Schiit Gungnir Gen 5 USB Upgrade Instructions

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)

 

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.


There are 6 screws on the top. Remove them.


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


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

 

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)


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.


Top cover should slide right out

 

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.


Remove these 2 screws.


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


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

 

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



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.



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

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.

 

STEP 4 - REASSEMBLY OF THE CHASSIS

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


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.


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.


Secure screws on the top.

 

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

 

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.