How to set up CFW for a chipped Switch console

This page is for setting up CFW for a Switch console with modchip installed. Without any emuMMC. If you want to use emuMMC follow this page instead.
⚠️ This setup assumes the console is either banned or avoiding a ban and therefore blocks Nintendo connections.

Notes

≣ No SD reader: Alternative to taking the micro SD card out of the Switch (click to expand)

As soon as you have Hekate working, you can use Hekate's USB Tools to make the Switch function like a micro SD card reader. And easily connect the Switch to your PC or phone to transfer files.
This is a safer alternative to taking the micro SD card out and putting it back. (The card reader is known to break with little use.)
See How to browse SD card contents via USB for instructions and more options.

≣ Disable cloud saves and automated backups (click to expand)

If you don't have NSO or never enabled cloud saves, it's disabled.
How to:
- Open (System Settings) ➔ Data Management ➔ Save Data Cloud ➔ Settings and disable Automatically Back Up Save Data and Automatically Download Save Data

Never exFAT with Switch: Once you have completed setting up your device, ensure that you never format your SD card to exFAT.
exFAT users are much more likely to experience SD card corruption than FAT32 users. This is a Switch, HOS-specific issue.
Mac/Linux users: If using a Mac remember to always use Hekate's "Fix Archive Bit" tool after copying files to your micro SD card. Mac often does a minor bit change to files/folders causing issues for the Switch and those files/folders, will not show.
- From Hekate's main menu press:
  Tools ➔ Arch bit • RCM • Touch • Pkg1/2 ➔ Fix Archive Bit

Step 0 - Getting ready

Checklist

Switch console with modchip installed
a PC or another way of getting the required files onto the micro SD card
4 GB Micro SD card, or larger.
Cloud saves disabled
CFW files

CFW files you need

Everything you need to download. (On GitHub scroll down and find the file under Assets)

Hekate - Download hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*_Nyx_*.*.*.zip from the latest release.
Atmosphère - Download atmosphere-*.*.*-master-*********+hbl-*.*.*+hbmenu-*.*.*.zip from the latest release
SigPatches - Download patch-*.*.*-**.*.zip (alternative download)
- Updated for Atmosphère 1.11.2 (5388824be) & OFW 22.5.x
- All previous versions' patches are included

≣ SX core chip users only: Flash Spacecraft-NX or Get SX Gear: (click to expand)

If you get a BOOT.DAT ? screen when you turn on the Switch, this is you.
- Alternative a) Flash the chip with Spacecraft-NX (guide here).
- Alternative b) Download SX Gear and extract to micro SD card.

Step 1 - Ready SD | SD backup

Please ensure that your SD card is formatted to FAT32. And is at least 4GB in size.
If the card is not FAT32, follow these "4" steps:
1. Backup of all files from your micro SD to a PC (if it was used for the same Switch)
2. When backup is complete, delete everything except the bootloader folder on your micro SD card
3. Go to this guide page for instructions
4. Restore files after making the micro SD card FAT32

Step 2 - CFW files to micro SD

Extract the following to the root of your micro SD card:
- hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*_Nyx_*.*.*.zip
- atmosphere-*.*.*-xxxxxx-*********+hbl-*.*.*+hbmenu-*.*.*.zip
- patch-x.x.x-xx.x.zip
Rename hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*.bin to payload.bin

Step 3 - Hekate launch options

This configuration gives you 1 launch option. It launches sysMMC with Atmosphère and loads patches and blanks prodinfo.
It also sets a Hekate setting to make Hekate the reboot payload. Meaning you'll restart to Hekate when you use Restart from the power menu. (Hold the power button for 3 seconds, then choose Power Options and select Restart)

Create a file named hekate_ipl.ini inside of your /bootloader/ folder.

Copy (you can use the clipboard button top right 📋) and paste this within the file:

[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
bootwait=3
backlight=100
autohosoff=0
autonogc=1
updater2p=1
bootprotect=0

[CFW sysMMC - Atmosphere]
pkg3=atmosphere/package3
emummc_force_disable=1
kip1patch=nosigchk
cal0blank=1
icon=bootloader/res/icon_payload.bmp

Step 4 - Blocking Nintendo | Avoiding a console ban

≣ Notes about serial blanking and blocking connections: (click to expand)

📝 Both blanking the console's identifying serial information and blocking connections will be used
Atmosphère can blank serial info. This is enough to avoid a ban, but using only this will cause a crash from version 1.7.0 of Atmosphère. We set this setting with both the cal0blank=1 line in the launch option and also by having this exosphere.ini with the line blank_prodinfo_sysmmc=1.
- Having both is redundant but not harmful and makes user error less likely.
Atmosphère can block specified connections via its built-in DNS.mitm feature using a hosts file.
- This is the default.txt we'll add in this step.

4.1 Blocking Nintendo connections

Create a file named default.txt in /atmosphere/hosts/ (the hosts folder won't exist, so make sure to create it)

And copy and paste this in your default.txt file: (You can use the clipboard button top right 📋)

# Block Nintendo Servers
127.0.0.1 *nintendo.*
127.0.0.1 *nintendo-europe.com
127.0.0.1 *nintendoswitch.*
157.230.80.146 *conntest.nintendowifi.net
157.230.80.146 *ctest.cdn.nintendo.net

4.2 Blanking serial info

Create the file exosphere.ini in the root of your SD card

Copy and paste this in your exosphere.ini file: (You can use the clipboard button top right 📋 )

[exosphere]
debugmode=1
debugmode_user=0
disable_user_exception_handlers=0
enable_user_pmu_access=0
blank_prodinfo_sysmmc=1
blank_prodinfo_emummc=0
allow_writing_to_cal_sysmmc=0
log_port=0
log_baud_rate=115200
log_inverted=0

Step 5 - Finish

Place your SD card back into your Switch and turn it on. You'll launch into Hekate.
Once you're in Hekate, click on Launch, and select sysMMC - Atmosphere CFW to launch sysMMC with Atmosphère.
You did it! You finished CFW setup.