Flipper RGB Mod :flipperzero_white:

[Pilgrimsmaster]

Hey all you Blinky Boys ( and girls) with a Flipper and penchant for RGB Blinky

I did a Flipper RGB Mod

This is not my original project, smarter people than me came up with this, I’m just the monkey on the tools in this instance

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I have provided links below to guides rather than writing it up myself, so let’s call this a Project LITE

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I got a Flipper Zero RGB PCB From @Hamspiced

He sells them on Tindie, But i’m not sure how much Tindie clips the ticket maybe contact him on the forum to support him directly ( I’ll edit this sentence when I hear from him )

@Hamspiced

if anyone wants to pick one up off of my tindie i please ask you use the code 604886F2 for half off for DT members.

Flipper Zero RGB Mod by Hamspiced on Tindie

There are a few guides online, here are a couple

FOR THE READERS AMONGST YOU

GitHub - Z3BRO/Flipper-Zero-RGB: A guide to do the RGB Backlight mod on your...

FOR THE VIDEO WATCHERS

Flipper Zero RGB Screen Mod!!!! Selectable Backlight Color!!!!! 🤯🐱‍💻🖥🐬🐱‍🏍🐌

I watched the video, this one was edited from a live stream, so the edit cuts out a couple of bits like the disassembly tabs and screw locations, but they are easy enough to work out.
It’s a bit rambly, but still thankful to “the Talking Sasquatch” recording , editing and sharing

A couple of key notes and differences

Get your tools ready

• Small long neck screwdriver
• Spudger tool
• Thin wire (about 100mm will be plenty)
• Soldering iron and solder
• Flux (useful but not necessary)
• Solder sucker (useful but not necessary)

Be careful with the pogo pins ( for the iButton )

Take note of which screws go where

@Hamspiced RGB Module is different from the one shown in the video, In my opinion better, his board has the pad in the “centre” rather that of the edge which allows the bridging wire to run / hide behind the screen ribbon cable.
It is mentioned in the video, But I also recommend soldering to GPIO ground instead of the ground pads suggested in other guides

After following the guide, you may see there is no LED backlight.
Also, you might need to reboot the flipper.

To get your BLINKY Fix

Set Up RGB in your Flipper

Here’s how in Xtreme firmware

If you want to taste the rainbow

Then you’ll get something that looks like this

[Viktor]

Is it necessary to use XFW after installation? Or can you still run the official firmware just no control over the rgb?

[Pilgrimsmaster]

@Viktor

Is it necessary to use XFW after installation?

No, you can run whatever you like, xFW is just my preferred at the moment.
I belive the three main branches (xTreme, Rogue, unleashed) all support RGB Backlights NATIVELY

So to answer your question

@Viktor

can you still run the official firmware just no control over the rgb?

Correct you can run OFW, and you can control RGB, but, I think it needs to be added separately and manually. i.e. not native to the OFW.

If you want to do the mod, and stick with OFW, some people here will be able to help you install the add on if you, need it…

Unless you have a real need to stay with the OFW, I would actually suggest ANY of the other 3 FW as an upgrade

Xtreme Firmware
RougeMaster Firmware
Unleashed Firmware (RGB Specific Build)

[Hamspiced]

when i first made these i sold these pretty cheaply, mostly for cost of parts here.

since i upgraded to a hotplate for installs it cut the working time down and now i just have jlcpcb do the assembly so my costs on this have dropped significantly.

if anyone wants to pick one up off of my tindie i please ask you use the code 604886F2 for half off for DT members.

[Viktor]

Will it be possible to order these in Europe? They look great!

[Hamspiced]

Through tindie I have all but stopped shipping internationally. I can’t keep the shipping down to make it reasonable for me or the buyer. So I sent a large batch to Amazon for fulfillment. They are significantly more expensive but should ship internationally and I’m the only person selling them. So try that and if for some reason you can’t get it let me know because my EU account is a little weird

[Viktor]

I checked out amazon. They also don’t ship to Belgium. I can see the product only when my shipping adress is in the USA.

I’ll have to take peace with having an orange screen

[Hamspiced]

standby, lemme see what i can do with my fullfillment services.

i had to sync some service portal but it should be available to Belgium now. However i wont be able to get approval to germany. something about the stock i sent to amazon is shipped in small ziploc polybags that constitutes as waste…

[ODaily]

Can you sell a package deal? One rgb And one reusable plastic bag!

[CoreySpondant]

Oh man I ordered some bare PCBs and LEDs a while back with the intention of doing this but never got around to it. You’ve inspired me to finish it, but as I have the solder-it-yourself version, I’d love to know if there’s a way to test the LEDs before I put them inside my flipper? Can I probe 1v/2v/3v somewhere to make sure the blinkies blink? I don’t want to burn them out but I also don’t want to spend the time installing it for my flipper to go “uh, no” and short or something

[Hamspiced]

Sadly no. It’s expecting a data signal not a straight 3v.

Shoot me a dm and I’ll send you a completed board.

[Aoxhwjfoavdlhsvfpzha]

The LEDs themselves want a data signal, or the carrier board?

[Hamspiced]

The LEDs are addressable, data points are set in software. I tried doing bench tests on them when I hand soldered but could never get them to light.

I also didn’t have an ociliscope so I was just grounding and sending 3v down the rail.

[CoreySpondant]

@Hamspiced

Shoot me a dm and I’ll send you a completed board.

If I can’t get them to light tomorrow I’ll reach out. I’ve still got 6 unsoldered PCBs and a whack ton of the LEDs that I’d love to trade for a finished one if you’re still interested in doing a few yourself to send out.

[Hamspiced]

I have near about 700 completed units. I’m pretty set on hand soldering them now.

[CoreySpondant]

It worked! Mostly…

I’m pretty stoked that this worked at all really, I was not very confident in my solder job but it seems to be okay! Now to try and figure out why the battery isn’t reading properly afterwards. I saw sasquatch had the same thing happen, but it went away for him in the video, not so much for me. I’ve tried disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, reflashing stock, and reflashing back to Xtreme. No such luck, both stock and Xtreme show the problem. I don’t think I damaged anything on the board with my work. Thoughts?

also super cool that I can choose which color each of the 3 LEDs are for a sweet fade

[Pilgrimsmaster]

Firstly, congrats.

Thats a sweet looking Flipper, those clear cases look great.

@CoreySpondant

Thoughts?

Which pins/ pads did you pick up for power?

Have you tried changing the battery “view”
ie. show percent or bar etc?

[CoreySpondant]

@Pilgrimsmaster

Which pins/ pads did you pick up for power?

Have you tried changing the “view”

Vibro like sasquatch and this writeup I found a while ago did and GPIO ground since sasquatch mentioned it was easier to get to and connect to.

The battery info page also shows nothing so that’s what’s got me a little more concerned. It says ‘Charged!’ when plugged in and ‘Napping…’ otherwise.

[Pilgrimsmaster]

you picked up the same as I did, so not liked that.

What about disconnecting your module?, just to remove that from the battery error equation.

Do you have another battery you can try in the flipper?
Im wondering if somehow the BMS/protection board got damaged on the battery…

[CoreySpondant]

I’ll try removing the vibro/ground but the battery’s on a separate board so I woudn’t think it’d be damaged by the heat.

I might be able to ask my friend to borrow their flipper’s battery to see if that’s the problem but that wouldn’t be a today fix