Installing an RP2040 Modchip on the Nintendo Switch OLED — The Kamikaze Method

The Kamikaze method is the advanced alternative to the DAT0 adapter. By grinding through three layers of the motherboard to expose the DAT0 trace directly, you get a more permanent and reliable connection — at significantly higher risk of bricking the console. Here’s the complete walkthrough.

Advanced Users Only

Grinding too far through the motherboard or hitting the wrong trace will permanently brick your console. If you are not confident in your microsoldering and PCB rework experience, use the DAT0 adapter method instead. This guide is for educational purposes only.

Overview

Introduction

The Switch OLED requires a modchip to run custom firmware because it cannot be exploited via RCM like unpatched Switch V1 consoles. A modchip works by performing CPU voltage glitching to bypass bootROM firmware verification, then launching a payload.bin file from your microSD card.

Unlike the Switch Lite or V1/V2, the OLED’s DAT0 (C) point is not accessible from the top of the motherboard. Two methods exist to make a DAT0 connection on the OLED:

DAT0 Adapter method — the recommended approach for most installers, using an interposer board between the eMMC and motherboard.
Kamikaze method — covered in this guide, which involves grinding down through the third layer of the motherboard to expose the DAT0 trace directly.

The Kamikaze method was developed as a collaboration between Stashboy and DefenderOfHyrule and is considered the more permanent solution, but it is unforgiving — grinding even a fraction of a millimeter too deep can sever the trace and brick the console.

The only community-supported RP2040 modchip is Picofly (pre-made variants and DIY builds using an RP2040-Tiny dev board).

Pro Tip

Always flash and verify your modchip firmware before installation. A chip with corrupt or missing firmware cannot be reflashed once installed inside the console.

What You Need

Tools & Materials Required

Standard Installation Tools

Soldering Iron

Temperature-controlled, small tip, capable of reaching 350°C consistently.

Quality Flux

Essential for clean solder flow on fine pads.

34–38 AWG Wire

Single-core Kynar wire recommended.

Screwdriver Bits

+00 Phillips and Y1.5 tri-point for the OLED chassis.

Isopropyl Alcohol

95–99% IPA for cleaning thermal paste and the grind area.

Thermal Paste

Non-conductive. Reapply to the SoC die during reassembly.

Kapton Tape

Protects solder joints from thermal paste corrosion.

Double-Sided Tape

For securing the modchip to the IHS.

Microscope

Strongly recommended — Kamikaze is not possible without one.

Fume Extractor

For your own health and safety during long sessions.

Kamikaze-Specific Tools

Grinding Pen

MaAnt D2 or equivalent with a 0.2mm tip. Non-negotiable.

Fine Solder

0.8mm diameter or smaller, rosin core.

TS-J02 Tip

Fine iron tip well suited for trace-level soldering.

UV Solder Mask

Required to secure the wire and protect the exposed trace.

UV Light

For curing the solder mask, 1–3 minute cure time.

Enameled Magnet Wire

32–36 AWG for the trace connection.

Multimeter

Required for diode-mode verification of the exposed trace.

Low-Melt Solder Paste

Optional — easier than wire solder for tiny trace work.

Tweezers

For guiding the magnet wire onto the solder ball.

Step 01

Disassemble the Switch OLED

Full disassembly photos and screw diagrams are available on iFixit. The key steps relevant to this installation:

Unscrew the backplate.
Remove the metal shield/cover — be careful with the antennas routed across it.
Disconnect the battery connector at the bottom right of the motherboard.
Remove the Gamecard / SD card reader board.
Remove the heatpipe and heatsink assembly.
Remove the IHS (Internal Heat Spreader) to expose the bare SoC die and RAM chips.
Clean all thermal paste off the SoC die and from between the capacitors on the SoC using IPA. The red-ish thermal goop between the heatpipe and metal shield can be left alone.
Remove the fan and unplug the fan ribbon, joycon rail ribbons, screen ribbon, and speaker connectors.
Unscrew and remove the bottom bar of the shell.
Remove the motherboard from the casing.

Note

Unlike the DAT0 adapter method, the Kamikaze method does not require removing the metal plate covering the eMMC chip on the back of the motherboard. All your work happens on the front side.

Step 02

Signal Points & Diode Values

Before any cutting or soldering, familiarize yourself with all six signal points and the expected diode readings. Use this table as a reference throughout the rest of the install.

Label	Signal	GPIO (RP2040-Tiny)	Notes
C	DAT0	Pin 29	Exposed via Kamikaze grind, 1mm from A point
A	CMD	Pin 28	Bottom end of the CMD resistor
D	CLK	Pin 27	Requires solder mask scraping on OLED
B	RST	Pin 26	Alternative via above the left speaker connector (recommended)
—	3.3V	3.3V pin	3.3V capacitors near top-middle of motherboard front
—	GND	GND pin	Ground pad on middle-right side of motherboard

Expected diode mode readings (positive probe to pad, negative probe to ground):

Point	+Probe to GND	−Probe to GND
SP1	~0.420	~0.520
SP2	~0.25	~0.20
A (CMD)	~0.470	~0.875
B (RST)	~0.405	OL
C (DAT0)	~0.435	~0.450–0.850
D (CLK)	~0.440	~0.880
3.3V	~0.445	~0.850

Note

Values vary console to console. If your install works but readings are slightly off, that’s not a problem. The C (DAT0) point especially has a wide acceptable range.

Step 03

Cut the SoC Frame

Surrounding the SoC die is a metal bracket — commonly called the SoC frame (sometimes the heat shield bracket). It sits between the motherboard and the IHS, helping retain the heat spreader. You need to make two cuts in this frame before any further work:

A notch over the D (CLK) point so the pad becomes accessible for soldering later.
A notch on the opposite side of the SoC so the SoC ribbon cable can exit cleanly when reassembled.

Cutting both notches now means you only have to clean metal shavings off the board once.

Identify the section of the SoC frame covering the D (CLK) point — the strip of metal between the SoC and the CLK area.
Using a sharp cutter, dremel with a fine bit, or fine flush cutters, carefully remove just enough of the frame to expose the CLK pad. Do not remove more than needed.
Identify where the SoC ribbon cable will exit (the opposite side of the SoC, between the SoC and RAM). Cut a small notch in the frame at that location.
Clean all metal shavings off the board with a brush, compressed air, and IPA.

Warning

The frame is right next to small components. Take your time — a slip with a cutter can damage capacitors or resistors that are extremely difficult to source.

Step 04 · Kamikaze

Grind to Expose the DAT0 Trace

This is the heart of the Kamikaze method. You will grind through three layers of the motherboard — two copper layers and two interposer (fiberglass) layers — to expose the DAT0 trace directly. The trace is exactly 1mm away from the A (CMD) point.

Doing this before any signal soldering means grind debris and flux can’t contaminate fresh solder joints, and you won’t disturb any wire connections during the most dangerous part of the install.

Critical

Grinding past the DAT0 trace will permanently brick the console. Grind evenly, take your time, and stop the moment the trace is exposed. Keep the area wet with flux or IPA to prevent debris from scattering across the board.

Identify the grind area, 1mm away from the A (CMD) point. Outline the zone you will stay within mentally before starting.
Apply flux or IPA to the grind area to suppress debris scatter.
Begin grinding an outline you will stay within throughout the process.
Grind through the entire first copper layer evenly. Keep applying flux or IPA to keep the area wet.
Continue through the first brown interposer layer (silicon/fiberglass). These layers sit between every copper layer in the motherboard.
Once through the first interposer, you've reached the second copper layer. This is where it gets very risky. Grind evenly and slowly.
Continue through the second interposer layer. The DAT0 trace lies directly underneath.
Apply flux or IPA to make traces visible. You will see several traces — look for the one with a circular tip pointing toward CMD/A. That's DAT0.
Grind only the circular part of the DAT0 trace to expose it. Grinding any deeper severs the trace and bricks the console.

First copper layer ground away on Switch OLED motherboard during the Kamikaze DAT0 grind — Layer 1 Grinding through the first copper layer, staying within the outlined zone 1mm from the A (CMD) point.

First interposer fiberglass layer exposed on Switch OLED motherboard during Kamikaze grind — First Interposer Through the first copper layer and into the brown interposer (fiberglass) layer that separates the copper layers.

Second copper layer reached on Switch OLED motherboard during Kamikaze DAT0 grind — Layer 2 Reaching the second copper layer — the riskiest stage. Grind slowly and evenly from here.

Second interposer layer ground through on Switch OLED motherboard, DAT0 trace directly beneath — Second Interposer Through the second interposer layer, with the DAT0 trace lying directly underneath.

DAT0 trace identified by its circular tip after cleaning the Kamikaze grind area on Switch OLED — Trace Identified Cleaned with flux/IPA to reveal the traces — DAT0 is identified by its circular tip pointing toward CMD/A.

DAT0 trace confirmed under UV light in the Kamikaze grind cavity on Switch OLED motherboard — Confirmed Under UV The same area under UV light, confirming the DAT0 trace location before exposing it.

Exposed DAT0 trace in the Kamikaze grind cavity on Switch OLED, ready for soldering — Trace Exposed Only the circular part of the trace ground away to expose it — any deeper severs it and bricks the console.

Step 05 · Kamikaze

Verify the Exposed Trace

Before soldering anything to the trace, you need to confirm two things: that the system still boots (you haven’t severed anything critical), and that the trace you’ve exposed is actually DAT0.

Clean the grind area completely. It will look very dry after cleaning — this is normal.
Give the system a test boot to confirm you haven't bricked it.
Verify with a multimeter in diode mode: place the negative lead on the exposed trace and the positive lead on ground. You should read between ~0.450 and ~0.850.

Note

The diode reading range is wide because DAT0 values vary significantly between consoles. As long as you get a sane value in this range and the system still boots, you’re good.

Step 06

Scratch the D (CLK) Point

Before the top ribbon goes on, the D (CLK) point needs to be prepped. The solder mask covers the pad, so you scratch it back to bare copper now — while the area is still fully accessible and nothing is in the way. The SoC frame notch over D was already made in Step 3.

Scrape away the solder mask on top of the D point using a thin, sharp metal tool until the copper pad underneath is exposed.
Pre-tin the exposed copper so it's ready to take the ribbon pad later.

Why now?

D has to be scratched and tinned before the MvOLv6 top ribbon is placed over it. Once the ribbon is down, you can’t get to the pad. Do it here, right after the grind, while access is clear.

Step 07 · Kamikaze

Mask, Solder, and Wire the DAT0 Trace

Now you’ll protect the grind cavity with UV solder mask, leaving only the DAT0 trace exposed, then solder a magnet wire to it.

Apply UV solder mask to the grind cavity, but leave the DAT0 trace itself uncovered.
Cure the mask with UV light for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on lamp strength).
Apply a small solder ball to the exposed trace. Alternatively, use low-melt solder paste and a hot air station to form the ball.
Cut a piece of enameled / magnet wire (32–36 AWG) and pre-tin one end.
Apply flux to the solder ball.
Use tweezers to guide the wire onto the ball. Use your iron at 350–360°C — you're three layers down, so it takes real heat to reflow the joint.
If the wire connection is weak, dab some UV solder mask onto the wire to hold it in position, then apply a touch more solder to strengthen the joint. (Low-melt solder + hot air is the alternative.)
Once secure, cover the entire grind area with UV solder mask and cure for 1 to 3 minutes.

Solder mask vs. resin

Don’t substitute one for the other. Solder mask is the insulating layer applied first; UV resin is the structural seal applied last. Using only one leaves the joint either unprotected or unsecured.

UV solder mask applied to the Kamikaze grind cavity on Switch OLED, leaving the DAT0 trace exposed — Solder Mask Applied UV solder mask applied to the grind cavity and cured, leaving only the DAT0 trace exposed.

Magnet wire soldered to the exposed DAT0 trace on Switch OLED motherboard — Point Soldered Magnet wire soldered to the DAT0 trace with the iron at 350–360°C.

UV resin applied over the soldered DAT0 wire on Switch OLED to secure and seal the area — UV Resin Sealed UV resin applied over the wire and surrounding area, then cured to secure the joint.

Step 08

Place & Solder the Top Ribbon (3.3V, C, A, D, Anchors)

The MvOLv6 top ribbon cable carries the 3.3V, C (DAT0), A (CMD), and D (CLK) connections in a single flex. Rather than running individual wires to each point, you line up the ribbon over the board and solder all of these — plus the ribbon anchors — in one pass.

Trim to fit (personal preference)

The supplied ribbon is longer than it needs to be. Trimming the cable down so it sits flush against the board, as shown, makes for a cleaner, lower-profile install and helps it tuck under the frame and IHS more easily. This is optional but recommended.

If desired, trim the MvOLv6 ribbon cable to length so it lines up cleanly with the C, A, D, and 3.3V points without excess slack.
Line the ribbon up over the board so its pads sit directly on 3.3V, C, A, and D, with the anchor pads landing on bare board.
Tack one anchor or corner first to hold alignment, then verify all four signal pads are still seated correctly under magnification.
Solder all points in one workflow: 3.3V, C (DAT0), A (CMD), D (CLK), and the ribbon anchors. The D pad was already scratched and tinned in Step 6, so it takes solder immediately.
Inspect every joint. Reflow any that look dull or insufficient.

Watch the A (CMD) point

A sits at the bottom end of the CMD resistor and is delicate. Use brief, controlled heat — too long and the resistor can lift or wipe off the board, requiring board-level repair.

Ribbon Trimmed The MvOLv6 ribbon trimmed down so it sits flush against the board for a lower-profile install.

Lined Up The ribbon aligned over the board with its pads on 3.3V, C, A, and D, anchors on bare board.

All Soldered 3.3V, C, A, D, and the anchors all soldered in one pass.

Step 09

Install the SoC Ribbon Cable (SP1/SP2)

The SoC ribbon cable connects to two capacitor points near the SoC that feed its core voltage rail, labeled SP1 and SP2 — the points the modchip pulls on to perform CPU voltage glitching. It goes on after the top ribbon, simply because the top ribbon is installed first.

Place the SoC ribbon cable and align it with the capacitors on the SoC die.
Tuck the anchor points underneath the metal frame below the SoC. The cable routes under the frame between the SoC and RAM, through the exit notch you cut in Step 3.
Apply flux and heat each end of the capacitors at SP1 and SP2 together with the pads on the ribbon cable. Ensure solder flows between them.
Optionally, place Kapton tape across the joints to prevent thermal paste corrosion during reassembly.

Step 10

Reassemble and Mount the Chip

With all the board-side soldering done, it’s time to modify and reinstall the IHS, then mount the modchip on top of it and connect the ribbons.

Modify the IHS so the SoC ribbon cable fits out of the top of the SoC section.
Apply fresh non-conductive thermal paste to the SoC die, then reinstall the IHS.
Place a piece of double-sided tape on the IHS.
Mount the modchip onto the double-sided tape. Make sure any nearby exposed metal is covered with Kapton tape so nothing shorts against the chip.
Connect the top ribbon and the SoC ribbon to the chip's connectors.

Modified IHS reinstalled on the Switch OLED SoC with a notch for the ribbon cable to exit — Modified IHS The IHS modified so the SoC ribbon cable can exit, reinstalled over fresh thermal paste.

Double-sided tape applied to the IHS on a Switch OLED to mount the Picofly modchip — Double-Sided Tape A piece of double-sided tape placed on the IHS to hold the modchip.

Picofly modchip mounted on the IHS of a Switch OLED with the top ribbon and SoC ribbon connectors connected — Chip Mounted The modchip mounted on the tape with the top ribbon and SoC ribbon connectors connected.

Step 11

Scratch and Solder Point B to the Chip

B (RST) is soldered last, directly to the chip. The point used here is the topside one, chosen specifically because you don’t have to remove the board from the console casing to reach it.

Scratch the topside B (RST) point to expose bare copper, then pre-tin it.
Run a wire from the B point to the chip's B pad and solder both ends.

Order flexibility

B can be soldered before or after connecting the ribbons to the chip — whichever you find easier. The only requirement is that the chip is already mounted, since B is soldered chip-side.

Topside B (RST) point on Switch OLED scratched to expose bare copper — Point B Scratched The topside B point scratched back to bare copper and pre-tinned.

Wire soldered from the topside B (RST) point to the Picofly chip on a Switch OLED — Point B Soldered A wire run from the B point to the chip and soldered at both ends.

Step 12

Test and Close Up

Before fully reassembling the console, do a bare-board test to confirm the glitch and boot succeed.

Cut a strip out of the middle section of the metal shield/backplate so the modchip has clearance. Regular scissors work fine for this.
Reconnect the battery.
Power the console on. The modchip LED should pulse blue/light blue a few times (active glitching), then flash yellow once (glitch success).
The console should reach a No SD Card splash screen with the Picofly logo.
Important: Reaching the No SD Card screen alone does not confirm full success. Test HorizonOS (stock firmware) boot too — power off, hold both volume buttons, press power, release volume buttons when the Nintendo logo appears. If it fails to reach the HOME Menu, your solder joints are good enough for glitching but not stable enough for eMMC communication. Rework needed.
If you see a red error code, refer to the troubleshooting section.
Once it boots reliably, reassemble the console in reverse order of disassembly. You're done.

Isolating the problem

If issues arise after install, remove the modchip (not the SoC ribbon cable) and power on normally. If the console boots fine without the chip, the issue is in your modchip wiring, not the ribbon cable or kamikaze grind.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Causes

Symptom	Likely Cause
Console dead after grind (no power at all)	Grind went too deep, severed DAT0 or an adjacent trace. Often unrecoverable without board-level repair.
LED blinks red error code	Glitching/training failure — check SP1/SP2 ribbon cable joints and all signal wires
No SD Card screen, but fails to boot HOS	Marginal solder joints — usually the DAT0 trace connection is weak. Add more solder or rework the wire.
Black screen / no response	SoC ribbon cable misaligned or SP1/SP2 joints bridged to adjacent caps
Intermittent or unreliable boot	Loose magnet wire on the DAT0 trace, or marginal CMD resistor joint
CMD-related error	CMD resistor partially lifted from the board or cold joint on the A point
DAT0 trace diode reading out of range	Wrong trace exposed, or trace damaged during grinding. Verify location 1mm from A point.

Diode Mode Checks

Always verify all points with a multimeter in diode mode before powering on. This is especially important for the Kamikaze method — a bad grind that still has connectivity can be more dangerous than one that’s clearly dead.

Final Thoughts

Wrapping Up

The Kamikaze method is the most permanent and reliable DAT0 connection method available on the OLED, but it carries the highest risk of any modchip installation procedure. The margin for error during grinding is genuinely a fraction of a millimeter — if you’re not comfortable with that level of precision work, the DAT0 adapter method achieves the same end result with much less risk.

If you do go forward, take your time, keep the area wet during grinding, verify the trace before soldering, and don’t skip the test boot in Step 05. For detailed error code lookup, see the NH-Switch Modchip Installation Guide troubleshooting page.

Credit for the Kamikaze method development goes to Stashboy and DefenderOfHyrule.

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