What's new

Question DS, green light, flicker orange, and turn off

Joined
Aug 28, 2024
Messages
26
Likes
0
Do you know why my ds lite is doing this? I put a video below. And yes, it did it even when all the electrical components were still sealed in its shell.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2024
Messages
85
Likes
202
Portables
3
Does it make a pop noise when it happens? Usually that means it's a screen issue. The one that is working will flash briefly.
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,223
Likes
3,305
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
Check that the wifi module is properly socketed to the motherboard and there's no debris in the socket. The BIOS for the DS is stored on it, so it won't boot if it's missing or improperly socketed
 
Joined
Aug 28, 2024
Messages
26
Likes
0
Ok. Thanks as always for the help. I found the wifi module and messed around with it for a bit. When it's unplugged, the ds seems to turn on because the light stays a solid green until I turn it off myself. The only problem is that the screens don't actually turn on.
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,223
Likes
3,305
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
I believe the 4 pin FFC is for the touchscreen matrix
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,223
Likes
3,305
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
I'm afraid I don't know that. Did it suffer the issue before you first disassembled it?
 

KTW02

.
Joined
Oct 18, 2024
Messages
4
Likes
1
The DS lite touchscreen isn't needed to boot, I have a Macro with the touchscreen disconnected. Sounds power related? Check the components near the charging port.
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,223
Likes
3,305
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
Can you upload clear photographs of the front and back of the motherboard?
 
Joined
Aug 28, 2024
Messages
26
Likes
0
I'll be able to send a picture next time I have my phone. I pulled a spare (working) DS Lite and started comparing voltages. I found that on the broken one, right next to the charging port, theres a square that looks like a large fuse with four posts on each corner. that one reads 5.47v while the working DS lite reads 1.66V I apologize for not knowing the term for it, but I will post a picture tomorrow.
 

Stitches

2 and a Half Dollarydoos
Staff member
.
.
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
4,223
Likes
3,305
Location
Banana Bender Land, Australia
Portables
6
EM is not a standard tag for SMT components, but in your other photo it looks like a Resistor Array is tagged as EM instead of RA. Maybe that's a Nintendo thing?

My best guess for what that component actually is would be the same as the similar looking component near the power socket of the Wii. It's probably a little voltage regulator that smooths out the charger's input voltage into a specific flat voltage that other components have been calibrated to. If it has failed, you'll either need a donor board to harvest a replacement from, or just an entirely new DS-Lite motherboard to swap in. They're region free and aren't too hard to find fortunately, just be very careful with the ribbon cable connectors. They're legendarily fragile.
 
Joined
Dec 20, 2024
Messages
2
Likes
0
Here it is:
Hi, I thought I would give my two cents.

A few things: what you are describing as the wifi-module (the removable socket thing connected to the black wire) needs to be inserted while the DS turns on otherwise you won't power to the displays.

The symptoms you are describing, turning on green, flickers orange, turns off, and the square with 4 corners EM10 are related.
From the picture, it looks like your EM10 and/or your F1 are damaged and likely the reason for your problem.

You can test which is the issue
1. By plugging in the charger and seeing if the orange light stays on - if it does, this means the circuit to the battery is complete (F1 is fine) and is charging the battery (charge port fine).

2. To test if the battery is working, make sure you use a battery you know works, charges, and can power on a DS. Remove the charge cable, and attempt to power on the console with this working battery. If the device powers on, F2 is fine and the DS can boot on battery (F2 fuse is located by the bottom right corner of the DS cartridge reader). Depending on your board, F2 may have 32 on the top, F, or is a solid green block. Don't worry, these are all variations of fuses.

3. If the DS does not boot on battery, and ONLY will power on if it's connected while charging, then F2 is bad.

4. If you get the device to power on, BUT ONE of the screen flashes then console shuts off, the issue may be the screen (will stay black while other flashes white). If this happens, you will need to test with a different working screen (in place of the dark screen) to make sure it was just the screen and not another component in the circuit that is broken.

5. If you get the device to power on, BUT BOTH screens flashes white and shuts off, then you have an issue with the battery. You will need to replace the original DS battery with a new or different working one.

F1 is the fuse for the charging ciruit portion of the DS, and F2 is the fuse for the battery powered portion.

I could keep going but I would suggest first replacing the F1 and EM10. This will require a solder iron. If you don't have a solder iron, you are not going to be able to fix the broken DS.

Hope this helps.
 
Joined
Dec 20, 2024
Messages
2
Likes
0
Also found a broken ribbon chord
This is the touch screen pin connector P6. It means that you won't be able to use the touch screen portion of the DS but the LED screen will still power on if it's not broken.

This connector is not essential to powering the DS, and is one of the reasons why you can turn DS into Macros.
 
Top