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    #1

    Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

    This may seem off topic of the sites purpose… Or at least I assume anything non-cap related is off topic… But I need some help replacing a broken trimmer potentiometer.

    You see, I broke off one of the two trimpots used on my Nintendo DS Lite when I was doing a case swap… I thought they were screws. >< Needless to say they control the screen flicker/dimmer. The one I broke off is VR2, and controls the upper screen.

    Now below I've attached a little snapshot of a working board, this is what it should look like, my one is obviously missing VR2.

    I don't have my calipers handy to get some measurements, nor do I even know how to begin measuring these with a meter. So I'm wondering if someone could provide some help.

    Some of you may be wondering why I can't just solder the old one back on… It's gone. I was working on this project at my parents house and my mother decided to wipe clean the bench in the garage. With the cleaning went the tiny trimpot. Go ahead, get your laughs in, I got a good chuckle too.

    But, these are tiny. Like 1mmx2mm if I was to eyeball… and I'm very bad at eyeballing. Like pinheads. As soon as I get my calipers back I'll post better measurements.

    From what I can tell they are full revolution ones. I'm assuming it's a single revolution before reset, there doesn't seem to be any resistance to multiple single direction revolutions, but I haven't really tried to push this theory. Come to think of it they almost certainly are single full revolution trimpots. With the board powered up, the lower screen will adjust to a point before resetting, from what I remember.

    I'm also assuming that they are probably ceramic.

    For those wondering, these are to the right of the cartridge hoppers if looking at the back of the lower screen board. The pot between VR1 and VR2 is the volume slider.

    From what I caught somewhere I was told to test between 1 and 3, of the 3 points on the trimpot. But again, I'm uncertain what points to test or what to have my meter even set on to get some data.

    So I guess the final question is what kind of trimpot do i need? Thank you again everyone for your time. I appreciate any and all help. Take care!


    Attached Files
    chown -R us ./base

    ...words to live by o.O
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

    Looks like a 3mm cermet trimmer. Unless you can persuade someone else to take their DS apart & remove the trimmer, or get hold of a circuit diagram, then there's no way of knowing what value it was.

    You could assume that it is the same value as the other trimmer. In which case it would have to be removed first, to measure it's value. Measuring it while still in-circuit could give a false reading, depending on the configuration of other components in that part of the circuit.

    You would need to measure the resistance across the leads which were connected to points 1 & 3 with an Ohm meter to give you the value you need.

    You don't say which part of the world you are in, but if USA, then Digikey have a large selection to choose from. I've only had a quick browse myself, but it looks like the Murata range might fit (2.75mm X 2.2mm). The important part is the lead spacing, as it looks like you have enough space for a slightly bigger body if need be.

    http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk....dll?Selection
    ________________________________________________

    Invisible airwaves crackle with life
    Bright antennae bristle with the energy
    ________________________________________________

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

      i've got a disassembled DSlite somewhere. give me a day to find it and measure that thing.
      "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

        Also take some pics of the missing POT location on the board chances are you ripped some traces off with the POT too.

        Hopefully the traces damaged are on the same layer as the POT was so they can be repaired.
        Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

          Hey! What happened to my link? It should have shown miniature trimmer pots, but it's linked to surface mount caps!

          Let's try again:-

          http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk....dll?Selection

          Just in case it hasn't worked again, go to "product index" from digikey's home page, click on "Trimmers" under the "potentiometers, variable resistors" heading. Select "single turn, top adjustment, surface mount, cermet". Apply the filter & view the pages.

          EDIT...it's done the same thing again...strange!
          Last edited by Radio Fox; 03-22-2010, 05:49 PM.
          ________________________________________________

          Invisible airwaves crackle with life
          Bright antennae bristle with the energy
          ________________________________________________

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

            alright, i've checked on mine.
            i suspect it's a 39k pot. i haven't unsoldered or disconnected it otherwise, but the total value i measured (38.68k) is close enough to a E12 value (the 39k).
            value between 1 and 2: 15.23k
            value between 2 and 3: 23.45k.

            you could simply try 2 resistors (15k and 24k) and see if it works.

            those traces look okay.
            "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

              What would happen if you just shorted the 3 solder points together with solder?
              "We have offered them (the Arabs) a sensible way for so many years. But no, they wanted to fight. Fine! We gave them technology, the latest, the kind even Vietnam didn't have. They had double superiority in tanks and aircraft, triple in artillery, and in air defense and anti-tank weapons they had absolute supremacy. And what? Once again they were beaten. Once again they scrammed [sic]. Once again they screamed for us to come save them. Sadat woke me up in the middle of the night twice over the phone, 'Save me!' He demanded to send Soviet troops, and immediately! No! We are not going to fight for them."

              -Leonid Brezhnev (On the Yom Kippur War)

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                probably nothing, but seriously, i don't want to try.
                "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                  if you join all 3 and they are all used you may blow the power section.
                  it may have +v on one pin, -v on another pin and the 3rd pin going to the bias line on the controller.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                    Originally posted by kikkoman
                    alright, i've checked on mine.
                    i suspect it's a 39k pot. i haven't unsoldered or disconnected it otherwise, but the total value i measured (38.68k) is close enough to a E12 value (the 39k).
                    value between 1 and 2: 15.23k
                    value between 2 and 3: 23.45k.

                    you could simply try 2 resistors (15k and 24k) and see if it works.

                    those traces look okay.
                    Trimmer pots don't always follow the E12 values. There are no 39k trimmers on the digikey site. It's more likely a 50k pot, or above. You are probably reading a resistance on the board in parallel with the value of the trimmer.

                    Out of interest, did you measure both trimmers, or just the one in the VR2 position?
                    ________________________________________________

                    Invisible airwaves crackle with life
                    Bright antennae bristle with the energy
                    ________________________________________________

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                      of course you're right about the E12 values. where's my head?
                      i cut 2 of the 3 traces and came up with a total value of 45.6k (and 17.2k and 28.4k respectively).

                      the next available value would be 47k:

                      http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=490-3931-1-ND
                      which isn't in stock atm.

                      that leaves us with this one:
                      http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...=490-2043-6-ND
                      which should be the exact part by the looks of it.
                      murata makes them in 47k too but digikey doesn't stock them.
                      according to the mfr they're 30%tolerance (not 5% as digikey says) so it's hard to tell which is the one. but that's nitpicking here.


                      Out of interest, did you measure both trimmers, or just the one in the VR2 position?
                      the other one gave similar readings. i didn't mess around with its traces though.
                      Attached Files
                      Last edited by kikkoman; 03-25-2010, 01:46 PM.
                      "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                        With such a wide tolerance a 50k trimmer would probably be OK.

                        Digikey sell a Panasonic one in a similar package size to the Murata (2.8mm X 2.2mm).

                        http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=P2N503CT-ND
                        Last edited by Radio Fox; 03-25-2010, 06:23 PM.
                        ________________________________________________

                        Invisible airwaves crackle with life
                        Bright antennae bristle with the energy
                        ________________________________________________

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                          you can salvage those trimmers from the side of most laser assembly's
                          look for a busted dvd player.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                            Hello, I was wondering if anyone had success with those digitkey pots for repairing the DS lite because I unfortunately had this exact same problem.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                              http://www.logictoyz.com/nintendo-ds...set-2pcs-.html

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Help identifying DS Lite trimmer potentiometers.

                                ...so the place selling them doesn't even know their value?

                                Comment

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