Hardware Switch No Longer Connecting to Dock

[bluedart]

I'm posting this here since I have a CFW switch and I've exhausted all currently available avenues of hardware debugging. If this is a software/firmware issue, I'd like to figure that out, and if not I'd like to eliminate the possibility.

So, I'm on firmware 9.2.0 and Kosmos 15.2 as of about a week ago, and I've been playing with it on and off the dock without issues since. I have a launch switch with all launch hardware. As of today, I booted it up to use it, and I have not been able to get it to connect to the TV. At first, it was already in the dock; the pro controller woke it from sleep and it seemed connected to the dock, but nothing was showing up on my TV. I confirmed that the TV's HDMI port and cable I was using are both working properly by connecting my mostly derelict WiiU properly. I also confirmed the official Switch power adapter was working by connecting it directly to my switch. Whenever I connect the power adapter to the dock, there is also a slight indication on the LED that it is receiving power. However, there is now no indication whatsoever that the switch is connecting to the dock in any distinguishable fashion.

So the cables are good. I then spent the next hour on google trying to solve my problem. I've power-cycled the TV, the switch and both, no change. I've connected the power cable first, then the HDMI cable, turned the TV on and set it to the correct input, then inserted the switch into the dock. No change. The switch nor dock never indicates that the other one exists.

This leads me to believe that the only thing that's faulty is the connection between the switch and the dock. The connection feels the same as it ever has, and I cannot get them to recognize each other no matter what I do.

No, I do not have access to another switch or dock, meaning I cannot definitively confirm which is at fault.

I sent away for some specialty screwdrivers, hoping to find some answers, but that's going to take a while and I'm here wanting to explore the possibility of it being a non-hardware issue, as unlikely as that may be.

Does anyone have any insight for me, or am I just stuck with a nifty handheld for the foreseeable future?

 

[bad361]

So.. Does your switch charge while in dock, cause you said something about dock receiving power with LED indication but didn't mention if the switch indeed could be charged in dock. Anyway, this doesn't seem like a software issue at all, it's pretty obvious. And without further testing with different docks/switches you don't have many options left. I personally doubt it's the dock cause what could possibly go wrong with it? Switch on the other hand is most likely the culprit, more specifically either the usb-c port or the chip that's responsible for hdmi output. But again, you can't tell for sure until you test it with different switch or dock.

 

[bluedart]

So.. Does your switch charge while in dock, cause you said something about dock receiving power with LED indication but didn't mention if the switch indeed could be charged in dock. Anyway, this doesn't seem like a software issue at all, it's pretty obvious. And without further testing with different docks/switches you don't have many options left. I personally doubt it's the dock cause what could possibly go wrong with it? Switch on the other hand is most likely the culprit, more specifically either the usb-c port or the chip that's responsible for hdmi output. But again, you can't tell for sure until you test it with different switch or dock.

Well that got rather dark quickly. Honestly it's probably the dock, because as I said it doesn't recognize the switch at all, even to charge. It's probably just not connecting properly and needs to be either cleaned or have that connection replaced. The switch charges just fine with any other usb-c cable; which is good cause if it didn't it would be a brick. Hopefully I can just fix or get a new dock at some point, cause if it's the switch I am super boned and a half. Let's not jump right to cancer because I have a headache, yeah?

Really, just checking to see if there might be some sort of precedent for software preventing it from working. I want to be proactive and cover all my bases. I've never heard of or seen something like this, but then again I'm one person with limited knowledge.

I'm not sure why I didn't check this before, but completely powering off the switch should make whatever CFW I have irrelevant right? Yeah, it doesn't connect at all in a powered-off state either, so I have no reason whatsoever to think this is in any way software related.

 

[tabzer]

Sorry. You said AC Adapter is working with the Switch directly. But when inserting the switch into the dock, the dock's LED indicator turns green, right? It's most likely the dock that is the problem. If we are lucky, the dock port that connects to the switch is dirty.

 

[bluedart]

Just responding to update people. As it turns out this was a hardware issue with the dock. If you care to know how, read below, otherwise have a nice day.

Spoiler

There was a fairly sizable bit of fuzz in the dock's connector, like I thought there might be. Pressurized air was not sufficient to remove it. I had to disassemble the entire dock, remove the fuzz with tweezers, and then painstakingly put it back together, which involved a ribbon cable that didn't want to play ball for about 15 minutes and, unfortunately, a few left-over screws. Well, anyway, it works now. Hallelujah!

Feel free to close this thread.

 

[tabzer]

There was a fairly sizable bit of fuzz in the dock's connector, like I thought there might be.

You mean, like I thought there might be (hoped). Lol, you are welcome. Thanks for the update.