WiiKey Fusion defective SD card reader?!

[lowmanX8]

Hi there,

big surprise today! I've been working on and off for some weekends on this GameCube + Wiikey Fusion Project since I started, almost 2 years ago. Endless soldering (don't know how many times, at least 6 complete fresh starts) and without any success. Last idea was to buy another modchip, so I ordered a WASP Fusion and to my complete surprise everything worked. First time, I saw the WiiKey Fusion menu.

Soooooo, at first, my conclusion has been, that I must have damaged the original WiiKey Fusion at some point, but that's not the case: both modchips work just fine, but only with the new SD card reader! And neither WiiKey Fusion, nor WASP Fusion work with the old original SD card reader. So it seems, all this time the soldering was fine and I was stuck with defective hardware.

I researched a little bit and there was somehow a known problem with the SD card reader?

When comparing the boards, there were some differences, which led me to post here.


[url=http://i.imgur.com/JqPO4p5.jpg]http://i.imgur.com/JqPO4p5.jpg[/url]

Can someone with WiiKey Fusion SD card reader and/or WASP Fusion SD card reader please check if your board looks the same?

Any other tips? Thanks a lot!

 

[Blargaman91]

If I remember correctly both SD card readers are basically the same. I've used them interchangeably. It is possible that your piece of hardware is defective, though. I've always felt the Wasp is lower quality.

But the JTAG connector on the Wiikey Fusion is the reverse of that on the Wasp, so they have different cables. If you got the two cables mixed up at any point it could easily cause some confusion.

 

[lowmanX8]

Thanks for your answer!

It is possible that your piece of hardware is defective, though. I've always felt the Wasp is lower quality.

If I understand correctly, you're thinking the WASP Fusion SD card reader is the defective one? I'm sorry, if my descriptions above were confusing: the original SD card reader I got, which came with the WiiKey Fusion, is the one which seems to be defective.

But the JTAG connector on the Wiikey Fusion is the reverse of that on the Wasp, so they have different cables. If you got the two cables mixed up at any point it could easily cause some confusion.

Yes, I recognized the different FFC cables. That's definitely not the problem.

If I remember correctly both SD card readers are basically the same. I've used them interchangeably.

There is almost no electrical component on the SD card reader board. Where would I look for the defect?

I read, that there seems to be a defective charge of SD card readers, so I just wanted to check, what exactly the problem was. Maybe one of the resisitors is in the wrong place? That's why I attached the graphic: could you check with your SD card reader boards? Is there any difference between your WiiKey Fusion SD card reader and mine? And between your WASP Fusion SD card reader and mine?

Again, thank you so much for your reply.

 

[Blargaman91]

Oh, okay. Well my Wiikey Fusion SD card reader has all the same resistors and capacitors as yours. The problem is probably mechanical, in the SD slot, the FFC connector, or the FFC cable.

The SD slot and FFC connector might feel loose or brittle if they're broken but the FFC cable could have a minute fracture somewhere and you wouldn't know it. Do you have a different cable to try?

I would still look at the pins of the SD slot slot and FFC connector and clean them up with something like isopropyl alcohol if you can.

 

[RDC]

The unmarked parts are Capacitors.

It would also take only 1 bad solder joint, trace etch or via (the plated holes that connect the top and bottom traces together) during the PCB fabrication for the entire thing to not work correctly.

Like Blargaman91 says also, if that FFC has any broken connections you'll never see it/them unless you're looking for it under some decent magnification.

 

[lowmanX8]

Oh, okay. Well my Wiikey Fusion SD card reader has all the same resistors and capacitors as yours.

Thank you very much for checking!

The problem is probably mechanical, in the SD slot, the FFC connector, or the FFC cable.

Yes, I agree with SD slot, FFC connector. However, the issue can't be the FFC cable, because it works with the WASP Fusion SD card reader.

The SD slot and FFC connector might feel loose or brittle if they're broken

Hmm, well... everything looks fine. But still possible.

I would still look at the pins of the SD slot slot and FFC connector and clean them up with something like isopropyl alcohol if you can.

Good idea. Yet, it didn't help. Sorry...

The unmarked parts are Capacitors.

Thanks.

It would also take only 1 bad solder joint, trace etch or via (the plated holes that connect the top and bottom traces together) during the PCB fabrication for the entire thing to not work correctly.

Yes...

I'm still hoping, one of the capacitors is defective. Maybe you can help: I opened a new thread to ask for help - maybe someone can meter the capacities.

Thank you very much!

 

[RDC]

You wont get an accurate measurement with the average DMM on Capacitors, unless it has a Capacitance setting, and even then they need to be out of circuit or unloaded to get a good reading. As long as they don't measure shorted (use the Ohms setting and check them both ways) then they're most likely fine or not going to cause any issues even out of spec as they're just for decoupling.