AUX Port Mod (Headphone Jack) for Game Boy Advance SP.

What Do We Need?

1. The jacks themselves (60 rubles for 10 pieces):

2. Drill + drill bit (5 mm).

3. Soldering iron and all related materials (you can find more details here: Catalog of tools for console repair).

4. Glue (we use Titan glue).

From this set, only the drill can be excluded, but then the jack won't look as nice.

Theory

The Game Boy Advance SP doesn't require extensive modification to add a mini-jack headphone port. Essentially, the entire process involves soldering 4 wires and finding a place for the jack.

As you probably know, there is an adapter for the Game Boy Advance SP that plugs into the power port and allows you to use headphones.

If you look at this port, it has 6 pins:

Accordingly, we need pins 1 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6. But the AUX jack has 4 pins, so what do we do in this case?

We won't use pin 4 because we will replace it with pin 6.

When we use the headphone adapter and plug it into the power port, the plug shorts pins 5 and 6. This way, the Game Boy Advance SP knows that headphones are plugged in and turns off the speaker.

However, there is one problem: on older AGS-001 board revisions, you can't use a four-pin (TRRS) mini-jack plug (shown on the right in the picture).

Algorithm

Actually, there's nothing complicated here, and the algorithm is very simple:

1. Choose a location (preferably on the side, but make sure the headphones don't interfere with holding the console).

2. Drill a hole and remove anything that prevents the jack from being inserted.

3. Solder long wires to the jack (you can trim them later as needed).

4. Insert the jack into place and glue it.

5. Solder the wires to the board or port (depending on what's closer and more convenient).

6. Reassemble the console.

Choosing the Location for the Jack.

The hardest part of installing the jack is finding the right place for it. The Game Boy Advance SP is not a phone, where everything is packed to the brim, but there isn't much free space inside.

1. Can only be installed with an IPS screen!!! Installation in this location is impossible with the standard screen!

2. The downside of this option is that it compromises the structural integrity, as we have to remove the mounting. The upside is that the headphones don't interfere with holding the console.

3. Almost an ideal option, but it may interfere with holding the console! It depends on your hands and how you hold the console.

4. The main downside of this option is that it requires replacing the charging port with a USB port. The second downside is that it doesn't look very nice.

5. As with the third option, it may interfere with holding the console. Individual testing is required.

We tried the second and third options.

Option № 2.

You need to drill a hole and scrape out all the insides.

Option № 3.

In this option, you'll need to slightly file down the battery compartment and the plastic square next to the battery compartment (highlighted in red in the photo above). The battery fits into this square with a small protrusion, so you'll need to remove the protrusion on the battery or use the battery mod from this article: Battery for Game Boy Advance SP.

Connection Method.

There are at least three ways to connect:

1. Solder wires to the power port.

2. Solder wires to the motherboard.

3. Combine the two previous options.

Let's start with the port.

Nothing changes on the port regardless of the board revision or other reasons.

Option № 1. Solder wires to the power port:

Option № 2. Solder wires to the motherboard.

On older board revisions, C25 is located on the button side near chip U3.

Option № 3. Combine the options.

A convenient option for Game Boy Advance SP AGS-101:

The blue wire is long enough to allow the case to be opened and closed easily. I tuck it behind the cartridge port.

In the second option, I connected directly to the board, but on the other side (AGS-001 old board revision):