as they should be (i guess it's the lack of market for these things).
And reading this thread, watching all the installations and creative ideas people come up with while having to wait 2 months forI am from a small island a 2cent resistor it's soul crushing

Yeah, I know what you mean, I am from a small island and it's hard to get anything here.

 

[naldo29]

So long as they are 51 ohm the that should be fine

so one extra shouldnt be a problem? phew lol

 

[LogicalMadness]

According to the definitive guide

Nice