My memorycard mod

[MangoGrey]

My led modded memorycards :D


http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/bothcards.jpg

http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/bluecard.jpg

http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/rgcard.jpg

[nonzero]

Very spanky - What tutorial did you use? Also, are they official cards as I thought the OGs were solid and not transparent?

[MangoGrey]

I didn't use any tutorial, but I could make one if some one would want that. The one with the blue led is an 3th party card but the other the green/red is an official 1019 blocks card. But the leds shines thru the plastic.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

That's amazing! TUT PLEASE!!! ESPECIALLY FOR THE OFFICIAL CARD!

EDIT:Also, how do you take such good pics? My camera is good but they always turn out fuzzy!

[MangoGrey]

Ok, I'll start working on a tut, may take some days.

And I have this reeely expensive 7.1MP camera, but the real secret is that I can with 2 buttons manualy regulate the focus.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Ah, Mine is basically a click the button and it takes a picture. The only option is the flash. That's about it. But it's 2.0 Megapixels. For some reason, it likes to blur images when you're pointing it at a lighted item in the dark.

[Janneman]

My official memcard is black, I don't think much light would shine trough would there?

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Probably depends on the mcd of the led.

[nonzero]

Tut please and internal shots of both the single LED and dual LED cards if poss.

Thanks

[ROFLMyWaffle]

How's that tut coming :D ? If it's going to take awhile, could you just take a picture of an open official memory card with the 2 points that give you the electric?

[MangoGrey]

Here is a lil pic for u!
http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/b4tutpic.jpg

Now I'm late to school :(

[vattenspridarn]

Thats so nice. I get an extra memory card soon so i will defnitly mod a memory card :D Thx Mate!!!

[vattenspridarn]

What leds should i use ?
Any special spes ?

[MangoGrey]

The leds must be able to shine at 2.5V

The tut is comming but I'm slow :rolleyes:

[vattenspridarn]

I think i will be able to do that mod without a tut ís always nice :D

[MangoGrey]

I think u can do it without a tut but a tut will save several houers of figuring stuff out.

[vattenspridarn]

Ok.
It is maybe harder then i thought :P
It looked so easy hehe

[MangoGrey]

Is there anyone that can give me some pics of a unmoddaed 1019 cards inside?

[ROFLMyWaffle]

I could if I had a better camera :D . As for the help with that tutorial, you don't need one. You can actually use leds that run at 5v or less as long as you run them in parallel and if they're less than 5v (which I haven't seen a single one thats actually 5v. The one R$ claims to be 5v is it's maximum. DON'T BUY IT!) and you'll need to limit the current. There's a great wizard to tell you the way to make a circuit with however many leds you want. http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz. For source voltage, we know it's 5v so enter in 5. For diode forward voltage, enter in the amount of volts stated on the packaging or ask from wherever you bought it. Diode forward current should also be on the packaging or where you bought it should tell you. If it's not there, assume 20mA. That's the standard and you should still get a good shine from it. If it states 30mA like the R$ ones do, it's probably the maximum so you could probably run them on 25mA or 20mA. Once you figure out the current enter that in. Now enter in however many leds you plan on putting in the card (remember, its VERY small inside there, so you can't fit many). For those who can't understand schematics, I recommend wiring diagram. It's a pictoral representation of what it should look like. You also have the option of resistor color codes. If this recommends you use a resistor (most likely), all you need to do is locate a resistor with the stated colors and however many are shown. This helps so you're not stuck sifting through a bulk pack or something.

And there you have it, there's nothing really more to need to know about doing this mod.

[MangoGrey]

But there is also a 3.3V on the card. I will talk about it in the tut.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

okey dokey. P.S: You look seriously dark and disturbed....

[MangoGrey]

tnx

[ROFLMyWaffle]

hahaha :D

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Hey, just did this mod. Gotta wait to try it out though cuz my cube's apart for painting.

[vattenspridarn]

Is it harder then solder the two points and put the leads together ?

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Sorry, I'm unsure what you're asking o_0

[MangoGrey]

You'll have to sand the leds down a lil bit cos even a 3mm wont fit. Cut a bit in the metal to make em fit. Maby even, how do I say it gröpa ur en bit i locket (vattenspridaren will understand) and put a pice if tape so that the legs on the led dont tutch the metal. And use a lil knife to scrape of a bit of the green pain to get down to some metal on the 5V point.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

yep. I had to sand an ass load off my 5mm leds. I tired mine and it didnt work. I need different resistors.

[MangoGrey]

Can u post an inside pic of your modded card?

[ROFLMyWaffle]

maybe later, I'm a bit busy at the moment. It's a 251 card though, not a 1019.

[MangoGrey]

I would like to see the inside of an 251 card. I opened a 59 card and it was totaly diffrent to the 1019

[thecheekymonkey]

Originally posted by MangoGrey
My led modded memorycards :D


http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/bothcards.jpg

http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/bluecard.jpg

http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/rgcard.jpg

thats nice mate, get a tutorial written ;)

[ROFLMyWaffle]

if I'm right, 251 and 59 cards look the same on the inside. Any verification?

[thecheekymonkey]

if its power points your after, just get a meter on them, usually (but dont take my word for it) the powers are usually far left and far right.

but check with a meter, or mango grey may be knocking a tut up ;)

[MangoGrey]

I've put up the first part of the tut, it's kinda beta 0.1

http://www.mangogrey.com/projects/memcmod/

[thecheekymonkey]

nice mate, like the logo thing at the top as well ;)

[MangoGrey]

:D

[Janneman]

you don't mention that you need a resistor, although that is obvious to most people

but... which pin is ground?

(try using standard pc voltage colors, meaning 3.3V=orange, 5V=red, 12V=yellow and black=GND)

[MangoGrey]

Tnx, janneman I'll change those colors. And moast of the other stuff is to come in some of the updates.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Hey, just finished this with a 251 memory card. Put it in with the top off to make sure both leds shine (managed to sand down and fit 2 5mm leds in there). Put it back together and you couldn't really tell cuz i have light from the contoller ports shining on the cards so I added to the mod. I cut off the label part that sticks out the back of the card. Then put them back together and jammed a hot glue gun in there and started gluing. Then, took a knife and cut it to a level size. I'm going to then print a label and vowalla! Backlit label!

[MangoGrey]

That is cool, I'll hope you'll give us some photos of that soon.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Ill try. It turned out really dull. Not worth doing this.

[gulliver]

Ok, so I'm not really interested in modding my memory cards, but I do want my memory cards to glow. Can someone do a tutorial or point to a good one you know of for doing the memory card port mod so light can shine through the official black memory cards? Thanks.

[Quantumsource]

I just did a mod on one of my memcards, I didn't care much about fucking up casue I got these kinds for about a buck each.

Looks pretty cool. ( I think)

http://www.calpoly.edu/~mschlach/MemMod/pic1.JPG
http://www.calpoly.edu/~mschlach/MemMod/pic2.JPG
http://www.calpoly.edu/~mschlach/MemMod/pic3.JPG

[MangoGrey]

Thats cool. ;)

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Now it'd be crazy if we could find some way of adding a blinking led for activity. So like when you save, it starts blinking and only then. When it's not in use, it does nothing although it'll probably be off for some time since it doesn't save like every 3 seconds.

[MangoGrey]

I would like that so bad.

[Janneman]

this might be possible using a transistor

Basicly you need to do some measurements first. It only works if one of the pins gets some voltage only when reading/writing. Just measure the voltage on one of the pins (not the 3.3V, 5V or GND since you know what that is already) together with GND. Then read/save and see if you get a reading.

If so, you might try using a transistor as a switch to activate a LED.

(I am not gonna try it myself because I value my savegames dearly :) )

[gulliver]

Could someone please answer my question?

Originally posted by gulliver
Ok, so I'm not really interested in modding my memory cards, but I do want my memory cards to glow. Can someone do a tutorial or point to a good one you know of for doing the memory card port mod so light can shine through the official black memory cards? Thanks.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

why need a transistor when you can just put an led on that circuit if it gets a signal when it read/writes?

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Originally posted by gulliver
Could someone please answer my question?
I COULD do a tutorial, but will I? :D All you need to do is put some leds behind the memory card slot or on the sides, find a place that the light will come through the port. Then just hook them up to some power source. As for lighting a BLACK memory card, good luck. I have 2 really bright leds in my black card and NOTHING comes through.

[MangoGrey]

I just got a multimeter today, so I'll check some stuff.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Hey, I have one with a needle, but can anyone suggest a digital one?

[Janneman]

Reason for a transistor is because the voltage of the signals are probably way too low and a led would probably 'drain' the signal rendering the memorycard useless.

A transistor (+ resistor) would only need very little power to be activated and hardly uses any power too.

(btw I don't know how well you know what a transistor is/does)

Yet again this idea may not work out at all, someone just needs to try :)

[Quantumsource]

Could someone please answer my question?


I'll try to write one with pics for you and others by tonight. I have to finish a project for my Comp Sci 3 class for all the different sortiing algoritms, so it may take a while. But at latest by monday night i'll have one written.

[gulliver]

Originally posted by ROFLMyWaffle
I COULD do a tutorial, but will I? :D All you need to do is put some leds behind the memory card slot or on the sides, find a place that the light will come through the port. Then just hook them up to some power source. As for lighting a BLACK memory card, good luck. I have 2 really bright leds in my black card and NOTHING comes through.

Damn, cuz I thought I heard somewhere that it was possible. Oh well, thanks anyway.

Hey, I have one with a needle, but can anyone suggest a digital one?

Digital ones work great. I was at radioshack today and they were $20, but I'm sure you can find them cheaper online.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Yeah I want one with a ton of functions so I'll probably be paying around 90 bucks. I need a job BAD. $7 allowence a week doesn't support my modding way of life very well. :rolleyes:

[liquitt]

i'd really love to do that...could you post a pic for the original memcard ?

[liquitt]

ok i tried it, but all i have now is a broken MemCard :D

****... ^^

[MangoGrey]

Can u post a pic of the inside of your card?

[liquitt]

i'll do that later, but maybe it was because of the **** third party layout of the memcard...so maybe can you post a detailed tut for the original ones ? thx :)

[MangoGrey]

I will work more on the tutorial, but I sometimes forget about it cos school is killing me.

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Originally posted by MangoGrey
I will work more on the tutorial, but I sometimes forget about it cos school is killing me.
Hahaha, I got outta school the 19th XD

[liquitt]

http://watercooledgc.ngcdev.com/RIMG0180.JPG
http://watercooledgc.ngcdev.com/RIMG0183.JPG

sorry for the bad pics but could you mark the spots where i have to solder exactly ?

[MangoGrey]

If you know whar pin gives you the disired voltage. It shouldn't be 2 hard 2 folow it up a bit to a place where you can solder or follow it up a bit and scrape away some of the green surface to get down to some metal that you can solder in. Or it looks like you have these small holes on some pins, I had some of those holes on an unofficial mem card and I just put some wires thru there and the other end around the legs of the led and had a solderless modded mem card.

Hope you understand cos my english can sometimes be a lil :eek:

[liquitt]

i think i understood most of it.

yes there are these holes and yes it is a third party memory card too, well i think i'll leave it at that point and will only mod my original memorycard..

well and as i said, the pcb layout of the 3rd part card..is...lets say...WHUARGH it really suxx, i prefer the original one ;)

[liquitt]

any news on tutorials ? :)

[boki2002]

sorry, did i miss something. has this tutorial been made?

[liquitt]

a bit, look some pages back

[MangoGrey]

I have just done the start of it, I'm lazy and got some school left.


Here is the link to what I've done of it...
http://www.mangogrey.com/projects/memcmod/index.php

[boki2002]

seen, no worries then.

[boki2002]

in the picture entitled 'b4tutpic' you have a label that says and connection outlined from the 5v pin to another place called GND. this is meant to represent the ground? right?

where is this meant to be on a logic 3 memory card like pictured above in the post by liquitt

[liquitt]

Originally posted by boki2002
in the picture entitled 'b4tutpic' you have a label that says and connection outlined from the 5v pin to another place called GND. this is meant to represent the ground? right?

where is this meant to be on a logic 3 memory card like pictured above in the post by liquitt

the pins are always the same, what differs is the possibility to solder a cable to it :\ some have a small spot on the top of the contact, some have a contact line running inside the memcard, THE PINS STAY THE SAME (important *g*)

[liquitt]

Originally posted by MangoGrey
Here is a lil pic for u!
http://www.mangogrey.com/annat/b4tutpic.jpg

Now I'm late to school :(

i don't understand that one right now, you said the two lines besides 5V and 3.3V were GND ? O_o and on that pic you solder it to somewhere else

[MangoGrey]

Thats just an alternative point that I used at the time.

[liquitt]

ah ok, i see then

[boki2002]

so the middle pin is 5v. and the 2 beside it are both 3v. so the outside ones are ground and if i connect it there i will have a complete working mod. hopefully.

BY THE WAY, WHY HAVE NO RESISTERS BEEN USED. is there are need.

[liquitt]

3mm LEDs normally use about 3 Volts, so there's no resistor needed

[Janneman]

you speak much ****...

the size of the LED doesn't have anything to do with the voltage, only the color can matter...

and... a resistor is practicly always needed except maybe in some very rare circumstances, it's better to pick the 5V line to hook the LED's up to since blue and white LED's usually have forward voltages over 3V

[liquitt]

hm, ok if you say so...

[ROFLMyWaffle]

I just use led.linear1.org/led.wiz to calculate ohms needed in the resistor. Too lazy to do that myself. And all my mods work perfectly when I do. And they keep working, none have died, so i live by it. If you need single resistors, www.123leds.com . .05 USD a resistor. You can buy bulk packs, but they usually cost you .03 USD ea. so yeah, you save .02 USD ea. , but you usually only get 5 of what you need. Best to go with 123leds.

[boki2002]

Liquitt, Janneman is right a resister in needed.

I opened the memory card, and connected 2 wires from the correct spots. I connected a single 3mm Ultra Bright Blue LED to the 5v pin and made a connection to the ground. I did not connect it all together yet, but left the memory card top off. i then put it into my Cube and loaded it up. i then connected the led to the wire and got a shock of my life. wasn't realy that bad. anyway the LED lit up and nearly blinded me thats how powerful it was and then it cut off and so did the gamecube. it all stoped and died. i quickly then turned it off properly and put it on again without the LED connected and it was fine.

therefore when the LED was connected without the resister it must have short circuited it.

:D

[MangoGrey]

why did you conect a normal led to the 5v pin? Isn't it smarter to connect it to a 3.3v pin?

Btw I got a big shock from my friends xbox power invertor chip, twice...

[boki2002]

good question although i do not have an answer for it

[ROFLMyWaffle]

Hahaha, I just stick forks in power outlets if I wanna cheat death :p

[MangoGrey]

CHEATER!!!

[ROFLMyWaffle]

QUIT YELLING IN COLOR!

[gulliver]

Originally posted by boki2002
Liquitt, Janneman is right a resister in needed.

I opened the memory card, and connected 2 wires from the correct spots. I connected a single 3mm Ultra Bright Blue LED to the 5v pin and made a connection to the ground. I did not connect it all together yet, but left the memory card top off. i then put it into my Cube and loaded it up. i then connected the led to the wire and got a shock of my life. wasn't realy that bad. anyway the LED lit up and nearly blinded me thats how powerful it was and then it cut off and so did the gamecube. it all stoped and died. i quickly then turned it off properly and put it on again without the LED connected and it was fine.

therefore when the LED was connected without the resister it must have short circuited it.

:D

Actually no, he's not right. The reason yours shorted is because you connected a 3v led to a 5v supply. Of course it's gonna blow. If you had connected it to the 3v supply it would've been fine.

[liquitt]

Originally posted by gulliver
Actually no, he's not right. The reason yours shorted is because you connected a 3v led to a 5v supply. Of course it's gonna blow. If you had connected it to the 3v supply it would've been fine.

thats what i meant...1 on the 3.3V is ok or 2 on the 5V is ok...but one on 5V ? :-\

[boki2002]

seen, and understood:cool:

[liquitt]

tutorial ? :rolleyes:

[boki2002]

i think hes got exams in school at the moment like most of us kids. Anyways i will be making my own tutorial in about 2 weeks.

[liquitt]

ok

[ROFLMyWaffle]

hahaha. exams. Sure sux fo you :D. I'm still in high school too, but for some reason, exams were over may 12th, and we were out of school the 19th.

[boki2002]

I dont want to speak on his behalf but i'm talking about UK. i dont know where he lives. :D