This page lists and describes the hardware found inside the Nintendo 3DS. Many of these parts are custom made and are expanded upon here or in other pages.
Common hardware
Type | Description |
---|---|
ARM11 Processor Core | ARM11 2x MPCore & 2x VFPv2 Co-Processor 268MHz(~268123480 Hz).
On New3DS models, there is instead 4x MPCore & 4x VFPv2. |
ARM9 Processor Core | ARM946 134MHz(~134058675 Hz), |
GPU | DMP PICA 268MHz, |
DSP | CEVA TeakLite. 134Mhz. 24ch 32728Hz sampling rates. |
VRAM | 6 MB within SoC. |
Specifications
Type | 3DS | 3DSXL | 2DS | N3DS | N3DSXL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SoC | CPU CTR (1048 0H)
CPU CTR (1214 32) |
CPU CTR A (1226 60)
CPU CTR (1037 21) |
CPU CTR B (??) | CPU LGR A (1444 86) | CPU LGR A (1446 17) |
FCRAM | 2x64MB Fujitsu MB82M8080-07L | Fujitsu MB82DBS16641 | Fujitsu MB82DBS1664 | ?? | Fujitsu MB82MK9A9A |
Storage | Toshiba THGBM2G3P1FBAI8 1GB | ?? | Toshiba THGBM4G3P1H8BAIR 1GB | Samsung KLM4G1YEQC 4GB | Samsung KLM4G1YEMD-B031 4GB |
Audio Codec | TI PAIC3010B 0AA37DW | ?? | ?? | TI AIC3010B 39C4ETW | TI AIC3010D 48C01JW |
Gyroscope | Invensense ITG-3270 MEMS Gyroscope | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Accelerometer | ST Micro 2048 33DH X1MAQ Accelerometer Model LIS331DH | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Wifi | Atheros AR6014 | ?? | ?? | ?? | Atheros AR6014G-AL1C |
Infrared IC | NXP S750 0803 TSD031C | ?? | ?? | ?? | NXP S750 1603 TSD438C |
Custom Microcontroller | Renesas UC CTR | ?? | Renesas UC CTR 324KM47 KG10 | Renesas UC KTR | Renesas UC KTR 442KM13 TK14 |
PMIC? | TI 93045A4 OAAH86W | ?? | ?? | TI 93045A4 38A6TYW G2 | TI 93045A4 49AF3NW G2 |
- [11] Official Documentation
- [5],[10] According to iFixit.com (source):
- Datasheet for memory is for a chip in the same series, it has less memory than the one inside the 3DS (128mbits vs 512mbits).
- There is a trove of data on the FCC website at [1].
- [12] This IC is somewhat similar to this.
FCRAM
There is one FCRAM (Fast Cycle RAM) IC in the 3DS, produced by Fujitsu and branded as MB82M8080-07L. The Fujitsu MB82M8080-07L chip internally contains 2 dies, where each die is branded MB81EDS516545 and MB82DBS08645.
The MB81EDS516545 die is a CMOS Fast Cycle Random Access Memory (FCRAM) with Low Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR) SDRAM Interface containing 512MBit storage accessible in a 64-bit format. The MB81EDS516545 is suited for consumer applications requiring high data bandwidth with low power consumption.
SoC
The 3DS has much of it's internals housed in a SoC (System on Chip) just like it's predecessors. This is done to reduce build costs, cut down on power consumption, as well as make the PCB layout less complex and make the system harder to tamper with. The SoC, branded as the Nintendo 1048 0H, contains the CPU, GPU, DSP and VRAM.
According to official documents, the CPU used is a dual-core ARM11 CPU, clocked at 268MHz. One core is dedicated to system software, while the other is used for application programming, each known as the syscore and appcore, respectively.
GPU
Designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. (DMP) and codenamed PICA 200, 268Mhz. Supports OpenGL ES 1.1.
Block diagram of an ULTRAY2000 based architecture PICA200
SDIO controller
Nintendo recommends SD cards up to 32 GB however the internal SDIO controller seems to support SD cards up to 2.19 Terabyte (32-bit sector number). It's unknown if it really can handle that much. 128 GB was tested and works fine however it causes a major slowdown of the system especially at boot.
Images
Front
Back
NAND pinout
NAND dumping has been successful, but the image is encrypted.
Normal model
XL model
2DS
New 3DS
New 3DS XL
WiFi dongle pinout
SDIO interface is colored red:
- CLK
- CMD
- D0, D1, D2, D3
This is the interface for the 'NEW' WiFi module (based on Atheros AR6002) first included in DSi.
The proprietary and by now ancient DS-mode WiFi is colored yellow, pins are unknown.
I2C eeprom is colored blue:
- SCL
- SDA
SPI Flash is colored purple:
- CLK
- CS#
- SI
- SO
- WP#
- NC
Auxiliary Microntroller
Monitors HOME button, WiFi switch, 3D slider, volume control slider. Controls LEDs, various power supplies.
Devices attached to I2C bus:
- UC (master?)
- Accelerometer (slave address 0x18)
- SoC (master? slave?)