Topic: Blue Light Solution (Read 119 times)

spyder2k5 · « **on:** December 05, 2006, 02:56:00 PM »

QUOTE(xboxbman @ Dec 5 2006, 04:09 PM)

Every forum I go to about the wii, I read the same thing. People want the blue drive light to stay on. Why won't nintendo let me keep the light on.
i think i may have come up with a solution. Unless I'm mistaken, the usb ports on standard 2.0 USB ports, which means they have a steady 5.0 V power supply in them. Wouldn't it be possible to run a wire from the USB to power the blue drive light. You just have to splice in on either end. The great thing about this, if I'm right, is that since games don't use the USB ports, they probably don't get power when a game is running. So when you power up the wii, the light comes on and stays on while you are in the Wii menu, but put a game in, the wii cuts power to the USB, and the light goes off.
I have exams this week and till Wednesday next week, at which point I will tear open my wii (with loving hands) and probe it with a multimeter at the usb and the drive light to see what is involved in getting this to work. If i'm right, it should be some very simple soldering of wire to wire, with maybe a resistor for good luck. I will keep you all posted. If anyone else wants to try before I can, by all means go ahead!

before you tear it open think about what u are doing... voiding the warranty... and top it off the do not use a normal screw or anything so only way to open it may be by brute force... and from what i seen that only leads to the system getting broke... in one case i read it tore up the Drive... so before u go off and do it think!

spyder2k5 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2006, 05:27:00 PM »

oooo here is the site of note that i refer to http://popsci.typepa...i_broke_it.html

xboxbman · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:39:00 PM »

QUOTE(spyder2k5 @ Dec 5 2006, 05:03 PM)

before you tear it open think about what u are doing... voiding the warranty... and top it off the do not use a normal screw or anything so only way to open it may be by brute force... and from what i seen that only leads to the system getting broke... in one case i read it tore up the Drive... so before u go off and do it think!

I certainly appreciate the concern, but i have the screw bit, so unlike the impatient people in your linked article, I will be disassembling it properly, following the guide linked in this forum. i'm really not worried about the warranty. Most often, there are ways to fix things without sending it to the manufacturer.

SR388 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2006, 09:49:00 PM »

one work of advice though, the light will always stay on

the USB ports are always powered, even if a game doesn't use it, there is power
the game just wouldn't call on the ports for information

my advice it to find the closes power source and link it to that (mind you, the LEDs probably run on 3.3v, not 5v)

read through Wii Scene thread to pic up info on this, we had a short chat on the subject

pablot · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:27:00 PM »

wait just a day and we'll have some happy happy news for you wii modders out there.. it'll be quite interesting..

SR388 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2006, 10:39:00 PM »

you guys got one open?

yaazz · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2006, 05:54:00 AM »

just so you know, if you bridge it off of 5v from the USB, it is very possible the blue light will be on all the time, even in the "off" state

grim_d · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2006, 05:56:00 AM »

QUOTE(pablot @ Dec 6 2006, 05:34 AM)

wait just a day and we'll have some happy happy news for you wii modders out there.. it'll be quite interesting..

god damn, i dont even get my wii till friday and everyone has beat me to it

pablot · « **Reply #8 on:** December 06, 2006, 07:44:00 AM »

to have the light always on simply ground pin2 on the led connector to the mobo

BoNg420 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2006, 02:06:00 PM »

they probably dont want the LEDs to die out fast, what kind of LEDs did they use in there anyhow?

{EH}Talon · « **Reply #10 on:** December 06, 2006, 02:08:00 PM »

QUOTE(BoNg420 @ Dec 6 2006, 10:13 PM)

they probably dont want the LEDs to die out fast, what kind of LEDs did they use in there anyhow?

The only way to kill and LED is to use 10 volts on a 5volt LED and burn out the gas, it still works fine . theres just no gass in the light anymore so it dosent shine out light.

Leds are like impossible to kill

BoNg420 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 06, 2006, 02:13:00 PM »

i meant like the LED just die after awhile.

pablot · « **Reply #12 on:** December 06, 2006, 02:37:00 PM »

QUOTE(BoNg420 @ Dec 6 2006, 10:20 PM)

i meant like the LED just die after awhile.

Its quite easy to do. You just have to listen for a message and then turn off the signal that controls the leds. You'll need an mcu or a decharging cap for it though. I'll post some schematics of how it all works this weekend, I just need some time to fix it up.

/pablot

Lung-Dart · « **Reply #13 on:** December 08, 2006, 03:22:00 PM »

Why not be patient and wait for a system update that adds the feature?

If it can turn blue on arrival of a message or update in connect24 mode, then it can be set to glow at anytime in that mode with software. Im sure it will be available, just not on there top lists of things to do atm. More important is getting opera, the forcast and news channels and a bunch more virtual console goodies.

They've already updated the messaging interface slightly and also the parental controles if you've noticed/bothered to update. Give it time.

Author Topic: Blue Light Solution (Read 119 times)