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.

 

[Hayato213]

what's pseudo rcm?

think he meant dual boot.

 

[uniquetusk]

Hello. I got an RCM X86 chip installed by a third party person. Chip look pretty much like this one - https://ae04.alicdn.com/kf/Hce9425699d3a49b4b915e87a80fe10a9V/RCMX86-Auto-RCM-SX-OS-NS-Switch.jpg

I'm not that much satisfied though. I used rcm jig & payload injector for years and I always got cfw loaded. With chip I get maybe 80% of success when I switch from stock fw to atmo. But, if i try to shutdown from atmo & then push power & vol+ to get back to atmosphere from powered off state I almost always get stuck in a mode similar to RCM zombie mode which I had back when I used AutoRCM. I don't have hardware to check, but a person who installed that chip to me said switch drains battery in this state just like in RCM, however, I cannot push payload from there, I had to push the power button for 10-15 seconds & then it boots back to atmo from there with power & vol+ pressed.
In fusee suite I can see it says joycon and volume+ straps detected even though a person who did the job said he didn't solder vol+, and he doesn't know what may cause this behaviour. What could be the issue here?

 

[itchigo]

What's the point of installing this mod chip on V1 switch?

 

[otaconn23]

What's the point of installing this mod chip on V1 switch?

so that yo don't need an external computer/android/loader to inject payloads to boot into hekate.

 

[itchigo]

so that yo don't need an external computer/android/loader to inject payloads to boot into hekate.

Oh okay thanks.

Well I dont mind using RCMloader that for sure. I rather using that instead of TegraRCM.

 

[MaxiBus]

Hello. I got an RCM X86 chip installed by a third party person. Chip look pretty much like this one - https://ae04.alicdn.com/kf/Hce9425699d3a49b4b915e87a80fe10a9V/RCMX86-Auto-RCM-SX-OS-NS-Switch.jpg

I'm not that much satisfied though. I used rcm jig & payload injector for years and I always got cfw loaded. With chip I get maybe 80% of success when I switch from stock fw to atmo. But, if i try to shutdown from atmo & then push power & vol+ to get back to atmosphere from powered off state I almost always get stuck in a mode similar to RCM zombie mode which I had back when I used AutoRCM. I don't have hardware to check, but a person who installed that chip to me said switch drains battery in this state just like in RCM, however, I cannot push payload from there, I had to push the power button for 10-15 seconds & then it boots back to atmo from there with power & vol+ pressed.
In fusee suite I can see it says joycon and volume+ straps detected even though a person who did the job said he didn't solder vol+, and he doesn't know what may cause this behaviour. What could be the issue here?

Bad install, i see it very often, sold from local second hand markets. Only way to fix this is to bring it to a professional.

 

[Quezacotl]

Hello. I got an RCM X86 chip installed by a third party person. Chip look pretty much like this one - https://ae04.alicdn.com/kf/Hce9425699d3a49b4b915e87a80fe10a9V/RCMX86-Auto-RCM-SX-OS-NS-Switch.jpg

I'm not that much satisfied though. I used rcm jig & payload injector for years and I always got cfw loaded. With chip I get maybe 80% of success when I switch from stock fw to atmo. But, if i try to shutdown from atmo & then push power & vol+ to get back to atmosphere from powered off state I almost always get stuck in a mode similar to RCM zombie mode which I had back when I used AutoRCM. I don't have hardware to check, but a person who installed that chip to me said switch drains battery in this state just like in RCM, however, I cannot push payload from there, I had to push the power button for 10-15 seconds & then it boots back to atmo from there with power & vol+ pressed.
In fusee suite I can see it says joycon and volume+ straps detected even though a person who did the job said he didn't solder vol+, and he doesn't know what may cause this behaviour. What could be the issue here?

If you don't have vol+ strap installed, then don't attempt to use it. What you are doing is getting into rcm mode, while you should let the chip do that for you.
Maybe you have made permanent rcm wiring on right joycon ages ago or the modchip installed made that internal, so then it always goes to rcm with power+vol+.
What i suggest is to just drop permacfw(part1) on the chip and install newest hekate so it autoboots to hekate when you press the power button. There you can just click atmosphere or stock or whatever.

 

[lufeig]

thanks to @mattytrog and every one who contributed to this thread.

i have just installed a trinket m0 on my v1 switch (erista) following the instructions found here.

Spoiler

 

[misiozol]

Very nice and clean install

 

[Jarmenti]

If you use the alternate points on the back of the board and route the wires around under the foam area by the fan (they won't get pinched here at all) you can get a really clean looking install. Hot glue works good to secure wires to the pcb and can be peeled away if need be.

Spoiler: Pics

 

[lufeig]

@Jarmenti

doesn't the lack of shielding cause any kind of malfunction?

nice install, congrats.

 

[Hayato213]

@Jarmenti

doesn't the lack of shielding cause any kind of malfunction?

nice install, congrats.

You could always cut the shield to fit the trinket M0, it also looks like he has no thermal paste around the CPU.

 

[lufeig]

You could always cut the shield to fit the trinket M0, it also looks like he has no thermal paste around the CPU.

I cut mine.

but well noticed, the shield helps to dissipate the heat from the heatsink.

 

[Jarmenti]

There's definitely a fresh dab of arctic mx under the cpu cooler that you can't see. The shielding does almost nothing for thermals as 99% of the cooling is done via the heatpipe to the heatsink, it's main purpose is for RF compliance. I have the shield cut nicely around the trinket on my other switch though, just didn't get around to cutting out another for this one yet.

Spoiler

 

[popy]

I have used single insulated strand from IDE 44pin connector, for some reason trinked was incorrectly programmed, flashing again solve issue, make sure as well you have correct file for dedicated chip.

Also had the same issue that the USB strap was not detected.
Reprogramming solved it also for me!
Soldering was 100% ok, HW engineer here with proper soldering station + microscope and 20 years skills

I think i know whats was wrong:
Before i have prepared/flashed the trinket without beeing soldered into the switch.
So the trinket was booted up before and hasn't detected the strap.
The strap detection runs obviously just once after flashing.

Reflashing after soldering has it also solved for me.

Thanks a lot.

 

[uniquetusk]

Hello again sirs, thanks for your suggestions. May I ask you one more question. In the package with the modchip for V1 switch that I got, aside from the modchip itself, I had a magnetic reed switch included. What is it for? Is it supposed to be used just for modchip firmware upgrade or is it supposed to be used in a way similar to 3ds magnethax? I had my chip installed without it.

 

[BaamAlex]

I had a magnetic reed switch included

You can solder the reed switch into a joycon for example to use a "pseudo magnethax" for triggering the rcm without removing the joycon out of the rail. But when you use the trinket or rcm x86 you don't need it. See this thread here.

 

[Quezacotl]

That magnet switch is for use as the reset button. Double tap that spot on the back panel with a magnet to get to download mode, or disable the modchip by holding the magnet there.
I prefer pushing the reset button through the back panel, which is very easy with adafruit trinket. Rcmx86 would need something to raise it closer.

 

[BaamAlex]

That magnet switch is for use as the reset button. Double tap that spot on the back panel with a magnet to get to download mode, or disable the modchip by holding the magnet there.
I prefer pushing the reset button through the back panel, which is very easy with adafruit trinket. Rcmx86 would need something to raise it closer.

A reed switch isn't a magnet. A magnet for the reed switch is needed to connect the pins inside the glass. You misunderstood something I would say.

 

[uniquetusk]

That magnet switch is for use as the reset button. Double tap that spot on the back panel with a magnet to get to download mode, or disable the modchip by holding the magnet there.
I prefer pushing the reset button through the back panel, which is very easy with adafruit trinket. Rcmx86 would need something to raise it closer.

Hello, thank you for reply. That was my guess based on ATSAMD21 datasheet. Still can't get though, what's the difference with pushing the reset button with a magnet on adafruit's trinket vs rcmX86? Would it work if I just use a stronger magnet with rcmX86? And if there any way to see (I guess "no", but anyway) if a modchip is enabled or disabled at the moment? To prevent extra battery drain.