Schiit Gungnir Gen 5 USB Upgrade Instructions

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by purr1n, Aug 12, 2017.

  1. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Schiit Gungnir GEN 5 USB Board Upgrade Instructions
    WITH LED ALIGNMENT

    NOTES
    1. Do this at your own risk! You screw it up, not my problem. Not Schiit's problem.
    2. I have no idea if Schiit will allow a self install for the Gen USB board or not. Maybe they will on a selective basis. Again, I don't know.
    ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PRECAUTIONS
    1. Take electrostatic discharge precautions. The advanced computering shit on the boards are sensitive to static discharge.
    2. Use a grounding strap. But in reality, no one is real life uses one, so ground yourself by touching the chassis of the Yggdrasil before you plug it.
    3. Don't do stupid shit like walk around and rub your socks on carpet.
    4. Handle boards by the edges.
    5. Leave the Gen 5 USB upgrade board in the anti-static bag until you actually need it.
    USE THE RIGHT TOOLS
    1. Have a good set of screwdrivers and use the right size bits. You do not want to strip the screws.
    2. Do not overtighten screws. This is very easy to do as the threads are soft aluminum or plastic.
    3. You will need a philips screwdriver and a adjustment wrench / plier (for the locknut on the BNC connector).
    4. Needle nose pliers and a chopstick / flathead screwdriver (for LED alignment)
    IMG_20170812_173425.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2017
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    STEP ONE - REMOVE OUTER / TOP CHASSIS

    Last thing you want is to have the button fall off and you having to look for it under the stove.
    IMG_20170812_170309.jpg


    There are 6 screws on the top. Remove them.
    IMG_20170812_170026.jpg

    Flip chassis over and and remove these 7 screws on the bottom. DO NOT REMOVE ANY OTHER SCREWS ON THE BOTTOM PLATE (NOT YET).
    IMG_20170812_170139.jpg

    Slide the outer / top chassis away from the bottom / inner chassis. See the button. Don't lose it.
    IMG_20170812_170431.jpg
     
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    STEP 2 - SEPARATE BOTTOM CHASSIS / PCB FROM INNER CHASSIS (the dark grey top cover piece)

    Remove these 5 screws. DO NOT REMOVE ANY OTHERS! (The others secure the PCB to the bottom plate)
    IMG_20170812_170139 (1).jpg


    The sheet metal inner top chassis is now only held together by wimpy screws into the jacks on the back. So VERY CAREFULLY, flip the Gungnir Multibit right side back.

    Now remove the 7 small screws that secure the input and output jacks, the 2 screws that secure the IEC socket, and the lock nut that secures the BNC conenctor.
    IMG_20170812_170739.jpg

    Top cover should slide right out
    IMG_20170812_171308.jpg
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    STEP 3 - REMOVE AND INSTALL USB BOARD

    NOTE THAT I DID SOME MODS ("GUMFREYA" AND LATER SOME SURGERY TO A FEW PARTS), SO THESE PARTS ARE REDACTED. I AM NOT AUTHORIZED TO SHOW ANYONE WHAT I DID.

    This is where the USB board is attached. This is the Gen 5 Yggdrasil board for demonstration purposes. Your board may look slightly different, but for all intents and purposes, they are attached the same way.
    IMG_20170812_170918.jpg

    Remove these 2 screws.
    IMG_20170812_170950.jpg

    This what the motherboard looks like with the USB board removed.
    IMG_20170812_171052.jpg

    Make sure when you insert the new board, the connectors are aligned! (Borrowed photo from Yggdrasil here, but same idea)

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2017
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    STEP 4 - LED ALIGNMENT

    This is where we diverge from the Yggdrasil instructions.

    We do not put the sheet metal inner top chassis back yet. Instead we assembly the outer plate with the bottom plate. Secure these screws between the bottom and the outer / top chassis
    IMG_20170812_172108.jpg
    IMG_20170812_172221.jpg

    Now here is the tricky part. Use pliers to align the LEDs just above the holes. Use the chopstick (or better yet a flathead screwdriver) to push the LED down and into the outer chassis.
    IMG_20170812_172949.jpg
    IMG_20170812_172423.jpg

    Here is a tip on that will help with alignment. Stick a pin in from the front. IMG_20170812_173056.jpg

    Other tips:

    1. Work your way from the outside to the inside LED. The inside ones are harder to reach. You will also leave yourself more clearance for tools when the outside LEDs are pushed in.
    2. I found it easier to align the LED just above the hole and just push down and in with the chopstick or screwdriver.
    3. Push the LED in on the body, not on the leads. I used the flat part of the chopstick. The wood provides from friction to the back edge of the LED to facility pushing it in.
    4. Use your smartphone flashlight for illumination.
    It was actually pretty easy. The last two LEDs took some time (two minutes), but it was fairly easy. I only required the pin from the front for alignment on the last LED.

     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2017
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    STEP 4 - REASSEMBLY OF THE CHASSIS

    Slide internal chassis back in between the top / outer chassis and bottom chassis
    IMG_20170812_173325.jpg


    Make sure you push in the back of the chassis SNUG into the jacks. Put the screws and locknut back in. BE CAREFUL not to strip the plastic threads on the back.
    [​IMG]

    Make sure you fit ALL of the screws on the chassis BEFORE tightening them down. If you tighten down one all the way, you may find that other screw holes will not align correctly. Align the screws properly while screwing them down so you don't strip any threads. You will find that some screws go in easier than others. The tolerances and machining of the threads is "good enough", but not perfect. It's Schiit, not Focal.

    The next step is the secure the sheet metal inner top chassis back to the bottom chassis. Again, since the back screws only hold the top chassis to the jacks, VERY CAREFULLY flip the Yggdrasil over to secure the screws through the bottom plate into the sheet metal inner top chassis.
    [​IMG]

    Secure screws on the top.
    [​IMG]

     
  7. dmckean44

    dmckean44 In a Sherwood S6040CP relationship

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    I wonder if these long reach bent needle nose pliers might make the LED job easier.
    [​IMG]
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    It would make the job MUCH easier. The pair I have was too small. Long reach skinny ones I don't have.
     
  9. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    @Marvey Thank you for the excellent tutorials on installing the USB Gen 5 upgrade to both the Yggdrasil and Gungnir. Very well done and I thank you.
     
  10. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    @Marvey thanks so much for this! I used this tonight and it worked like a charm no problems. Also I didn't have any LED alignment issues, they seemed to just go right back into the holes when I did the first part of step 4 - no fiddling required!
     
  11. quick

    quick New

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    Thank you @Marvey for taking the time to do this, utilizing a chopstick was a good call. I'm pretty curious how much of an improvement this will be over the wyrd, but either way it's nice to have one less wall wart.
     
  12. SineDave

    SineDave Friend

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    Thank you for sharing these instructions. FWIW, if you have reasonably long fingers, you can also fit the LED's by aligning them with a screwdriver/chopstick then running your finger along the leads to push them through, this was much faster and easier for me than trying to push them through using the screwdriver.
     
  13. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    Thank you for the step-by-step guide! Just did the upgrade using these instructions. It took me about an hour from shut-off to power-on with some downtime to find tools. As someone who struggles to DIY IKEA furniture this was pretty straightforward, but some patience pays off. It really helps to have a second person hold the outer top and bottom plates in place while you re-attach them and align the LEDs, I was able to just give them each a little nudge in the right direction with a needle-nose plier.

    Will share impressions of the G5 USB in the appropriate thread after things are warmed-up again.
     
  14. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I just did the install on my stock Gungnir Multibit in about 45 minutes with time for photos and futzing with the LEDs.
    I would like to thank Marv for the excellent step-by-step guide! It was very easy, no different than basic computer building skills needed. Seriously, if you follow Marv's post and you have experience safely adding RAM or changing a hard drive; you should go this route.

    I am including stock pictures with no redactions needed in case it may help.

    I will post my Gen 5 thoughts in the Eitr forum in a few days after Gungnir Multibit warms back up.

    Thanks again, SBAF rulz!

    IMG_1296.JPG IMG_1298.JPG
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    I'm assuming that absolutely nothing has changed in regards to the Bifrost Multibit, since the last time an upgradable card was released?

    I plan to go look through old Bifrost threads regarding taking them apart.
     
  16. TMoney

    TMoney Shits on SBAF over at Head-Case to be cool

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    Just did the upgrade this morning.

    Thanks to @Marvey and @schiit for the clear and easy-to-follow instructions and pictures.

    Getting the LEDs aligned was a bit of a pain, but total time start-to-finish was under 30 minutes.
     
  17. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Will post some updates to the FAQ with pics. Alignment much easier with a flashlight than a pin, taping all the holes with packing tape makes getting the LEDs perfect easier and the BNC lock nut is 15mm for those of you with deep socket sets.
     
  18. missingtime

    missingtime New

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    Mario you got gold caps? I got black. Easiest led's ever, just snipped 2 resistors. Finally started leaving it on and that works.
     
  19. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I assume you are commenting on my pics since I currently have Mario as my avatar, it seems like Schiit is always making substitutions to components as prices fluctuate, etc. There is some commentary about this in Schiity Rumors thread from Jason. I bought Gungnir Multibit new and that is what I got.
     
  20. Climber

    Climber Facebook Friend

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    Re LED alignment, if you don't have needle-nose pliers around ... or bent-nose pliers ... or the chopsticks ... or even a pen ...

    I HIGHLY recommend a (clean) corndog stick from Trader Joe's.

    [​IMG]

    Seriously, made it a breeze. Two minutes or less total.

    Gungnir-on-a-stick, anyone?
     

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