Gameboy Micro Faceplates that light up!!!
OK, I picked up a Japanese Gameboy Micro tonight at Network Video in Burlingame, CA.
There is a jack accessible to the faceplate (under the faceplate, above the a button) that says V-5(5 volts, I assume) on the circuit board.
Questions: When will Nintendo or Third Parties release Smart Faceplates? Where can I buy a plug for the jack shown on this image(upper right hand corner)? [image is from this set of photos]
Update: Here’s a pic of the micro without a faceplate. The jack is above the a button –
Update: I haven’t been able to get a reading on the jack. The connection is really small, so I’m having trouble getting a clear shot at it with my multimeter. Meanwhile, my triwing(Nintendo uses ‘tamper-proof’ screws to keep us out) screwdriver isn’t working on the super small screws on the micro, so I can’t test the connections on the board, yet.
Update(9/26/05): I ordered a new triwing screwdriver yesterday. Hopefully it will arrive soon and will be small enough to open the case.
Update(9/26/05): Discuss at gbadev’s forums.
Update(9/26/05): Discussion at WarpPipe
Update(9/28/05): It turns out that my triwing screwdriver IS small enough to work on the micro’s screws. I just had to push hard enough while turning. I disassembled it and tested the leads heading into the connector. There is definitely 1.7 volts headed into the connector, but I still haven’t been able to get a reading from the jack itself. I now have some homemade test leads that are probably thin enough and I’ll try again tonight.
Update (9/28/05): Just tested with my new thin leads. There is no power coming from the strange jack.
John Tokash 
I tested the jack and with difficulty I believe that its not even giving out 1 volt but its hard to tell if the two things where in the socket well upon looking at photos of the board it appears that the jack is not connected to the battery but I could be wrong.
Dude I really dont think that is a plug….
it looks more like a mini pot (variable resistor)
you mentioned the japaneese site you got the pics from
and i seen this there
v-5 is probally the version # and the knob on the pot probally controls either an internally set voltage control
(that i wouldnt screw with)
or contrast/briteness fine tuning or hell it could be an RF adjustment for wifi
but i really doubt that is a plug…
good luck!
ps if the face plate lit up dont ya think it would be hard to see the screen? i mean jeez and think of the battery power god…
uh. I’m with taylor on that one. there’s nothing else it can be but a mini pot. I have my micro right in front of me and that’s what I’m looking at.
I agree that it’s not a jack and a pot seems like the most likely possibility at this point.
Thatis deffinitly a pot i already looked at it and found out it was even though it screwed with my micro some but i just had too know.