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[spillage]

Firstly I failed to workout how to upload a tut successfully to the correct place, which I know is not here. If a mod would be kind enough to let me know exactly what to do I will rectify the issue if it is one.

If anyone spots any issues with this tut, please let me know before my main tut is posted.

This tutorial is a phase or part of my “All Outputs Configurable” project tutorial -  coming soon. It is not representative of the quality of the finished tutorial. I have chosen to publish this extract to aid the growing number of users who have posted requests for one. There may be parts of this tutorial that are aimed at the entire “All Outputs Configurable” project and can therefore be ignored in the context of installing a headphone amplifier.

DISCLAIMER.

It is also important to note that some of the case modifications are non reversible. Any changes you make to your XBOX that fail can most likely be resolved but more importantly any errors are not my fault. Fellow modders who come across issues or can offer improvements are asked to post their findings or PM me.

The assistance I may offer will in no way guarantee a successful repair, nor are any of my opinions or work ethics in any way accountable.

This project is broken down into phases to enable you to pick and choose, with some flexibility, what you wish to install. Some phases, however can only be achieved if following another, for example the installation of the X2VGA can only be achieved by installing the custom rear panel. I have assigned a difficulty rating to each phase to give a rough idea of how easy or hard that phase is to complete. The scale is 1 to 5 with ‘5’ representing a need for good skill and knowledge in all areas.

I make references within the tutorial to components I have used and from where I obtained them. This is simply a guide and aids, visually in product recognition. You may find superior or simpler ways of achieving the same thing. Please post your findings. All phases of this tutorial discuss the use of the components that I used and as a result may not be applicable to the components you have sourced.

I accept no responsibility whatsoever for any damage to property that is modified using this tutorial.

Having said all that, have a go, if you mess up, www.premodded.co.uk is but one retailer that should be able to sell you another case and mobo.

MOBO Static Warning.

Static electricity is built up on your body as you move around. You become positively charged. When you touch something you inadvertently discharge yourself. Some devices, such as LED, and chips can be damaged by this sudden shock. When working on the mobo of your XBOX it is important that you protect it by using an earth strap on both yourself and more importantly your soldering iron. Static electricity is a component killer. One jolt could destroy the mobo and you wouldn’t even know it until you had it back together. Buy or use one if you have it, a earthing strap. This will tie you to ground thus avoiding the possibility of damage. If your soldering iron has an earth point on it, use it. If it doesn’t then make sure you unplug it between every soldering operation to prevent a static discharge.

PSU Warning

Be very careful when fault finding or when making connections around the PSU. Switched Mode PSUs operate at high voltages. Heatsinks on the PSU may well be at high potential and it will bloody hurt if not kill you if you touch one so don’t. The PSU may still hold a considerable charge after it has been powered down. If in doubt find someone qualified to check or connect for you.

Purchasing Components.

I live in the UK so all of the devices and components used in this project were obtained either from personal stock, CPC (www.cpc.co.uk) or Maplin Electronics (www.maplin.co.uk) If I have sourced from another continent it will be mentioned in the parts list for that phase of the project.

Installing a Headphone Amplifier.
By Spillage

This phase of the project will allow the user to play DVDs, CDs and of course Games using a pair of headphones. There are obvious benefits to using Headphones including private listening and late night gaming. In order to keep this simple I have chosen a ready built amplifier by Cebek, the ES-5. (www.cebek.com)  

Difficulty rating 2

What’s Needed

1 off Cebek ES-5 Headphone Amplifier (Ready Built) or similar. CPC code HK00531
1 off Stereo (dual gang) 47KLinear rotary potentiometer. CPC code RE01931
2 off metre length of miniature twin figure 8 or coaxial screened cable. CPC code CBBR6403
2 off metre length of very thin wire, in both RED and BLACK (Twisted with a hand drill for improved screening) Optional, see text. 
1 off DPCO 6.3mm chassis mount socket. Maplin Code BW80B
1 off Gold Plated Phono connector Black. CPC Code CNPHSK2/BK
1 off Gold Plated Phono connector Red. CPC Code CNPHSK2/RD
1 off metre length of heatshrink sleeving. CPC Code CB00788/789
4 off countersunk mounting screws and 4mm spacers, nuts and washers.

This phase assumes that you will be installing a pair of phono/RCA connectors for analogue audio. If not, simply ignore the steps to install them.

There are two variants to this system.

Type One utilises a fixed ‘Line Level’ output.
Type Two utilises a variable ‘Line Level’ output.

In both cases the headphone output is variable.

If you are simply interested in installing the Headphone Amplifier without a custom rear panel, follow “Headphone Amplifier W/O back panel”.

If you have been following the tutorial phase for the complete custom back panel, follow “Headphone Amplifier with custom back panel”.

The CEBEK ES-5 is a ready built and tested stereo headphone amplifier. It is very easy to connect and can be powered by nothing more than two “AA” batteries if needed. This would be of particular interest to those who wish to have the headphone output but not to drill holes in their XBOX. The amplifier could easily be installed in a small metal box and used externally with standard AVIP retail cables.

Headphone Amplifier Connection Diagrams





Headphone Amplifier W/O back panel

There are no photographs for this phase of the headphone amplifier installation, as I installed the amp in a custom built aluminium case.

This phase of the project assumes that you will NOT be removing the AVIP socket from the mobo.  

Method.

Choose a location on the rear of your XBOX to accommodate the headphone output,  phono/RCA connectors and the volume control potentiometer. There is not a great deal of room on the small recessed panel on the XBOX so careful comparisons of the inside layout and the outside relief of the case are required to position the components correctly. Nothing must come into contact with components on the mobo. It is possible to buy miniature potentiometers or use internally mounted pre-sets to give a fixed ‘presettable’ volume if space becomes an issue. It is of course feasible to mount both the output socket and the volume control on the front panel, this is however not covered in this tutorial.

The mobo and PSU MUST be removed prior to drilling any holes in the case or screening. It is advisable to have a hoover/vacuum cleaner handy to facilitate the complete removal of swarf from the holes made in the case and screen.

The 6.3mm Headphone Socket

Having removed the mobo, PSU and the screening, drill a hole in the case for the 6.3mm jack socket. The headphone socket I have used required a 9.5mm hole. Refit the screening into the case and look through the hole and mark off the centre point. Remove the screening. Drill a 9.5mm hole in the screen then file off any sharp edges to prevent chaffing of the cables. Do not install the headphone socket yet.

The 6.3mm Headphone Socket Connections.



Audio Connections

The 6.3mm Headphone socket is shown from below (pin side) with screen connector on the right. The upper most contact (north) is the Left connection, the lower most contact (south) is the Right connection. One of the inner core pair is to be soldered to the Left (upper most) contact and the other is to be soldered to the Right (lower most) contact. The screen is to soldered to the screen tag on the right (east).

Switching Connections (DPCO)

I have labelled the cables as C1R, C1L, C1S etc representing Cable 1 Right etc.

In the variable line level output diagram C5R, C5L and C5S indicate the AVIP output from under the mobo. (Thin wire twisted in a hand drill.)

Prepare five 20cm lengths of the screened cable and bare the ends to reveal the two inner cores (signal) and the screening braid in each. Make the necessary connections to the sockets as shown in one of the two diagrams above. Sleeve all the connections with heatshrink sleeving. (See Using Heatshrink Tutorial if unsure)

Basically one cable brings audio from the AVIP to the socket, another takes audio back to the input of the headphone amplifier and another takes audio to the phono/RCA connectors. All the screens are commoned together and tied to ground, only the inner core (signal) cables are to be connected to the DPCO pins.

** When the headphone socket is empty the analogue output from the XBOX AVIP will be available at the phono/RCA connectors. (If you chose to install the variable o/p system, the phono/RCA output will be adjustable using the volume control.) As soon as you plug in a pair of headphones, the phono/RCA connectors are disconnected and the audio is redirected to the headphone amplifier and then on to the headphone output jack. This happens automatically. (The headphone volume is then adjustable by means of the same  volume control.)

The Phono/RCA Sockets.

The phono/RCA sockets require two 6.4mm holes. Drill the two holes in the case then temporally refit the screening and mark up from the outside. Drill the two holes in the screen, then file off any sharp edges to prevent chaffing of the cables. Do not install the phono/RCA connectors yet.

The phono/RCA connectors have four connections. Take the fifth 20cm length of cable and solder the two inner cores to the two inner solder tags and the screening to the outer tags.

The Volume Control.

Most analogue audio inputs have a 47Kimpedance, hence the use of a 47Kpotentiometer for the volume control. You will notice in the diagrams that that input to the headphone amplifier is actually connected to the ‘wiper’ (inner tag) of the potentiometer and the output of the AVIP is across the full resistive track (outside tags). In doing so, the XBOX audio driver amplifier always sees a 47Kload. The gain of the amplifier is governed by the location of the ‘wiper’ relative to ground. The closer the ‘wiper’ is to ground the less gain there is, the quieter the output.

As before remove the screening and drill a 9.4mm in the case in the location you chose earlier. Following the procedures used earlier, drill the hole required in the screening and dress it.

Finally refit the screening and install the phono/RCA connectors, volume control and the headphone socket into the case.

Mounting the Headphone Amplifier PCB.

This method of fixing is based solely on the Samsung SDG-605. I have seen some of the other drives with large bumps in the bottom which may hinder its fixing. Adaptation of this mounting may be needed for Thompson and Philips. SD616T/F users will be fine as they have a flat underside.

If you like to dismantle your XBOX on a regular basis because you suffer from CXBDD or Compulsive XBOX Dismantling Disorder , you may wish to find a alternative mounting method to the one specified. Remove the DVD Drive from its plastic mounting caddy. Cut a piece of plastic sheet, I used 1mm, the same width as the caddy and 30mm deep and glue/screw it to the underside of the caddy to form a mounting for the amp PCB. Hold the PCB up to the mounting and mark off the four holes, as shown in the photograph. Drill the four holes with a 3mm bit then
take either a countersinking bit or an 8mm drill bit if you don’t have one, and taper the hole so that the screws will be flush with the DVD Drive side of the caddy. Mount the PCB on the underside of the caddy with the amp components facing downwards.

Motherboard Connections.

There is little to be gained from removing the AVIP for this project. If the screened cable you chose for this phase is thin enough to be used on the underside of the mobo, use it. Otherwise take some very thin cable and cut it to form four 30cm lengths. Insert the four lengths into a vice and the other into the chuck of a hand drill. Twist the cable forming two tightly wound spiral cables, each with a red and a black conductor. In doing so a very thin, low profile screened cable is made that can be used underneath the mobo. Make the connections to the AVIP at pins 2,3,4 and 5.

Pin 2 = Audio Right signal
Pin 3 = Audio Left signal
Pin 4 = Audio Right screen
Pin 5 = Audio Left screen



Final Wiring.

With the Amp PCB attached to the DVD Drive caddy you can now finish off the wiring. Follow the correct diagram and wire as shown.

The inputs and outputs are clearly marked on the amp PCB.

Output from AVIP.

The audio output from the AVIP goes to either the volume control or to the headphone output socket, depending on which configuration you chose. If you decided on the fixed line level O/P then the output from the AVIP goes straight to the headphone socket. If you chose the variable version, the AVIP output goes straight to the volume control. In both cases use screened audio cable.

Input to Amplifier.

The input to the amplifier can again come from one of two places. In the fixed O/P config’ the input is taken from the potentiometer directly from the inner tags (wiper). In the variable O/P config’ the input is taken from the output socket as shown.

Output from Amplifier.

The output from the Headphone amp PCB is connected to the headphone socket directly in both cases using screening cable.

Output to RCA/phono connectors.

In both cases the RCA/phonos are directly connected to the headphone socket DPCO contacts.

Power Supply to Amplifier.

The 5V DC from the HDD loom is to be directly connected to the headphone amp PCB. If you wish to be able to switch the headphone amp on or off yourself then a simple SPST switch is needed. Mount this wherever you find it most convenient. The headphone amp PCB has inbuilt reverse polarity protection in the form of a simple diode. Nevertheless care must be take when the connections are made. Be sure your XBOX is unplugged from the mains when making these connections.

Testing and Operation.

Plug in and put on your pair of headphones. Adjust the volume control to half way.

After double checking the connection to and from the amplifier, paying particular attention to the HDD PSU feed, power up the XBOX. If you opted to install I power switch as I did, switch it on. You should if all is well hear your XBOX boot up, if you don’t, follow the troubleshooting instructions below.

Troubleshooting.

Be very careful when fault finding or when making connections around the PSU. Switched Mode PSUs operate at high voltages. Heatsinks on the PSU may well be at high potential and it will bloody hurt if not kill you if you touch one so don’t. The PSU may still hold a considerable charge after it has been powered down. If in doubt find someone qualified to check or connect for you.

If the sound is loud is one ear and quiet in the other when the volume control is fully clockwise and reversed when the volume is rotated in the opposite direction, reverse the outer connections on one of the ‘gangs’ of the potentiometer. Check to be sure that the headphone volume increases, in both ears, as the control is rotated clockwise.

If the amp does not appear to function check to see if there is 5v DC present on the PS input of the PCB. Check with a multimeter and be sure of the polarity. If there is 5v DC present, you may well have the wiring to the headphone socket connected incorrectly. Check it with reference to the diagrams and use a multimeter with the XBOX switched off to check continuity between the DPCO pins with headphones plugged in and out. In both the variable and fixed line out options the feed from the AVIP should be connected to the centre pins of the DPCO headphone socket. Make sure the connection from the DPCO socket end up at the input of the amp PCB when the headphones are plugged IN! Make sure the output from the amp PCB is correctly connected to the relevant pins on the headphone socket. Double check your connections to the underside of the mobo. If there is still no output seek the advice of someone with test equipment such as an oscilloscope to check the operation of the PCB itself. The manufacturer of the ES-5 offers a 3 year warranty and they can be contacted on the details below.

By Fax (24h) +34 3 432 29 95
By Mail C/ Quetzal, 17-21, Entlo. 2o (08014) Barcelona – Spain
By E-Mail [email protected]

[TMG8]

awesome man looks good!

[jjb8611]

great tutorial, however, i'm not good with the soldering iron, i might screw something up (i screwed up my controller while trying to add a usb port to it) is there an adapter that i could buy to plug in the red and white audio cables that connect to my vcr?

[spillage]

Thanks guys.

Yes you can by external amps like these for example.

Headphone Amplifier

or this battery powered one.

Headphone Amplifier #2

[TMG8]

[EgoX]

[brain21]

QUOTE (spillage @ Mar 11 2004, 11:35 PM)

Thanks guys. Yes you can by external amps like these for example. Headphone Amplifier or this battery powered one. Headphone Amplifier #2

21 pounds... that's about $30+ USD.  For only $20 more you can get the one I linked to in my previous post.  With that one up to 4 sets of headphones can be connected (more if you use Y splitters, but then you share the volume control), and it is probably a lot higher quality (even still, that "higher quality" may or may not be noticable, depending on your headphones and sensitivity to that kind of stuff - but then again, I am one of those people who think that 128bit mp3 files sound lousy because I can hear the sibellance, digital compression, frequency loss, etc. if they are played on a good system).

I'm quite sure that you can get the ART headphone distribution amp in the UK or elsewhere as well.  Just check out your local big music (instruments, not CDs) store.  No need to order overseas and then worry about voltage differences, plug adapters, etc.

Brain21

[jjb8611]

thnx guys for all the ideas, i think i'll go the cheap route and just get the y connector.

[spillage]

[Muntzster]

btw it is true... the xbox does hold a charge in the big capasitors

EVEN AFTER BEING UNPLUGGED


and it gives u a horrible headace and almost sucks ur fingers to it if u touch it

[coltxL2717]

I just have one question whats the difference between fixed output and variable line inputs?

[brain21]

Well, one is input, and one is output!  :-)

Fixed simply means that the audio level is fixed (generally things when they are fixed, are fixed at "line level" but that is not always true with consumer audio goods as opposed to pro audio goods).

Variable means generally that you can adjust the output or input.  You can adjust it as far as decibels or dbs coming in (which actually means "what you expect to come in") or going out.

A simple example is my sound card (an M-Audio Delta series card - pro-audio level card).  It supports the following for both inputs and outputs:

+4dBu
Consumer
-10dBV

Basically the +4dBu has the most headroom (+4 decibels) and can accept "hot" signals - IOW, line level and higher.  -10dBV is the most sensitive and can only accept low level inputs.  Consumer is right in the middle and will accept consumer inputs such as the signal given out by the RCA connectors on a CD player, etc.

All in all it just gives you flexibility in terms of what you can connect to the device with out it getting distorted, and what kind of levels the device will output to something else, without it getting distorted.

If I have something that has a really loud signal and the input that you are connecting it to is fixed a -10, then you may very well get a distorted signal, which you don't want.  If it is fixed at consumer level then you probably won't get the distortion.  If you do then a setting of +4 should be able to give you that signal w/o any distortion.  Variable allows you to change from +4<->Consumer<->-10 (those levels are not always the same.  Some device maybe -12 instead of -10, etc.) to suit what is being connected to it, or what it is connecting to.

Make sense?

Brain21

[spillage]

[coltxL2717]

Uhh......wow you lost me fast.  I just want to be able to hook up headphones and some high end speakers with the back panel RCA connections.  Which one would be best.

[coltxL2717]

Wow, that was a very concise answer brain21 thank you very much.  Im just gonna install the RCA jacks in the xbox and use my stereo for the headphone jack.  Thanks again.