3dscapture.com

Hello, I've self installed my Loopy N3DSXL capture board around June of 2024, been using it ever since. Had a minor audio issue that was fixed by re-soldering the audio ribbon cable, and since then I had no issues with the capture board for 1 and a half years... until now. I have been using the capture card a bit more recently to record, and I've been leaving my 3DS to charge via the USB C port. Today, I decide to record more 3DS footage, and find out that my desktop computer isn't recognizing my capture card. Switching to my laptop, I have the same issue (No Windows notification sound when I plug it in, nor is it recognized at all). For context, I always use the cable Loopy provides with the capture card for recording footage. To make sure my computer configuration was not at fault, I plugged in my spare N3DSXL that also has a Loopy capture card equipped (self installed), and that one worked fine. So I took apart my main system to troubleshoot, and one of the glaring things I find is what looks to be a damaged component on the capture board. Photos of said component on the capture board taken under my microscope: https://imgur.com/a/wZnbyPg

Now if I could just order this specific component and replace it with my soldering iron, I'm more than fine with that. But I have no idea what it is. I don't even know if it is the main cause of the issue at hand. The USB C charging works fine, the computer just can't detect the board. If I could get more info on the part to replace, that would be great thanks. For reference, the yellow stuff that is on the top side of my board is kapton tape.

Yikes. I can send a replacement part if you want. But these don't just self-destruct, if it's fried I'd be worried that something else is shorted out to cause that.

I would very much appreciate that, thanks, I don't know the process for that so I'll need a little bit of walking through. I'm sure you appreciate some extra documentation so I will add that I just found something small on the "FTDI" chip pins that face the exploded component. Kinda like a weird grain of sand between 2 of the pins? Any chance this could be the culprit? https://imgur.com/a/SUAxgca

So I transplanted my spare N3DS XL Loopy capture card into my main N3DSXL to have a functional capture card in the meantime. It worked fine for a bit, was able to record some footage. Charged my 3DS through the USB C port as usual. Today though I notice that the USB C charging was a bit spotty, as in the charging LED was going off and on sporadically. I then tested the original Nintendo 3DS charger through the normal 3DS port, and the charging LED stayed solid. I had a bad feeling so I tried plugging the capture board into the pc, nothing. Disassembled my N3DSXL again to see that the same issue has occurred for this capture board. This time I was able to smell something burnt on the board. Low and behold, the exact same component fried somehow. I will have images linked at the end of this reply that shows the board and same fried component, as well as the soldering I did for the USB C charging.

So now I'm out of capture cards, and clueless to the issue. From what I am aware, based on some educated guesses, the component that is being fried is some sort of voltage regulator (?) on the capture card. It seems to connect to the chip responsible for the USB encoding. (?) I'm not sure what voltage it would regulate... the voltage from the PC's USB port perhaps? Just some more information on what that component is and does would be appreciated so that I could have an inkling of how to potentially stop this issue. If not, that's okay too.

https://imgur.com/a/iqWn5kz