Furby (1998)/RL "Special-Edition" Glitch

About[]

The so-called RL special edition glitch (name coined by Tumblr user @furbytech ^[1]) is a Furby bug observed in some 1998 Furbys having the RL factory code, where a Furby might produce glitched audio and freeze randomly. It is sometimes also referred to as “Shake n’ Bake”

Despite the name, it has also been noticed in non-special-edition Furbys too.^[2]^[3]

Brand New in box RL Factory Furby’s can sometimes have this bug.

Extra Info[]

The bug also happened on a EL Frog Furby.^{[original research]}

The bug also appears to affect the Furby’s wake up dance, as it can sometimes freeze up after completing it.

Additionally if it’s put into test mode, when it’s back is pressed after completing the motor test, it will go through the wake up dance, and upon completing it, the Furby will sometimes not beep 3 times, and will do nothing until the reset button is pressed.^{[original research]}

Cause[]

The RL bug is caused by cold solder joints. ^{[original research]}

Cold solder joints are faulty electrical connections that occur when solder fails to properly bond with components or circuit board pads during manufacturing. In factory settings, they’re often caused by insufficient heat during the soldering process, contamination on component leads or board surfaces (like oxidation or flux residue), or movement of parts before the solder cools and solidifies. Automated assembly lines that are poorly calibrated or not regularly maintained can also contribute, especially if the soldering iron tips are worn out or the wave/reflow soldering profile is incorrect. These joints can lead to intermittent failures, especially in Furbys due their movement and also being played with.

Misdiagnosis: EPROM Failure[]

One of the suspected reasons for this issue was a corrupted EEPROM chip (which stores the name, age and the learned actions).

This is not the case, since in theory a factory reset should fully clear its contents, restoring operation back to normal, yet in reality that method does not resolve said issue.

Cures[]

Below are some known methods for addressing the issue:

Shake Furby (Easy)[]

Gently shaking the Furby may temporarily improve the connection of cold solder joints.

Push Components (Hard)[]

Remove the shell and carefully press on all electrical components with your hand can sometimes restore better contact at the cold solder joints.

Full Repair (Advance)[]

Many people are intimidated by this, but it's actually easier than it seems.

Start by removing the skin, shell, speaker, and lower swinging arm to gain full access to the bottom of the main circuit board.

To detect cold solder joints, visually inspect for dull, cracked, or uneven joints, which differ from smooth, shiny, healthy ones. Use a magnifying glass and good lighting to examine connections.

Fixing a cold solder joint by reflowing involves reheating the joint to properly melt and bond the solder. To do this, first ensure the device is powered off and the area is clean.
Using a clean, preheated soldering iron, gently touch the tip to the cold joint until the existing solder melts and flows smoothly over the pad and component lead.
Adding a small amount of fresh solder can help improve the bond and ensure a strong electrical connection. Once the solder has fully melted and spread evenly, remove the iron and allow the joint to cool undisturbed. A properly reflowed joint will appear shiny and smoothly domed.

If you're unsure which joints need reflowing, you can reflow multiple joints at once and test after each reflow to see if the issue improves. Alternatively, reflowing all the joints is a safe approach to ensure solid connections across the board. Reflowing should restore proper electrical contact, and testing after each step can help identify if the problem has been resolved.

If reflowing the solder points for some reason doesn’t work and the Furby is still glitching, you can replace its entire circuit board with one from a working Furby that is from the same factory as the broken one.