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.

 

[mattytrog]

@mattytrog THANKS for sharing the ItsyBitsy Files!

finished my ItsyBitsyTinyPayloadThingy

i took a broken bluetooth controller and salvaged its 180mah battery (yeah i know its complete overkill), sandwiched it between a charging board and the itsy bitsy, connected a switch in between the charging board Output and the BAT Pin. The Charging Board gets its Power from the USB Pin. I Also only had to connect the charging Boards GND to G on the ity bitsy. Normaly i would use the GND Wire to put a switch in between but this way i would have had to press the Button all the time for charging... pretty inconvinient aaand of course designed and printed a "case" for it. I like the "DIY" look so i dont put lids on both sides (only a little bit on the itsy bitsy side to keep it in place) the rest of the case is a pretty tight fit. didnt had to glue except for the tactile switch.

I ordered some USB-C male breakout boards and will add a proper connection to it as soon as they arive. there is a little space between the wires of the switch. i will try to keep it as compact as possible.

Hope to see some more updates for it and sorry for bad english

Very good. I like that.

 

[azxc]

This. Me. Fooking Too!

Epoxy is the best adhesive to use. It is used for potting PCBs and also for anti-tamper purposes on ICs. I remember it well from the X360 days!

what kind of epoxy? Not JB weld? Yes on the drives MS tried to stop ppl soldering to the chip by drowning it in epoxy, but a little heat and some tweezers pulled it right off. Then you had people taking a grider to the chip while it was powered on..."kamikaze" "hack" \but was really just borking your IC. Then ppl got tired of it and TX completely re-created the entire drive PCB...good times. reliving it with the switch.

 

[jj56185]

Very good. I like that.

Hi mattytrog. I have to post a fatal defect. that was the 3.3V power supply point.
The Red point: when I turn off the switch， pull into the dock， the Voltage will up to 4.7V.
And then It will broke the trinket M0 soon.
If the trinket was broken, It will short the red point to the GND and the atsamd21 will be very hot.
we need to remove the trinket M0 board 3.3V connect,
If you don't do this ,the switch system will not start up(stay in the startup Nintendo LOGO).

After remove the internal mode chip .
If I press the power on button ,the red point Voltage will down to 3.3V.
(even if the switch still stay in the dock, once the system start up, the red point will be down to 3.3V)

As you say that ,The blue point is better. It will never higher then 3.3V

 

[mattytrog]

Hi mattytrog. I have to post a fatal defect. that was the 3.3V power supply point.
The Red point: when I turn off the switch， pull into the dock， the Voltage will up to 4.7V.
And then It will broke the trinket M0 soon.
If the trinket was broken, It will short the red point to the GND and the atsamd21 will be very hot.
we need to remove the trinket M0 board 3.3V connect,
If you don't do this ,the switch system will not start up(stay in the startup Nintendo LOGO).

After remove the internal mode chip .
If I press the power on button ,the red point Voltage will down to 3.3V.
(even if the switch still stay in the dock, once the system start up, the red point will be down to 3.3V)

As you say that ,The blue point is better. It will never higher then 3.3V
View attachment 141359 View attachment 141360 View attachment 141361

Strange.

According to the datasheet, VCC-IN (where you get the 4.7v from), should always equal VSVR.

The only exception to this rule is when the trinket fails, and the power detector in the M92T36 can push higher voltages due to seeing VCC-IN drop due to the trinket short. It gets these higher voltages from USB.

This would explain the voltage rise in a dead trinket.

I've looked into this possibility and it seems that, rather than the M92T36 frying the trinket, the trinket had internally shorted for other reasons and VCC-IN is rising to compensate.

That's how I understand it anyway.

 

[jj56185]

Very good. I like that.

Strange.

According to the datasheet, VCC-IN (where you get the 4.7v from), should always equal VSVR.

The only exception to this rule is when the trinket fails, and the power detector in the M92T36 can push higher voltages due to seeing VCC-IN drop due to the trinket short. It gets these higher voltages from USB.

This would explain the voltage rise in a dead trinket.

I've looked into this possibility and it seems that, rather than the M92T36 frying the trinket, the trinket had internally shorted for other reasons and VCC-IN is rising to compensate.

That's how I understand it anyway.

no need to solder the trinketM0(remove all connection)
turn off the switch, pull into the dock, the M92T36 PIN 5 Voltage =4.7V
turn on the switch, pull into the dock, the M92T36 PIN 5 Voltage =3.3V

 

[mattytrog]

On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually think that errors in the VCC-IN implementation are what is frying people's M92T36's when using 3rd party docks.

This theory requires testing... If 3rd party docks are killing trinkets that are connected to VCC-IN, then I think we may have found the fault with 3rd party docks and the switch.

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

no need to solder the trinketM0(remove all connection)
turn off the switch, pull into the dock, the M92T36 PIN 5 Voltage =4.7V
turn on the switch, pull into the dock, the M92T36 PIN 5 Voltage =3.3V

You are testing with the official dock aren't u mate?

 

[jj56185]

On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually think that errors in the VCC-IN implementation are what is frying people's M92T36's when using 3rd party docks.

This theory requires testing... If 3rd party docks are killing trinkets that are connected to VCC-IN, then I think we may have found the fault with 3rd party docks and the switch.

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



You are testing with the official dock aren't u mate?

Four of my friend broken the chip in China ,but I can't reproduce the problem so I can't test it.
All is official dock and charger.(At first I thought the problem is using the QC charger ,but it wasn't)

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

On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually think that errors in the VCC-IN implementation are what is frying people's M92T36's when using 3rd party docks.

This theory requires testing... If 3rd party docks are killing trinkets that are connected to VCC-IN, then I think we may have found the fault with 3rd party docks and the switch.

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



You are testing with the official dock aren't u mate?

I have test it again right now . not only the dock.
if I charge the switch with the official charger.
do not pull the type-C out .
then press the power button for 10 second.
If the switch turn off . the the M92T36 PIN 5 Voltage =4.7V.
really strange.
you can test it without connect the trinket M0.

 

[mattytrog]

Four of my friend broken the chip in China ,but I can't reproduce the problem so I can't test it.
All is official dock and charger.(At first I thought the problem is using the QC charger ,but it wasn't)

Very interesting. Thanks for letting me know.

I'll get the scope out and check tomorrow.

Solutions to the problem would be... To connect to the LDO regulator on the trinket (bat)

Or preferably, connect to VSVR, as this is locked at 3v.

VCCin must be pushing higher voltages in certain circumstances. Though these circumstances are unclear, as the trinket is surviving a considerable period of time before failing, including being in the dock on previous occasions.

Worth me investigating further. If VCC-IN is causing problems for trinkets, then the method needs retiring as soon as possible. Nobody should be using it by now anyway really. This is the first I have heard of the issue.

 

[Canna]

Superglue is terrible to use on circuitboards. Need to be so careful with adhesives.

When we used to manufacture panels, we used to loom the wires up and use cable ties. But wire coming off 0402 caps do require something. Personally, I use AWG40. Glue isn`t required then

Or use a conformal coating
https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Silicone-Modified-Conformal/dp/B07BSK5S7B

On a somewhat unrelated note, I actually think that errors in the VCC-IN implementation are what is frying people's M92T36's when using 3rd party docks.

This theory requires testing... If 3rd party docks are killing trinkets that are connected to VCC-IN, then I think we may have found the fault with 3rd party docks and the switch.

You solve the 3rd party dock issue your def be the man around here, but i would like to add something...

People seem to think that 5.0 update changed something relating to using third party docks etc,and how the console handles power,Could you and @jcrorxp test both a 5.0 console and a console on lower system version to see if the outputs are different values docked undocked 4.0/5.0 sys etc

 

[Kobazzoni]

Sure. I


If the trinket is connected, the capacitor on the trinket should be doing the same job. It is fitted after the (reductant) ldo regulator and directly connected to 3v and gnd. I struggling recalling value... 2.2uF I think.

You don't need more then one cap on there.

Very kind of you. I just don't want to risk demolishing it even further with my thick fingers and stone age tools I'll send you a pmsg. Thanks bud.

EDIT: Can you please drop me a PM instead, as it seems that I still do not have the PM rights. I am still a newbie on the board. Thanks.

 

[crow132]

Worth me investigating further. If VCC-IN is causing problems for trinkets, then the method needs retiring as soon as possible. Nobody should be using it by now anyway really. This is the first I have heard of the issue.

thats kinda scary, i though about staying with original method 1, but maybe is not that good of an idea

 

[mattytrog]

thats kinda scary, i though about staying with original method 1, but maybe is not that good of an idea

OP updated with warning. Investigations ongoing.

 

[crow132]

OP updated with warning. Investigations ongoing.

just to make sure, is the trinket the only potential victim?

 

[mattytrog]

just to make sure, is the trinket the only potential victim?

Yes. The little Sam'd cannot handle that voltage without the ldo regulator. But connecting that uses more current than the trinket ever needs

 

[normal19]

I managed to desolder the cap for 3v from the board.. the lower one for new method 1 posted today

Where can I get another

 

[mattytrog]

I managed to desolder the cap for 3v from the board.. the lower one for new method 1 posted today

Where can I get another

From eBay?

They are 4.7uF 6.3v 0402 MLCC capacitors

 

[Huntereb]

So uh... You know the little external dongles mentioned here (RCM-x86 specifically)? Well, I got bored and desoldered the USB from one side, and soldered it all in using method 1. It just werks lol, very surprised at my luck. I had a little trouble with the wires when screwing it back together, but otherwise I don't see any issues with it.

 

[mattytrog]

So uh... You know the little external dongles mentioned here (RCM-x86 specifically)? Well, I got bored and desoldered the USB from one side, and soldered it all in using method 1. It just werks lol, very surprised at my luck. I had a little trouble with the wires when screwing it back together, but otherwise I don't see any issues with it.

Cool. What bootloader does it use? Which files?

 

[Huntereb]

Cool. What bootloader does it use? Which files?

The shit here, probably stolen straight from this project:

https://github.com/euclala/RCM-X86

 

[mattytrog]

lol. Source added to OP for itsy if anyone interested.