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MIG Flashcart

sabogalc·MIG-Flash-PCBs·KiCad Projects/MIG Flashcart/MIG Flashcart.kicad_pcb

MIG Flashcart PCB layout, top view — open source ESP32 board by sabogalc

About the MIG Flashcart PCB

MIG Flashcart is an open source ESP32 PCB design by sabogalc, published on GitHub under the WTFPL license. It is a 4-layer board measuring 27.4 × 17 mm, with 36 components from 19 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the ESP32-S2, from the ESP32 family. Other key parts include the ICE40UP5K-SG48ITR, TLV70012_SOT353 and TLV70025_SOT353. By type, the board carries 20 capacitors, 6 resistors, 4 ICs, 3 connectors, 1 crystal and 1 switch.

From the project

MIG Dumper and Flashcart PCB files in KiCad

A series of leaks in July 2021 made the low-level hardware of the Switch game cartridge reader public, and it is powered by an ASIC called Lotus3. I don't know much about how this chip/protocol works, but the FPGA and microcontroller in this flashcart are programmed to communicate on this custom interface.

Importantly though, the programmer board schematic I made for the Dumper will not work for the Flashcart as-is since the Flashcart has no 5V/VBUS signal. The programmer board would need to be modified to have an onboard 3.3V regulator, and then with this signal on the Flashcart's VCC…

MIG Flashcart, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the MIG Flashcart

ICE40UP5K-SG48ITRESP32-S2TLV70012_SOT353TLV70025_SOT353

MIG Flashcart bill of materials (BOM)

36 components, 19 distinct parts.

QtyPartRefs
1
ICE40UP5K-SG48ITR
U1
1
ESP32-S2
U2
1
TLV70012_SOT353
U3
1
TLV70025_SOT353
U4
1
ECS-400-10-37B2-CKY-TR
Y1
1
Conn_02x04_Counter_Clockwise
J1
1
Conn_01x17
J2
1
1040310811
J3
1
EVQ-P7A01P
SW1
1
UHD111A-FKA-C3K23E1L3VG5ZB3Z3
D1
12
0.82u
C1, C3, C4, C5, C8, C9, C11, C12 +4
4
0.88u
C2, C10, C15, C16
1
3u3
C6
1
DNP
C7
2
10p
C13, C14
1
50R
R1
1
10k
R2
3
330R
R3, R5, R6
1
1k
R4

MIG Flashcart design files

The KiCad project lives in the sabogalc/MIG-Flash-PCBs repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

MIG Flashcart: common questions

What microcontroller does the MIG Flashcart use?

The MIG Flashcart is built around the ESP32-S2, from the ESP32 family.

How big is the MIG Flashcart PCB?

The MIG Flashcart measures 27.4 × 17 mm, has 4 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the MIG Flashcart?

36 components, from 19 distinct parts. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the MIG Flashcart design files?

From the sabogalc/MIG-Flash-PCBs repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout and the schematic; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the MIG Flashcart design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its WTFPL license, which sabogalc chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the MIG Flashcart without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug ESP32 firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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