Hacking Hardware Picofly - a HWFLY switch modchip

[mathew77]

Got this offer on a local craiglist:


The seller says it's a new RP2040 Picofly based version modchip for Switch Lite and Oled, only.

What do you think about it, looks like it's a clearly fake, am I right?.. Or not?

 

[masagrator]

They named it PicoFly while obviously this is not Pico but Zero.

Was theoretized that it has too slow bus to be a glitching modchip. So I am very sceptical it's legit.
Providing uncutted video would be helpful.

Beside instalation looks like fire hazard on this pic. Curious if they even provide full instructions instead of just "solder here and here" and figure out mounting yourself.

 

[binkinator]

Do BS af my man.

 

[SylverReZ]

I've never heard of an RP2040 modchip appearing in the wild, and I can't find any information about it. I'm also kind of skeptical if this thing is going to be safe. I mean, looking at the photo of how it is soldered into place, it looks crudely done to the point that something could shorten. They should've just given you a diagram that tells you how to do it yourself. It also looks like this chip doesn't have any proper circuit protection even, so that can lead even to a potential hazard in many cases.

 

[mathew77]

Thank you guys, looks very shady. BTW after my request the seller send me this 'pinout scheme', hehe:
7 PIN:
29 - D0
28 - CMD
27 - CLK
26 - RST
15 - SOC shelf
Don't understand any bit about all of it tbh.

 

[SylverReZ]

Thank you guys, looks very shady. BTW after my request the seller send me this 'pinout scheme', hehe:
7 PIN:
29 - D0
28 - CMD
27 - CLK
26 - RST
15 - SOC shelf

on't understand any bit about all of it tbh.

Everything about Craigslist is shady.

 

[CompSciOrBust]

Haven't seen this anywhere else. Most likely fake. What are the odds that a one-of-a-kind mod chip just so happened to pop up on Craigslist?

 

[SylverReZ]

Haven't seen this anywhere else. Most likely fake. What are the odds that a one-of-a-kind mod chip just so happened to pop up on Craigslist?

It could be just a proof-of-concept, that's what I'm thinking.

 

[linuxares]

Cool if legit, but my bs meter is peaking. Also is that a ribbon cable the red cable is solder to? Which ribbon cable would that be?
EDIT: Warning! The pics have "Avito" on them. That's a Russian Craigslist. So stolen pics?

 

[CompSciOrBust]

It could be just a proof-of-concept, that's what I'm thinking.

Glitching Mariko with a rp2040 is definitely possible, I know several people have done it. Why would someone build a custom board and then sell it on Craigslist instead of mass producing it and selling it on AliExpress though? It makes no sense. If someone just did it for fun, which I know some people have, then why sell it at all? Either they want money or they don't. Selling a single one and no more is stupid.

 

[SylverReZ]

Glitching Mariko with a rp2040 is definitely possible, I know several people have done it. Why would someone build a custom board and then sell it on Craigslist instead of mass producing it and selling it on AliExpress though? It makes no sense. If someone just did it for fun, which I know some people have, then why sell it at all? Either they want money or they don't. Selling a single one and no more is stupid.

They could've just made the project open-source on GitHub so that it can be mass produced.

Post automatically merged: Dec 4, 2022

EDIT: Warning! The pics have "Avito" on them. That's a Russian Craigslist. So stolen pics?

Haven't heard of Avito being a Russianized version of Craigslist, thought it was some photo editing app.

 

[CompSciOrBust]

They could've just made the project open-source on GitHub so that it can be mass produced.

Yeah exactly. No one goes "Well I spent a month making this custom hardware, I don't really want to sell it, but I don't really want to let it be unknown either. Oh I know, I'll make exactly one and sell it on Craigslist for some lucky guy to pick up"

 

[SylverReZ]

Also is that a ribbon cable the red cable is solder to? Which ribbon cable would that be?

No. That red wire is soldered to one of the pins of a ribbon cable.

 

[linuxares]

No. That red wire is soldered to one of the pins of a Micro SD card.

Ah okey.

The only theory I can have is this is for a v1 switch basically. Just auto-injecting the rcm payload and pressing the buttons.

 

[SylverReZ]

Ah okey.

The only theory I can have is this is for a v1 switch basically. Just auto-injecting the rcm payload and pressing the buttons.

True. It would be the same as the vast majority of RCM injector chips out there.

 

[linuxares]

They could've just made the project open-source on GitHub so that it can be mass produced.

Post automatically merged: Dec 4, 2022

Haven't heard of Avito being a Russianized version of Craigslist, thought it was some photo editing app.

Oh even more suspicious !

 

[SylverReZ]

Oh even more suspicious !

You never know also what kind of code they put into the microcontroller.

 

[binkinator]

Ah okey.

The only theory I can have is this is for a v1 switch basically. Just auto-injecting the rcm payload and pressing the buttons.

I was thinking that as well, but the bend in the heat pipe is straight on a V1 in that location so it’s definitely not installed on a V1.

 

[eseldiem]

It seems fake to me. I mean, you need 1v8 logic to Interface with the emmc. And rpi runs at 3v3. I don’t see level shifter on the board.

The wiring of the cpu flex is cringeworthy but could probably work. (If it were legit)

Even if it works, I’d give it 80% probability it can’t flash the emmc with the custom boot code.

Edited: RCM chip doesn’t make sense, as no usb.

Honestly, it’s weird. More info and/or uncut video of this thing booting, or it didn’t happen.

 

[kimitoboku101]

It seems fake to me. I mean, you need 1v8 logic to Interface with the emmc. And rpi runs at 3v3. I don’t see level shifter on the board.

The wiring of the cpu flex is cringeworthy but could probably work. (If it were legit)

Even if it works, I’d give it 80% probability it can’t flash the emmc with the custom boot code.

Edited: RCM chip doesn’t make sense, as no usb.

Honestly, it’s weird. More info and/or uncut video of this thing booting, or it didn’t happen.

In my opinion rpi can run at 3v3 so maybe we can using analog pin to control the voltage, maybe =))