Transforming an old DS into a GBA

Trying to get homebrew running on your PSP? Want to add a screen light to your Game Boy? Trying to figure out how to work your GP2X? By popular demand, discuss it in here! (This forum is for pre-built handhelds, NOT custom made portables!)

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ScarF
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Joined:Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:16 pm
Transforming an old DS into a GBA

Post by ScarF » Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:25 pm

Hey guys and gals! I've been looking around the net for an answer to my question and it seems this is the best place to get some help. Pretty great place by the way, maybe someday I can make my own PS3 laptop! So here's the deal:

I'm trying to transform my old Nintendo DS (the phat) into a nice GBA. Simply put, I want to remove the top half of the DS and just use the bottom as the GBA. There's a bunch of reasons why someone might be interested in doing this but as most of you probably already know, it just seems like a fun project :wink:. I tried opening up the DS and poking around in there (keeping in mind I'm a complete newbie to hacking hardware, only have some soldering exp.) and I tried removing the ribbon that connects the upper screen (and speakers + some other stuff) and check out what happens. As you guessed the DS won't turn on. So I was wondering if there is maybe something that can be done to trick the DS into "thinking" all the stuff still is connected and make it turn on. It is possible right? I just don't know how and hope maybe someone here can help!

Hopefully someone besides me thinks this is a worthwhile project. Thanks in any case!

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Mcdoodle
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Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:51 am

Re: Transforming an old DS into a GBA

Post by Mcdoodle » Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:35 pm

lol I thought about this exact idea awhile ago. :)

Shockslayer's video shows how to get the DS to work w/o the top screen.
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ScarF
Posts:2
Joined:Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:16 pm

Post by ScarF » Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:30 am

Oh wow, that is a great reply! Has pretty much everything I hoped for :D

Thanks a lot Mcdoodle! Good to see others thought of the idea. I'll try and see what I can get from that YT video. I should be able to accomplish the tricking at least. Will have to think about how I can put everything in a nice package.

Thanks again!

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