Feedback Hardware Homebrew Misc [Test data needed] LCD research thread

[Sono]

I've been researching the LCDs of the 3DS for quite some time, and noticed a few things, like old3DS (non-XL) being the only LCD to feature screen filters (horizontal flip, red-blue swap, etc.), while it doesn't work on any other 3DS (not even old3DSXL). Also that some old3DSXL models come with the same LCD controller as a new2DSXL!

I would ask all of you to voulnteer to dump the data in the LCD controller (I2CLCD) to see if there is anything else undiscovered.

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Usage:

1. Download attachment 1
2. Run attachment (please write down in the reply what you use to launch the .firm!)
3. Upload I2C_LCD0_dump.bin and I2C_LCD1_dump.bin (both, please!) from your SDCard, compressed into an archive
4. (do not do on non-XL old3DS) Download attachment 2 and run it
5. (do not do on non-XL old3DS) Upload I2C_LCD0_dump.bin and I2C_LCD1_dump.bin (both, please) from your SDCard, compressed into an archive with a different name
6. Reply to this thread (read below how)
   (if you can, please also write down manufacture date, assembly date, and initial system version (can be seen in GodMode9 from Home button menu-->Misc-->Get system info) if you can, it may help! DO NOT POST YOUR SERIAL NUMBER)

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Example replies:

TEST DATA!!!

Booted from b9s --> Luma --> GodMode9
System is new3DS (non-XL)
SoC date is 2015-06-11
Assembly date is 2015-07-13
Initial system is 9.8.0-25U

TEST DATA!!!

Booted from fastboot3DS
old3DS (non-XL)

Please don't forget to attach *both* files from your SDCard!

• I2C_LCD0_dump.bin
• I2C_LCD1_dump.bin

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Spoiler: Expand for info about the data

This .firm dumps all 256bytes from both I2CLCD to a file each.

On non-old3DS only, it also dumps the unknown debug info from the LCD controller.

All bytes seem to be equal so far on all non-old3DS-only LCDs, except for 0xE6 to 0xE8 (inclusive) and 0xFF.
0xE6 to 0xE8 are some sort of gamma fine-tune value out of the factory.

0xFF is manufacturer + some sort of revision info.
Known values:

• C7 - newer old3DSXL, new3DS, new3DSXL, new2DSXL
• C3 - older old3DSXL
• 10 - new3DS IPS (JDI)
• E1 - 2DS
• 01 - old3DS

The upper nybble seems to be the (panel?) manufacturer code:

• C - SHARP (always TN)
• 1 - JDI (always LTPS IPS)
• E - unknown, 2DS only
• 0 - unknown, old3DS only

The lower nybble seems to be a Johnson counter of the revision of the ASIC, but not sure because of 2DS:

• 0 - initial version (unknown, pre-retail?)
• 0 - new3DS JDI IPS (fully unique, includes IPS driving curve control as well)
• 1 - old3DS (non-XL)
• 1 - 2DS (same revision(?), very different controller, more similar to rev 3 instead)
• 3 - older old3DSXL
• 7 - everything else (new3DS, new3DSXL, new2DSXL)

No need to worry, there is no private data in the LCD, so it's safe to dump it.

The .firm is made by profi200, so you don't need to worry about my code

Attachment 1:

• [Download mirror 1 (puush, reupload for reliability)]
• [Download mirror 2 (see attachment, zipped, i2c_lcd_reg_dump_test.firm)]
• [Download mirror 3 (Dropbox, from profi200, only use if the puush link is dead, and can't unzip the attachment)]

Attachment 2 (do not run on non-XL old3DS (nothing happens, just pointless)):

• [Download mirror 1 (puush, reupload for reliability)]
• [Download mirror 2 (see attachment, zipped, i2c_lcd_reg_dump_test_unlock_0x03.firm)]
• [Download mirror 3 (Dropbox, from profi200, only use if the puush link is dead, and can't unzip the attachment)]

 

[PercyRS]

Luma chainloader -> firm

System is new2DSXL
SoC date is 2017-03-25
Assembly date is 2017-05-10
Initial system is 11.4.0-37U

 

[Sono]

Luma chainloader -> firm

System is new2DSXL
SoC date is 2017-03-25
Assembly date is 2017-05-10
Initial system is 11.4.0-37U

Thanks!

Same as other new2DSXL, dual SHARP TN (C7), unique callibration data (3 bytes differ, just like others).

Edit: found a match for the bottom screen with someone else's new3DSXL bottom screen! There is no serial data to be found.

 

[Maeson]

Launched through Luma Payloads (Boot with Start held, is that the chain loader?)
New 2DS XL
SoC Manufacturing date: 2017/03/17 04:35:01
System Assembly date: 2017/06/26
Original Firmware: 11.4.0-37E

 

[Sono]

Launched through Luma Payloads (Boot with Start held, is that the chain loader?)
New 2DS XL
SoC Manufacturing date: 2017/03/17 04:35:01
System Assembly date: 2017/06/26
Original Firmware: 11.4.0-37E

Thanks!

Same as other new2DSXL, dual SHARP TN (C7), unique callibration data.

And yeah, it's the chainloader.

 

[JORGETECH]

Luma chainloader -> firm

System is New 3DS
SoC manufacturing date is 2015/05/08 22:08:44
System assembly date is 2015/06/13
Original firmware is 9.6.0-24E

 

[Sono]

Luma chainloader -> firm

System is New 3DS
SoC manufacturing date is 2015/05/08 22:08:44
System assembly date is 2015/06/13
Original firmware is 9.6.0-24E

Thanks!

Same as others, dual SHARP TN (C7), unique cal data.

 

[Taguala]

Booted from GodMode9
System is old3DSXL
SoC date is 2012-07-20
Assembly date is 2012-10-07
Initial system is 4.2.0-9U

 

[Sono]

Booted from GodMode9
System is old3DSXL
SoC date is 2012-07-20
Assembly date is 2012-10-07
Initial system is 4.2.0-9U

Thanks!

Interesting! This is quite an early old3DSXL, and yet you're barely past the cutoff point where Nintendo has switched from C3 to C7 controllers. There is a really sharp switch from C3 to C7 at around 2012-08-05 and your 2012-10-07. Fascinating!

But yeah, same as as others, dual SHARP TN (C7), unique cal data.

 

[MrHuu]

I've got 2 more dumps for you:

Old3DS black
Booted with luma chainloader

Model: Old 3DS (retail)
SoC manufacturing: 2010/12/17 01:59:32
Assembly date: 2011/02/09
Original firmware: 1.0.0-0E

Old3DS white
Booted with luma chainloader

Model: Old 3DS (retail)
SoC manufacturing: 2011/09/16 08:59:54
Assembly date: 2011/11/01
Original firmware: 2-1.0-4E

Are you looking for specific models or manufacturing dates?

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Japanese n3ds (non-XL)

Booted via Luma -> GM9

Model: New 3DS (retail)
Region: Japan
SoC manufacturing: 2014/08/08 09:07:00
Assembly date: 2014/09/22
Original firmware: 8.1.0-0J

Archives are named per attachment used for each.

 

[Sono]

Japanese n3ds (non-XL)

Booted via Luma -> GM9

Model: New 3DS (retail)
Region: Japan
SoC manufacturing: 2014/08/08 09:07:00
Assembly date: 2014/09/22
Original firmware: 8.1.0-0J

Archives are named per attachment used for each.

Nice!

You have a dual-TN SHARP (C7) like others, however it seems like you have an early-ish top screen (possibly reject?), which has miserable color callibration, it's way off from everyone else's.

I don't have enough unlocked data yet (2.7z), but it seems like your top screen is indeed a reject or something, as the curves are set to pretty extreme values compared to others (I have no unlocked C7 new3DS data, but I do have new3DSXL C7 data).

I still have to work more on unlocked data correlation, it contains really interesting info about a panel's health.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Nice!

You have a dual-TN SHARP (C7) like others, however it seems like you have an early-ish top screen (possibly reject?), which has miserable color callibration, it's way off from everyone else's.

I don't have enough unlocked data yet (2.7z), but it seems like your top screen is indeed a reject or something, as the curves are set to pretty extreme values compared to others (I have no unlocked C7 new3DS data, but I do have new3DSXL C7 data).

I still have to work more on unlocked data correlation, it contains really interesting info about a panel's health.

Makes a lot of sense, it's very yellow to a disappointing degree.

Edit: attaching photo that pretty well represents the difference between top and bottom screen coloration.

 

[Sono]

Makes a lot of sense, it's very yellow to a disappointing degree.

Edit: attaching photo that pretty well represents the difference between top and bottom screen coloration.

Holy cow! How did you get an actual reject panel??? It looks like it has been burnt (as in, screen burn) to such a degree that it has developed a vignette as well >_>

I'm afraid not even my magic voodoo adjustments will make that much better

Has this been like this out of the box? Considering DS Lite screens develop a similar problem if exposed to sunlight, makes me wonder if this also got sunlight damage out of the factory.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Has this been like this out of the box? Considering DS Lite screens develop a similar problem if exposed to sunlight, makes me wonder if this also got sunlight damage out of the factory.

I got it secondhand so I can't say for sure. I didn't know it would be in this state when I was buying it, so I was definitely not super happy about it. Using proxy shipping to buy, I didn't have a lot of recourse in this instance, though.

 

[E1ite007]

This was a fun throwback...

Luma3DS chainloader ---> .firm
Model: New 3DS (retail)
Region (system): Americas
Region (sales): Middle East
SoC manufacturing date: 2014/09/11 08:14:51
System assembly date: 2016-05-21
Original firmware: 10.7.0-32U

EDIT 1: Also, I have an o2DS. I don't see any mention of that system in the thread. Are you accepting data from those models?
EDIT 2: Reading these are pretty interesting. The calibration data is (at least on my unit) almost the same between the two panels. I guess E6 is for the R channel, E7 for the G channel, and E8 for the B channel? Anyway, these are pretty cool.
Also, it's dual-TN SHARP pannels (C7 on FF).

 

[Sono]

This was a fun throwback...

Luma3DS chainloader ---> .firm
Model: New 3DS (retail)
Region (system): Americas
Region (sales): Middle East
SoC manufacturing date: 2014/09/11 08:14:51
System assembly date: 2016-05-21
Original firmware: 10.7.0-32U

EDIT 1: Also, I have an o2DS. I don't see any mention of that system in the thread. Are you accepting data from those models?
EDIT 2: Reading these are pretty interesting. The calibration data is (at least on my unit) almost the same between the two panels. I guess E6 is for the R channel, E7 for the G channel, and E8 for the B channel? Anyway, these are pretty cool.
Also, it's dual-TN SHARP pannels (C7 on FF).

Thanks!

Your system is like the usual, nothing out of the ordinary, other than the very late assembly date compared to the manufacturing date.

I would appreciate if you could do both dumpers on the 2DS, as my current sample size is only 1 (mine).

I wish it was that easy E6 alone controls something gamma-related for all 3 channels in an unknown way (mutliple bitfields in the same register), and I can't get E7 and E8 to do anything yet.

 

[E1ite007]

Thanks!

Your system is like the usual, nothing out of the ordinary, other than the very late assembly date compared to the manufacturing date.

I would appreciate if you could do both dumpers on the 2DS, as my current sample size is only 1 (mine).

I wish it was that easy E6 alone controls something gamma-related for all 3 channels in an unknown way (mutliple bitfields in the same register), and I can't get E7 and E8 to do anything yet.

Most likely the assembly date is too late since it's a Pokémon 20th Anniversary edition, those came in mid 2016 AFAK, and I bought it used in 2019 for 150-ish USD complete in box, not knowing that today they're sold between 400 to 600 USD sometimes.

I will check my o2DS. And also another n2DSxl I have.
Also, it's weird that the 3 channels are on the same register. Then I dunno what E7 and E8 could do, since my dumps only differ on those, not on E6. Anyway, let me check both my other consoles.

 

[Sono]

Most likely the assembly date is too late since it's a Pokémon 20th Anniversary edition, those came in mid 2016 AFAK, and I bought it used in 2019 for 150-ish USD complete in box, not knowing that today they're sold between 400 to 600 USD sometimes.

I will check my o2DS. And also another n2DSxl I have.
Also, it's weird that the 3 channels are on the same register. Then I dunno what E7 and E8 could do, since my dumps only differ on those, not on E6. Anyway, let me check both my other consoles.

E6 seems to be a control register of some sorts (changes how Z-inversion works), while E7 and E8 seem to control the intensity, but I think it's made of multiple stages, as the values don't change linearly, so E7 and E8 might also have multiple bitfields in them.

 

[IC_]

Coming here with my full collection.

All loaded with Luma chainloader.
Files named 'dump1' are the files dumped from the first firm file (renamed in godmode9).

Spoiler: Black o3DS

https://gbatemp.net/blogs/old-3ds-repairs-impossible-tiny-soldering.18174/
SoC date: 2010/12/24
Assembly date: 2011/03/10
OG firmware: 1.0.0-0E

Spoiler: Black-blue o2DS (newer revision)

https://gbatemp.net/blogs/full-collection-of-ds-and-3ds-systems.17533/
Likely that it has a third-party replacement screen.

SoC date: 2016/11/10
Assembly date: 2016/12/27
OG firmware: 11.2.0-35E

My Japanese translucent o2DS (also a newer revision) unfortunately isn't modded, so I can't dump the files from it now. Similar with my white-red o2DS (old hardware revision), it is modded but unfortunately it's currently broken beyond the point of being able to run the firmware files.
And same with my red Japanese o3DS, it unfortunately isn't modded yet. I should get around to modding those two systems at some point.

Spoiler: White n3DS

https://gbatemp.net/blogs/full-collection-of-ds-and-3ds-systems.17533/

SoC date: 2014/09/19
Assembly: 2014/11/18
OG firmware: 9.0.0-20E

Spoiler: White-orange n2DSXL

SoC date: 2017/05/28
Assembly: 2017/07/05
OG firmware: 11.4.0-37E

While I ended up being able to dump from only 4 devices instead of at least 6, I hope this will still be useful in some way.