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[xsence]

QUOTE(Arch0n @ May 17 2006, 10:44 AM)

These came with certain ECS boards. However, you can make your own - and I would recommend it for this mod rather than soldering onto your DVD's flash and fux0ring it.

I made one to resurrect a dead Gigabyte board once:

Get 2 PLCC sockets. On one you will need to remove the keyed corner (dremel, knife, soldering iron etc). now, solder the legs of the sockets to each other (easiest to tin them 1st and then just heat where the pins touch). Obviously, bear in mind the characteristics of the mods (pin 15 et al.)

now, the socket that you modified is placed over the DVD's 49LF020...

When I repaired the mainboard using this method, I only had one standard socket and one surface mount. The SMD was too shallow to go over the onboard flash and make reliable contact. However, to keep it low profile (mobo I didn't care), I would use this combo again.

Interestingly enough. I sold my programmer a long time ago and so I flashed the replacement chip on a socketed aladdin modchip, through EvoX with the gigabyte BIOS image  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

I'm looking for that Bioschip now, but i have a question for you.. if i put this tophatflash on the bioschip of my dvddrive and perfrom some kind of hotswap so i will flash the extreme bios on the tophatflash and use this if i want to play backups and take it of to unmod the 360.. will that be possible? or can i damage my drive.

so first connect the drive to my pc without the tophatflash, copy the bios, edit the bios on the pc and flash it on the tophatflash.

[jizmo]

QUOTE(PedrosPad @ May 17 2006, 12:12 PM)

Testing the integrity of the DVD drive's FW?
If a PC can re-flash the DVD FW then the X360 probably can too (after all it's just a set of instructions to the DVD drive).  One simple method would be for a future M$ X360 OS update to re-flash the DVD FW (which the hacked FW may well disregard), then simply issue a *new* command introduced in the new FW, and see if it responds correctly.  Obviously the hack could be updated once the new command is known, but this'll cost a few units each time it happens.  No doubt many more subtle and refined checks are also possible.

I think this is all plausible, even likely if you think about it. No doubt that MS can check your firmware, and have it changed back. For the non-networked x360's the new games will feature the same firmware checking features, which will detect the fw. Logging stuff is so easy, locally or in the network.

The only question is - will they just settle for flashing the drive back, will a live ban follow or would they even brick your x360? You know they can.

[cavernimports]

the topic is "homebrew mod"


the tophat meathod still needs a pullup resister...those taking that path a commoercial mod will be out sooner than you think and much much better  

[xsence]

QUOTE(cavernimports @ May 17 2006, 11:25 AM)

the topic is "homebrew mod"
the tophat meathod still needs a pullup resister...those taking that path a commoercial mod will be out sooner than you think and much much better  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Yeah ok but for now the tophat flash will be ok if you ask me. also good against mis-flashes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) so i will just flash it on the tophat and wil keep my originel bioschip secure

[chedabob]

While were on the subject of the pdf being confusing heres a redone version

Thread

Ive spoken to LJ , and he was the one that suggested it. Im not 100% certain about the flashing bit at the end but i think its correct. its very similar to the method used for flashing modchips.

Just for safety, i wouldnt flash it unless you are sure the method ive said is the correct one. LJ went offline just as i was finishing the pdf so i couldnt ask him, but im sure he'll be around later to answer any questions.

[ruciz]

This mod looks easy, but looks can be deciving. Unless you have good soldering experience I don't suggest this.

Something I would think to do is glue the chip on top of the other chip with superglue or hot glue or something so it don't move about until you have it pinned down.

[[email protected]]

I think he meant home-made mod, not homebrew

Anyways, you stil have get the key from your own dvd drive and flash the chip yourself, unless someone manages to make a bios where this isnt needed, wich would be sweet, cause then all you would have to do to play backups is to soldier this baby on

[twobells]

QUOTE(feflicker @ May 17 2006, 05:46 AM)

<speculation>My main thing though, is if MS$ attacks this, it will probably be through the dashboard (which is always running at some level, like a true OS), so it won't matter if you are connected to Live or not, as long as you have the new Dash you will get banned or receive errors, etc. So this might not have a real practical use in the end...</end speculation>

I know you can prevent network access via your firewall but that would of course cut you off from Live and all it has to offer.
When new dash updates become available aren't you offered an opportunity to deny the download?
That doesn't automatically cut you off from Live or its benefits, just doesn't upgrade your dashboard.

tb

[icedemon360]

QUOTE

When new dash updates become available aren't you offered an opportunity to deny the download?
That doesn't automatically cut you off from Live or its benefits, just doesn't upgrade your dashboard.

Like updates they could say that you cannot use live without the update. This would make this mod unuseful if you couldn't keep your xbox unbanned and On Live

[stanneh]

QUOTE(Tabajara-Labs @ May 17 2006, 10:31 AM)

Hi all, greetings from Brazil, first message here, don't forget to take a look on http://www.tabajara-labs.com.br )

Well, the method is great, but indeed there is a simpler way:

1 - Buy a SST39sf040a instead of a SST39sf020a - it has double the capacity
2 - take the two images that you would flash (one for the original and another for the modded) and join it toghether with a file joiner or the old DOS command copy file.bin >>file2.bin /b
3 - Flash the SST39sf040a
4 - solder it in place but lift the higher adress pin and tie it to ground thru a 10Kohm resistor
5 - use a SPST key with one pole tied to +vcc and another tied to this pin

Here you have a simpler mod )

Explaining:
The chip is binary adressed. We have, as an example, 2 bits of adressing (yes, I know there are more bits, STFU). Call them A0 and A1
A1 A0
 0   0
 0   1
 1   0
 1   1

If we add another bit of adressing, we have doubled the possibilities
A2 A1 A0
  0  0   0
  0  0   1
  0  1   0
  0  1   1
  1  0   0|
  1  0   1| Look here! The same!
  1  1   0|
  1  1   1|

So if we double the memory, we just add one adress line to the chip. So we can use this adress line to create two "windows" in the chip. One will be the original firmware, another the hacked one.

Of course, if you add two adress lines, you can quadruple the memory. So if you want to use 3 (or 4) different firmwares, you can use a higher memory chip (I have to check, but I believe there is a SST39sf080a which has 4x the memory of the SST39sf020a) and do the same procedure with the two higher adress lines.

I'm late to work. If there is an interest, I can write a PDF later.

See ya
Alexandre
(still with the old XBOX and loving it)

the SST39sf020a is a 2mb chip which gets flashed by the bios 4 x 256kb is it not possible to split the chip and boot from the first 2x 256kb and flash the second 2x256kb's with the hacked firmware?

[memturbo]

This is great . Now what we need is the ability to burn the games on a single layer dvd
and this will be golden .

[sumdude]

And thus the Xbox 360 modchip is born, ladies and gentlemen.

[Alkane]

Anyone know how to force the Xbox motherboard BIOS chip to write-protect, like wiring a pin to something, etc...?

Also, will an SST 49LF020A work for the DVD drive?

Thanks in advance ; p

This post has been edited by Alkane: May 17 2006, 01:27 PM

[JimmyHACK]

i love everyone when that goes" i dont like this fw cause its for piracy, i like homebrew" when you know with their xboxmedia center they also have a stack of burned games

I agree i rather have a good modchip to load anything, but this is definately much better than nothing and fact being you can flash your drive back to normal at any time makes it no risk....

I do not go on live that much, and suggest people turn off xbox live auto sign-in for now and before they hop on look for latest info of live working..

[xboxSlayer]

Good stuff. It's probably too difficult for me to do but really with all the people working on improvments it can only get easier.

All these things are just stepping stones to homebrew and other enhancements. Haven't all the things with the Dreamcast, PS2 and Xbox1 started this way? First they figure out how to run copies of games then the rest follow after.