Notice: I am not receiving notifications for this thread. I didn`t realise people were still posting in it.

Please please accept my apologies if I haven`t replied to tags etc... I have no idea what is happening. I`m subscribed to this thread but I am not receiving notifications. Please inbox me if possible. Or tag me in another thread.

Its amazing that people are still checking all of this out. I thank you for all of the help and support I have received in this thread over this year.

Cheers. Matty.


A video showing a modchip in action. Thank you once again to @metaljay for providing this. This is what you can achieve by fitting a chip!

Section 1. Gather your software.

Get your chip software from THIS THREAD.
Follow the flashing instructions there...

Section 2. Removing USB port and unneeded LEDs. (Adafruit chips only)

• Next, we need to remove the USB port from the modchip. I recommend a heatgun or a rework station. Heat up until the USB port just lifts off the modchip.

• Do the same for the LED just to the right of the USB port.

See picture:

You are now ready to fit your device. Proceed to Fitting section.

Section 3. Fitting modchip to your Switch.
New Universal Method. All SAMD-based internal chips. If your chip is not supported and you cannot work it out, PM me.

Trinket M0.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

==================================================
Rebug SwitchME M0. Use Trinket files.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

==================================================
RCMX86 - Internal modchip version.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

==================================================
Gemma M0. Use Gemma files.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

==================================================
ItsyBitsy M0 Express. Use ItsyBitsy files.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

==================================================
Feather M0 Express. Use Feather files.
Solder as laid out in the following picture

BUILD YOUR OWN FROM A QFP ATSAMD21E18. Trinket equivalent pins.
Flash Trinket bootloader using OpenOCD via serial pins SWDIO / SWDCLK. Fit a reset switch somewhere... Or going to power / wake (aka method 2). If building for external use, it is good practice to fit a third capacitor between 3V & GND. This is deliberately vague and ambigious, as this needs research and you need to know what you are doing.

Link for setting the Pi up with OpenOCD: HERE
Raspberry Pi OpenOCD image in downloads section or HERE

Alternative Solder Points

Credit to @consolex for original pic. I`ve added alternative points to solder to:

Credit to @pyorin for this much tidier version showing the same info as the above one!

Replacement Parts List

Spoiler: Parts

Ok... So you have damaged your switch soldering your chip in. Not to worry.

First things first, DO NOT BRIDGE THE CONTACTS HOPING TO REVIVE YOUR SWITCH. With resistors, you may possibly get away with this, but with the capacitors listed below, if you jump these points, you will make a nice short-circuit to the PMIC and / or the M92T36, killing them instantly. Don`t do it.

OK... I`ll list these parts with METHOD 2 & 3 TRINKET PIN NUMBERS and the values of the components they solder to.

TRINKET 3V (POWER SUPPLY) - 2.2uF 0402 size MLCC capacitor. Voltage unimportant as long as it is over 6.3v
TRINKET PIN 2 (POWER ON RESET - goes to pin 5 on M92T36)- 4.7uF 0402 size MLCC capacitor. Voltage unimportant as long as it is over 6.3v
TRINKET PIN 0 (VOL+) - 150R (150 ohms) 0201 Thick Film resistor. 50mW
TRINKET RESET (SWITCH POWER BUTTON) - 150R (150 ohms) 0201 Thick Film resistor. 50mW

I recommend RS components.

FAQ

Q - How do I boot the switch into APX (RCM) mode?

A - You need to short out pin 10 on the right joycon rail to GND with a jig or modded joycon or paperclip (not recommended... Buy a jig you cheap-ass gyppo). Once shorted out, hold down vol+ and power. The switch screen should be off... Plug into your PC and it should recognise a APX device. Well done. You are in RCM.

Q - What glue should I use?
A - Only glue if necessary! Ideally if your soldering is of sufficient quality and your wire is thin enough, you don`t need glue. I use a bit because I am OCD. Anyway, use Epoxy. It`s what I use. Gives you some working time, is solid. Superglue makes a mess DO NOT USE SUPERGLUE. The only thing super about it is how it melts things. Epoxy won`t stick to the shield long-term, so bear that in mind. Pure Acetone will remove epoxy. Acetone tends to remove / melt anything to be warned. CHECK YOUR GLUE WON`T GO CONDUCTIVE OVER TIME - LOOKING AT YOU SCAMSUNG! The combination of heat cycles and absorbing of moisture can turn adhesive into a high-impedance connection!

Q - What size wire should I use?
A - I use AWG40 magnet wire or AWG30 Kynar. AWG40 goes onto components easier... And if you snap it, chances are the wire will snap and not the trace / component.
A2 - You can also use AWG30. I recommend Kynar wrapping wire but any will do. Looks nice, good resistance to elements, tidy. Nothing thicker than AWG30. You are just causing yourself more headaches. Trust me.

Q - Is AWG40 thick enough?
A - Yes. AWG40 is good for around 90mA.

Q - which methods do you recommend?
A - Connect all the straps...

Q - how do you recommend to set it up?
A - Fusee Suite. Search for Fusee Suite or go to link at top of this OP.

Q - My switch is flat and won't turn on.
A - Have you got the charger connected? Disconnect it or your switch won't boot! Boot to a payload (SX loader/Hekate), reconnect charger and leave on the payload menu and charge. Leave for 15 minutes and switch will start normally. It will continue charging one booted.

Disclaimer:
You have only yourself to blame. This voids warranty. This may or may not get you banned from online services. If it does, you got yourself banned. I`m not responsible if you kill your switch / your first-born with any of this in this post. I`m not infalliable. I`m partly senile. Do your own research. Kids, get bill payers permission before you attempt even using a screwdriver.
NUTSHELL: Don`t come having a go at me because you fooked your £300 console up. I`ll do my best to help you though if you do, Just don`t blame me.

Credits to Quantum-Cross, Atlas44, @Ninoh-FOX , @jcrorxp , @tecfreak, @mooglazer, @subcon959, @64Dp128k, @mikeleuskaldunak, @M-O-B, CTCaer, @evilsperm, @consolex and everyone else for valuable input.

IF YOU REQUIRE SUPPORT, IF YOUR CONSOLE ISN`T WORKING CORRECTLY... PLEASE POST A HIGH RESOLUTION PICTURE OF YOUR INSTALL. You might think it isn`t your soldering, but in all cases with the new methods, it is bad soldering. So, please post a picture.

A BRIEF WARNING - PLEASE READ

Spoiler: READ THIS

THIS MOD IS NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART. WE ARE SOLDERING TO TRACES AND COMPONENTS ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BOARD TO SAVE HAVING TO REMOVE THE BOARD AND SOLDER TO TESTPOINTS. IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING, OR THINK YOU ARE GOING TO STRUGGLE, PLEASE PLEASE SOLDER TO THE TEST POINTS NOTED IN THIS AND OTHER THREADS (YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE MOTHERBOARD). DOUBLE - TRIPLE CHECK EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Good soldering skills are needed!
A magnifying glass is needed!
Good soldering iron needed - ideally with a 0.3 conical tip. No more than 30w!
SECURE YOUR WIRES PRIOR TO SOLDERING. Stick them down with double-sided tape.
Only use glue if you need to and glue wires after soldering. Don`t glue the solder to the component!
Put the tiniest amount of glue on the PCB mask only. Never on components. Use a cocktail stick for more glue control!!!
Take a look at alternative solder points to get you out of the sh*t if you do rip something off the board
If you aren`t the best at soldering, then think very carefully about connecting to pin 6 capacitor (the one in these new methods). If you rip this pad, you WILL NEED TO REMOVE YOUR BOARD and run from a testpoint.

 

[FunThomas]

I have a switchme chip and want to connect it.
The Vol+ Strap is described as if not connected i only have dual boot -> what do i have if i connect it and what is the function of the Vol+ -> selection of booted image ?
Is the joycon strap if i dont want to have problems with burned fuses so it automatically goes to RCM and don't boot normal?
Is the USB Disconect Strap to solve the problems of battery drain or what is the function?
i don't see the description for the pink arrows connectors are this 3 separate wires with switch connected to ground for 3 functions ? Are they already used ?

What am i missing when i only connect GND,3V, the Yellow and the Green and the usb Disconnect Strap ?

 

[smasha]

I've got the 4 (method 1) wire install on a trinket that i did months ago. I haven't turned on my switch in about 3 months and have found that it doesn't turn on anymore. Opened it up and measured the battery and its only measuring at 2.35v (hits 0v as well but then sometimes comes back to 2.35v for a while). What could have caused the battery to drop off so bad? I am using autorcm but also had the autopower off working correctly. I can only assume the trinket was draining power even with the switch off?

This battery is now fried isn't it? I've ordered a new one but might take a few weeks to come. If i leave switched plugged in and charging for a few days, will it trickle charge until it hits safe voltage to charge properly again?

 

[HippoDan]

Okay, weird update. It just started doing it repeatedly, vol+ all the time. I rebooted the switch and it came up in ofw. I figured the reset was stuck on, but I rebooted again with vol+ held down and it came up in cfw like normal. I'm guessing this means my volume strap has come loose. Perhaps it was never a reset problem? It never indicated joy con disconnect during any of the volume up incidents. Are there other interpretations ?

The volume up problem seems to have stopped entirely, along with any vol+ from the trinket.

Update. I was out of town for a week, so couldn't look at it. I took it apart today. The reason it wouldn't boot into CFW was because the chip was getting reset repeatedly, not because of the vol strap. I checked my wiring and it looked good. I removed the reset wire that I had added, and it did it less frequently. I noticed some flux in the space between the joycon and reset pins. It seems whenever the joycon was being inserted or wiggled it was resetting the trinket. I cleaned that up with some alcohol, and the problem is almost completely resolved. The chip does still reset very occasionally, for apparently no reason, which I am attributing to the longer over the shield wiring, unless somebody else has a better idea.

I updated to the new trinket bootloader with the shorter vol+ time. Now at least it only goes up one notch of volume instead of full blast. Any ideas how to solve this once and for all, or is shorter wiring my only hope? Anybody else have phantom resets?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Darklinkreturns]

Just had these guys arrive today, printed by oshpark. Not quite as purple as I would have liked, but such is life. Gonna populate them on Monday, then either find someone in the SoCal area to do the install, or work up the courage to do it myself.

 

[mattytrog]

Thank you. I’ll PM you as soon as possible

On test at the moment. Repair successful.

 

[starlander]

Very strange. All is working here. At least with the dock.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I went in and rechecked all solder points, reflowed them and still had the same issue (usb hubs not working when connected to switch). After no luck there I completely removed the chip and all straps, problem resolved.

I’m assuming a bad strap wire now, maybe broken, or bad solder point on the chip.

I don’t understand where to begin looking, but will start with replacing both USB straps.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mattytrog]

I went in and rechecked all solder points, reflowed them and still had the same issue (usb hubs not working when connected to switch). After no luck there I completely removed the chip and all straps, problem resolved.

I’m assuming a bad strap wire now, maybe broken, or bad solder point on the chip.

I don’t understand where to begin looking, but will start with replacing both USB straps.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Try the latest Simple-UF2. There is a slight code change to completely switch off the USB port on the modchip, rather than go to sleep.

I don`t expect it to fix your issue, but it is worth a try.

 

[franky52]

On test at the moment. Repair successful.

Oh! I thought i had lost my nintendo switch forever

You´re amazing...

 

[starlander]

Try the latest Simple-UF2. There is a slight code change to completely switch off the USB port on the modchip, rather than go to sleep.

I don`t expect it to fix your issue, but it is worth a try.

I can confirm my problems are fixed. It was 100% bad wires. I tossed those wires out, and reinstalled. Somehow they may have gotten a small break in them that caused the odd behavior.

My dock and other devices are working perfectly again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[methamz]

Try the latest Simple-UF2. There is a slight code change to completely switch off the USB port on the modchip, rather than go to sleep.

I don`t expect it to fix your issue, but it is worth a try.

Matty, my dongle does not wake up when I plug in to Switch after it sleeps. I have to use restart button to wake it up. Im using latest UF2 file.

 

[mattytrog]

Matty, my dongle does not wake up when I plug in to Switch after it sleeps. I have to use restart button to wake it up. Im using latest UF2 file.

Yep. Thats expected in this release as I have completely disabled the port in sleep.

Will push an update I think. 0.9.8r4 may come later today

 

[Acide0]

Hi, I got a switch with a trinket install with the old method 3 and I don't want to change the wiring. Normally I used the 0 folder and take the .nx for atmosphere and rename 1 but with the firmware 7.01 it don't work failed on stage 2. I have try to take the .nx that you rename the payload start.bin at the root of sd so I rename fusee primary I got a black screen. When I launch hekate ctcaer 4.8 the choose the payload atmosphere manually no problem its work.

What I'm doing wrong ?

thank for your answer

 

[mattytrog]

Hi, I got a switch with a trinket install with the old method 3 and I don't want to change the wiring. Normally I used the 0 folder and take the .nx for atmosphere and rename 1 but with the firmware 7.01 it don't work failed on stage 2. I have try to take the .nx that you rename the payload start.bin at the root of sd so I rename fusee primary I got a black screen. When I launch hekate ctcaer 4.8 the choose the payload atmosphere manually no problem its work.

What I'm doing wrong ?

thank for your answer

No need to change wiring. Use Simple-UF2.

NX folders now obsolete

 

[Acide0]

ok so even with my old wiring of method 3 I could use Simple-uf2 file thank you

With this uf2 setup I only need to change fusee primary.bin to payload.bin ?

 

[mattytrog]

Correct

 

[Blinkerz]

Been looking through several pages and there tends to be conflicting views in the 3v line to use. Is the emmc still regarded as the safest solder point.

Regarding wire choices, is kynar wire easier to work with.

Many thanks

 

[mattytrog]

Been looking through several pages and there tends to be conflicting views in the 3v line to use. Is the emmc still regarded as the safest solder point.

Regarding wire choices, is kynar wire easier to work with.

Many thanks

The 3v points are actually all the same. They go to the same trace. So choose the easiest. I don`t recommend the emmc point though due to possibility of damage. Though it is probably easiest to solder. Do a full backup with boot0/1 and prodinfo. Get your BIS keys too. So if you do mess the nand up beyond repair, you can fit new nand.

 

[feral]

Kind of a novice here but any help would be great. I have a Trinket M0 installed but was having some problems. After desoldering and resoldering the joycon strap a few times I think I burned out the trace and now the right joycon won’t connect when attached. I am able to see the trace from the ribbon port, but I get no connectivity beyond that. Can anyone point me in the direction of a fix? Maybe jumping that trace to somewhere else on the board?

EDIT: Nevermind, I was able to trace out to a pad on the front of the board.

 

[feral]

So after routing a new wire for my right joycon after breaking the trace/test pads, the joycon itself works but the strap doesn't seem to be activating when I try to boot to hekate with Power & Vol+. It just gives me a black screen. I also get the same behavior with a jig, though maybe that's expected with the trinket installed?

I am otherwise able to boot into OFW and I can reflash my trinket, so USB connection and power to the trinket seem to be working. Any tips on what might be the cause here? Is it because I'm not soldering to both of the pads in the first post for the joycon strap? And if so, what are my options?

EDIT: Disregard, I've got things working finally with a few bugs, but those might be software so I'll ask about those elsewhere.

 

[smasha]

@mattytrog This might be a dumb question, but for the joycon strap you've circled two pads, do I choose any of those pads or am i meant to bridge them? Cheers.