Replacing the Top Screen on the Nintendo DS

As I mentioned recently, my children somehow managed to trashed their Nintendo DS by cracking the top display. Initially I’d considered throwing it, but decided it was worth one try at fixing it. Click on the pictures for bigger versions. Here’s how I got on:

	My starting point, a knackered DS and a replacement screen. The screen came from ConsoleParts4U and cost me £12.99 plus £3.99 delivery. I also bought from them a special screwdriver needed to get into the case, but I later realised this wasn’t required for the top screen, only the bottom one should I ever need to fix that. They also supplied some instructions which weren’t great, but pointed me generally in the right direction.
	Around the screen are four rubber squares, two raised and two flat. I prised these out with a watchmakers screwdriver blade and then used another cross head from that set to unscrew them. This doesn’t take long and the back half of the lid shell will easily come off.
	Once inside it’s a really simple layout with the screen in the middle and two small circuit boards left and right. The concern is that ribbon cables that actually connect the display to the electronics in the other half of the base. That need to be reconnected, and the two ones that connect the broken display to the circuitry need removing and news ones reattaching. So far it doesn’t look too bad.
	If you look very closely in the centre of the picture you’ll see a small screw holding the green circuit board in place, which I need to remove to detach the remove the screen and the ribbon cables. When you remove it you realise that the green board also holds the little speaker in place.
	Now the real fun starts! These ribbon cables use this tiny connectors to attach, and they need to be removed. It’s almost impossible to see but holding the ribbon in these light grey connectors is a black plastic strip that is hinged on the side that meets the ribbon. All you need to do is put a small flat screwdriver under it and it will pop up releasing the cable. Personally, this is delicate work and I was getting nervous already!
	When you’ve detached the two easy ones you’re confronted with this blighter, which is tiny. To get this out you need to lift tiny plastic flaps on the left and right of where the cable goes in. On the basis you won’t need the screen or cables afterwards you can be rough with them, but not this connector. Getting this connector to open without breaking it is possibly the toughest part of this job.
	After you’ve got the ribbon cables detach you only need to carefully pull the L shaped cable off a small piece of double-sided tape, holding onto the back on the screen, and your ready to remove the old screen. It comes out very easily one you break the grip of some adhesive film that they put around the front of the display. This is the un-mushed one, fresh from it’s packing.
	One thing about the screen that they didn’t mention when you buy it is that the original is held in place by adhesive, which they don’t provide. I hadn’t any double-sided tape, but I found some pads that are for attaching heat sinks, and cut that into strips
	I placed a small piece on each side of the shell where it provided a border for the display. It’s not really to cushion the LCD, but to stop it moving around.
	Reattaching the cables is tricky. You start with the thin cable, then move on to the two wider ones. Having a magnifying glass helps, as does having steady hands. If you can do this and the cables are secure, you’re home and dry.
	This is my obvious mistake, which I only realised afterwards. I’ve got the circuit board back, but put the ribbons under the circuit board rather than over. Check imags 3 and 4 to see how I should of done it. Once I fixed this it was time to put the case back on and replace the screws.
	The moment of truth, switch on. And, amazingly it works! Now all I’ve got to do is convince my little darlings not to break it again.