Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

16

Time Required

                          20 minutes

Sections

2

  • Toniebox Teardown
  • 11 steps
  • Ear
  • 5 steps

Flags

1

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Introduction

If your button is not broken and only the cable has been torn off, skip the steps to replace the button.

If your button is broken but your cable is not torn off, skip the steps to repair the cable.

What you need

Step 1

              Toniebox Teardown
  • The Toniebox is designed as an audiobook player for kids (age three and up), and packs the following features:
  • Motion control, via slapping the side or tilting the box
  • Small figurines (Tonies) with built in NFC chip
  • Soft shockproof shell
  • Internal storage for up to 400 hours of audio data
  • 7 hours battery capacity
  • Magnets in the top of the Toniebox, and in the sockets of the Tonies, to keep them stuck together while you tilt and turn the box
  • There was no NFC chip in our Kinder-Egg today—so sad.

The Toniebox is designed as an audiobook player for kids (age three and up), and packs the following features:

Motion control, via slapping the side or tilting the box

Small figurines (Tonies) with built in NFC chip

Soft shockproof shell

Internal storage for up to 400 hours of audio data

7 hours battery capacity

Magnets in the top of the Toniebox, and in the sockets of the Tonies, to keep them stuck together while you tilt and turn the box

There was no NFC chip in our Kinder-Egg today—so sad.

1024

Step 2

  • Because we’re doing this teardown in Germany, we’ll forgo the usual metric and imperial measuring shenanigans and simply give you a banana for scale.
  • Each side of this cube measures 3/4 of a banana. (4.7 inches or 12 cm according to the manufacturer, who evidently did not have a banana handy.)
  • Placing the banana onto the NFC sensor also doesn’t play anything.

Because we’re doing this teardown in Germany, we’ll forgo the usual metric and imperial measuring shenanigans and simply give you a banana for scale.

Each side of this cube measures 3/4 of a banana. (4.7 inches or 12 cm according to the manufacturer, who evidently did not have a banana handy.)

Placing the banana onto the NFC sensor also doesn’t play anything.

Step 3

  • The cover on the bottom is as stubborn as a pickle jar. But hey, we have seen far worse opening procedures! Besides, the rest looks pretty easy.
  • A single Phillips screw holds the innards in the foam housing. Just the way we like it.

The cover on the bottom is as stubborn as a pickle jar. But hey, we have seen far worse opening procedures! Besides, the rest looks pretty easy.

A single Phillips screw holds the innards in the foam housing. Just the way we like it.

Step 4

  • Now for the “unboxing”.
  • The main components lift right out the top of the box. Easy peasy.
  • Surrounding it is this black cage, which is also easy to take out and seems to serve mainly for crush protection.
  • The squeezable foam bumper comes out last. According to the manufacturer, it’s made from sustainable fabrics.

Now for the “unboxing”.

The main components lift right out the top of the box. Easy peasy.

Surrounding it is this black cage, which is also easy to take out and seems to serve mainly for crush protection.

The squeezable foam bumper comes out last. According to the manufacturer, it’s made from sustainable fabrics.

Step 5

  • The battery pack and motherboard are secured with just two standard Phillips screws.
  • As printed on the back, the battery pack consists of three NiMH batteries with a capacity of 2,000 mAh.
  • The manufacturer states this is a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack—chosen because it’s a safer technology than lithium-ion, and has almost no memory effect.

The battery pack and motherboard are secured with just two standard Phillips screws.

As printed on the back, the battery pack consists of three NiMH batteries with a capacity of 2,000 mAh.

The manufacturer states this is a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack—chosen because it’s a safer technology than lithium-ion, and has almost no memory effect.

Step 6

  • We’ll have a look at that motherboard just as soon as these stubborn little cables are unplugged. Let’s see what all the noise is about! Onboard we find:
  • Texas Instruments C3200R1M2 microcontroller serving as CPU and WLAN Receiver
  • ISSI IS25LQ032 flash memory
  • A Texas Instruments DAC3100 TI 7BI ANVS G4 Audio Controller
  • Battery loading IC
  • A TRF7962A RFID Reader to read the NFC chips from the Tonies
  • NXP MMA8451 accelerometer for fast forward and rewind functions.
  • And a Sandisk Edge 8 GB MicroSD card formatted as Fat32

We’ll have a look at that motherboard just as soon as these stubborn little cables are unplugged. Let’s see what all the noise is about! Onboard we find:

Texas Instruments C3200R1M2 microcontroller serving as CPU and WLAN Receiver

ISSI IS25LQ032 flash memory

A Texas Instruments DAC3100 TI 7BI ANVS G4 Audio Controller

Battery loading IC

A TRF7962A RFID Reader to read the NFC chips from the Tonies

NXP MMA8451 accelerometer for fast forward and rewind functions.

And a Sandisk Edge 8 GB MicroSD card formatted as Fat32

Step 7

  • And now for the Toniebox’s vocal chords cords!
  • Speaker specs: 4 Ω and 3 W. ‘Nuff said. We weren’t exactly expecting high fidelity audiophile hardware, after all.
  • The manufacturer’s homepage gives a bit more info, including the nominal load- and music-carrying capacities (3 W / 5 W) and that the speaker spans the audio spectrum from 20 Hz to 10 kHz.

And now for the Toniebox’s vocal chords cords!

Speaker specs: 4 Ω and 3 W. ‘Nuff said. We weren’t exactly expecting high fidelity audiophile hardware, after all.

The manufacturer’s homepage gives a bit more info, including the nominal load- and music-carrying capacities (3 W / 5 W) and that the speaker spans the audio spectrum from 20 Hz to 10 kHz.

Step 8

  • Just four more Phillips screws, and we can remove the cap.
  • Inside the cap we find a second PCB, this one responsible for the NFC connection.
  • Except for another socket to connect with the motherboard and another crossed out trashcan (WEEE-Symbol), there’s nothing to see here.
  • No microphone found on the top PCB nor the motherboard. This means the Toniebox is acoustically unaware of its surroundings.

Just four more Phillips screws, and we can remove the cap.

Inside the cap we find a second PCB, this one responsible for the NFC connection.

Except for another socket to connect with the motherboard and another crossed out trashcan (WEEE-Symbol), there’s nothing to see here.

No microphone found on the top PCB nor the motherboard. This means the Toniebox is acoustically unaware of its surroundings.

Step 9

  • Next we inspect the volume control buttons, located (rather appropriately) in the ears of the Toniebox.
  • Removing the outer layer of the ears, we find two small buttons.
  • Because the buttons connect to the motherboard via a JST plug, we don’t need to cut a wire. Lucky us.

Next we inspect the volume control buttons, located (rather appropriately) in the ears of the Toniebox.

Removing the outer layer of the ears, we find two small buttons.

Because the buttons connect to the motherboard via a JST plug, we don’t need to cut a wire. Lucky us.

Step 10

  • Bonus teardown: We perform minor surgery on the lion figurine and find, as expected, an NFC chip in his stomach.

Bonus teardown: We perform minor surgery on the lion figurine and find, as expected, an NFC chip in his stomach.

Step 11

              Final Thoughts
  • That’s all, folks! We completely tore down our Toniebox, cut open the lion, and spread everything over the table. Here is our result:
  • All the screws are standard Phillips screws and no adhesive was used.
  • The box is easy to disassemble and reassemble, without damaging it or leaving any marks.
  • Battery pack and flash memory are also pretty common and easy to change.
  • The cap on the bottom is held in place by plastic clips, which could break if you open the box repeatedly.
  • Some of the plugs sit in their sockets pretty tight and might be hard to unplug without damaging the sockets.
  • The headphone jack is soldered to the motherboard.

That’s all, folks! We completely tore down our Toniebox, cut open the lion, and spread everything over the table. Here is our result:

All the screws are standard Phillips screws and no adhesive was used.

The box is easy to disassemble and reassemble, without damaging it or leaving any marks.

Battery pack and flash memory are also pretty common and easy to change.

The cap on the bottom is held in place by plastic clips, which could break if you open the box repeatedly.

Some of the plugs sit in their sockets pretty tight and might be hard to unplug without damaging the sockets.

The headphone jack is soldered to the motherboard.

Step 12

              Remove the defective button
  • Remove the ears from the Toniebox according to the basic instructions for the Toniebox Teardown. Be especially careful not to damage the connector on the PCB.
  • Gently pull the inner ears down and out. Do not pull on the cable!
  • Use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull the defective button and PCB out of the silicone ear. If the cable is not torn off, be careful not to damage it.

Remove the ears from the Toniebox according to the basic instructions for the Toniebox Teardown. Be especially careful not to damage the connector on the PCB.

Gently pull the inner ears down and out. Do not pull on the cable!

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull the defective button and PCB out of the silicone ear. If the cable is not torn off, be careful not to damage it.

Step 13

              Desoldering the defective button
  • Solder the defective button from the PCB. The best way to do this is to use a hot air gun/ soldering iron around 360 ° C
  • Remove the excess solder with desoldering braid.

Solder the defective button from the PCB. The best way to do this is to use a hot air gun/ soldering iron around 360 ° C

Remove the excess solder with desoldering braid.

Step 14

              Solder the new button
  • Use lead free solder to reattach the replacement button

Use lead free solder to reattach the replacement button

Step 15

              Soldering the torn cable
  • Remove the remains of the torn strand from the solder pads with the soldering iron
  • Isolate approx. 3mm from each wire of the line
  • Tin each pad and solder them on the back of the PCB. One wire on each pad. Be careful that the wire has no contact with outer copper surfaces.

Remove the remains of the torn strand from the solder pads with the soldering iron

Isolate approx. 3mm from each wire of the line

Tin each pad and solder them on the back of the PCB. One wire on each pad. Be careful that the wire has no contact with outer copper surfaces.

Step 16

              Installation of repaired button
  • Carefully put the circuit board back into the ear.
  • Lay the strand in the designated channels.
  • Push the inner ears back into the ear sleeve using the buttons.

Carefully put the circuit board back into the ear.

Lay the strand in the designated channels.

Push the inner ears back into the ear sleeve using the buttons.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Kevin Flaig - Apr 11, 2021

Reply

Bei unserer Box ist der Schalter samt Platine weg. Kann man das Kabel auch direkt am Schalter anlöten oder hat die Platine eine Funktion?

twayne Markinson - Apr 11, 2021

Hi,

die Platine hat keine elektrische Funktion. Sie dient nur mechanisch dazu den Taster zu stützen. Wenn du es schaffst den direkt anzulöten geht das auch, ich weiss allerdings nicht wie gut das Veralten beim drücken ist oder ob das wider kaputt geht. Hier habe Ich neue Platinen gesehen die man allerdings selbst noch etwas bearbeiten muss:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anze…

twayne Markinson - Nov 14, 2021

Hier gibt es auch neue Platinen:

http://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzei…

Ansonsten hat die keine Funktion. Ihr könnt die Kabel auch an die Taster direkt löten.

Matthias Lehmann - Apr 30, 2021

Reply

Moin

Bei uns sind die ohren durchgeknabert. Ich will nur die orhen erneuern wo kann man die kaufen?

Benoit74 - Jan 20, 2022

Ich kann gerne einige 3D-Drucken und sie verschicken.