Print

[-Zou-]

I test it with X2 4981 and it's ok on a X v1.1  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/love.gif)

Great job FrostyTheSnowman   (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pop.gif)

Here is I've noticed :

- Recently I moded the VGA cable in HDTV mode  to test the patched VGA bioses and I noticed that if I connected a VGA cable with HDTV mode the iND-Bios work in 720p and 1080i. I used the iND-5001 VGA bios since 2 years without knowing that  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif). The iND-VGA work great on one of my two monitors. The one who don't work have a purple tint but on both monitor I can see the boot blob and logo with the good colors.

- With X2 4981 VGA patched : In VGA mode (with VGA cable) there is the boot blob/logo on the monitor with corect color but when it load the dashboard the signal is out of range.
In HDTV mode the boot blob/logo is out of range but when the dashboard is loaded the screen is ok (480p, 720p and 1080i).

QUOTE(Frosty)

1. When using IGR, the screen will turn green on your dashboard until you select another game, or reset your XBOX. (This is caused by the current IGR methods not resetting the GPU before loading the dashboard.)

Since the iND-VGA is out I use XBMC as dashboard because when using IGR the screen don't turn green. Now it's the same with the frosty patched bioses. Except when XBMC is in 720p(1080i) and we do a IGR in a 720p(1080i) game/app. I tested :

With XBMC as 480p dashboard:
- 480p Game/App -> IGR -> 480p XBMC without green tint
- 720p Game/App -> IGR -> 480p XBMC without green tint
- 1080i Game/App -> IGR -> 480p XBMC without green tint

With XBMC as 720p dashboard:
- 480p Game/App -> IGR -> 720p XBMC without green tint
- 720p Game/App -> IGR -> 720p XBMC WITH green tint
- 1080i Game/App -> IGR -> 720p XBMC without green tint

With XBMC as 1080i dashboard (XBMC is lagging in this resolution >.<)
- 480p Game/App -> IGR -> 1080i XBMC without green tint
- 720p Game/App -> IGR -> 1080i XBMC without green tint
- 1080i Game/App -> IGR -> 1080i XBMC WITH green tint

NB: I use Soulcalibur II as 720p game and Avalaunch in 1080i as 1080i App.

When you have the green tint it's possible to disable it. You have to change the résolution in XBMC. Switch for exemple to 480p then go back in 720p.

QUOTE

3. 480i games (interlaced games) are not supported in VGA mode.

And if we patch the game to support 480p?
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=210156

QUOTE

4. When using a video cable OTHER than a VGA cable, the colors will be incorrect. It is advised that you use a Dual BIOS setup, consisting of a VGA patched BIOS, and a standard BIOS so that you can still use your XBOX on a regular TV.

If you use a "true" RGB cable (scart) the colors is fine in a standart TV. It's the same cable to play import game. I can play with correct colors with this cable:
http://www.blueyonder.co.uk/assets/images/...box_300x250.jpg
or
http://www9.yatego.com/images/417d1e52856d...x_rgb_audio.jpg

So I don"t need to use dual bios. Juste put VGA cable to play on a monitor or put a scart cable to play on a TV  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

nb: this is not a Scart cable ! http://www.xbox-mod.co.uk/images/original_av.jpg

QUOTE

2. Games that do not reset the GPU before executing will be green.
(Morrowind, Splinter Cell 1 & 3, Jade Empire, etc.)

No solution for these games  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
Fable (when you die and reload the mission), Crimson Skies (when load mission), Cold Fear, Ghost Recon ADWF, ... all Ubisoft Game ?!?!

This post has been edited by -Zou-: Oct 27 2006, 03:41 PM

[FrostyTheSnowman]

QUOTE(-Zou- @ Oct 27 2006, 08:47 AM)

And if we patch the game to support 480p?
http://forums.xbox-s...howtopic=210156

All correctly patched 480i games should work just fine.

[KnightSh8der]

Hi,
to the encoder reset and XBOX 1.6 problem with VGA
 
My logics is:
- the Connexant, Focus and Xcalibur are setup through their serial interface pins at startup (This is also what is being patched by the vga patches in the bios for Connexant and Focus, correct?).
- Now, if a game comes along and sends the commands over to the encoder for reset, it resets the encoder (by bypassing the bios) with a command which must be IDENTICAL for CONNEXANT, FOCUS and XCALIBUR encoders, or some games would not work on the XCALIBUR anymore. So, if we find that command (from any game that resets the encoder at a well defined point -- Mechassault for example resets after one finishes a level) and could modify it to patch the CONNEXANT and FOCUS encoders for VGA output, rather than HDTV, it probably would also work on the xcalibur.

BTW.: I traced some wires on the XBOX 1.6 mainboard and compared them to rev1.4 and 1.1. Looks like some of the pins from the Conexant and focus chips are connected to the MCPX (e.g. pin 53 which is the reset line), but none of those pins on the MCPX are actually going to the Xcalibur anymore on a v1.6, but instead there are many connections between the Xyclops and the xcalibur chip on the 1.6 board. I wonder, if games which usually reset the encoder still can do that on a 1.6 board or if the cyclops chip sets up the encoder on boot time and that's it until the box is powered down again.

- Now, if that approach with the patching through software on a v1.6 doesn't work, then the xyclops chip prevents the xcalibur from being resetted, maybe, by keeping some line constantly at high (for example, according to the specs the reset line on the Connexant must be at low for some time for reset), which could also help us by patching the bios to keep that corresponding line at high on the connexant or focus encoder, which would prevent games from resetting the encoders, too.

Well, just wanted to let you know my thoughts.

PS.: does anyone know of a reverse engineered pinout for the Xcalibur? Currently I only know that HSYNC and VSYNC Inputs are on pin 30 and 31, which leaves another 98 pins to trace, if I have to do everything from scratch.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Well, the actual encoders don't need to be reset. Their registers are set by the BIOS on bootup, and they never change; it's actually the Nvidia GPU itself that needs to be reset to fix the games with the 'green screen' problem. This problem could be easily fixed by implementing some of Dr. Oldschool's Force480p/GPU Reset code from NKPatcher into the disassembled source of a BIOS, and then re-compiling. I've been trying to do this for a few weeks now, but I seem to be completely unable to inject the necessary code into a disassembled BIOS at the moment. (Cannot get the source to re-compile properly...   )

And as far as the v1.6 Xcalibur problem goes, the actual GPU itself is being patched properly, but the encoder is not, because we do not have any datasheets available to tell us what each register does. Without that datasheet, it would require extensive reverse-engineering to accomplish VGA output with the Xcalibur encoder.

And the games don't actually program the encoder at all, they program the GPU. It is up to the BIOS to set the pre-defined registers for the encoder.

[KnightSh8der]

Hi, thanks for that info.

So, what I noticed with Mechassault is, that when it resets the encoder or GPU or whatever. The screen goes green, but it does not output a HDTV signal as such, because that would be a different kind of "green". The output after the reset looks exactly like when one patches an M8v1.6 bios with your patch, which apparently patches the GPU correctly but not the xcalibur. So I was wondering, what Mechassault is actually doing? By comparing the screenoutput I concluded that it looks like it resets the encoder on a v1.4 (which you told me is wrong), not the GPU. So jsut to clarify, would the screenoutput with a wrongly set GPU and a correctly set encoder look exactly like with an incorrectly set encoder but correctly set GPU?

Thanks for explaining that to a noobie like me

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Well, you see, if the GPU is patched then it is forced to output RGB to the encoder, and the encoder is also patched to recieve AND output RGB also, then this results in a VGA signal.

If the GPU is patched but the encoder is not, then the encoder is recieving RGB when it is expecting a different signal, and the result is a green image. (This is what happens with Xcalibur encoders, because we do not have the datasheet to change the registers.) The same will also happen if it is the opposite, if the encoder is patched but the GPU is not, then the screen will also be green, because the encoder is expecting RGB but is recieving something different.

The 'green screen' problem with the Conexant/Focus encoders on some games is caused by the GPU not being reset before loading the game. The 'GPU patch' that I use, along with most other VGA bioses, is only activated when the GPU is reset. So basically, if you load a game that does not reset the GPU before loading, then the GPU goes back to it's original NON-PATCHED state and does not output RGB to the encoder, resulting in a green image.

This post has been edited by FrostyTheSnowman: Oct 30 2006, 05:07 PM

[KnightSh8der]

Ok, it starts to become clear.

Where did you learn all of this? It's amazing! I wish I knew all that stufF.

So, the Force480p/GPU Reset, which you are working on will force the GPU to reset everytime some new program loads up, meaning, it will reset the GPU, no matter if the game supports it or not. Correct?

I'm crossing my fingers, that it will work!

PS.: I'd like to help and speed things up, so if there is anything you think I could help you with, let me know! As I said, I have Rev. 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 XBOXes here, so if you want me to test anything on a certain version, let me know.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Yeah, the Force480p/GPU reset code is actually Dr. Oldschool's code from NKPatcher, but yes, it would essentially force a GPU Reset AND Force480p when any application launched, thereby 'perfecting' the VGA patch.

Unfortunately, the whole process is giving me some trouble, but i'm hoping to release an editted version of the X2 5035 BIOS with full VGA, GPU Reset, and Force480p functionality. (If I can get the X2 5035 BIOS working properly, then I also plan to do the same to the X3 and older X2 BIOSes also.) At the moment though, it's not yet a reality. (Haven't quite figured out how to disassemble and recompile a BIOS...)

NOTE: If there are any BIOS disassembling/compiling gurus out there, please feel free to PM me with some advice.

[Zebes]

you could try putting out a help post in the bios forums here and on the team-xecuter site

[-Zou-]

I just remember that before Yoshihiro leave the scene he was working on VGA bios for X1.6. You can find his bioses at the usual place. I don't have a X1.6 that's why I never test it. Note that's a Debug bios so you have to install some files or full XDK on your Xbox to test it. And he give me a retail 256k X1.6 VGA bios to test it with my VGA cable but I never test it. Maybe this can help you. Send me PM if you want the Bios.

[mystery.tipster]

Hi everyone

I have a problem on some games using the VGA hack. When the xbox boots up it freezes on the flubber screen, this has happened on Need for Speed Carbon and a few others but they do load up and play fine if I load into XBMC first and then launcg game. I have tried various BIOS from 4981 upto 5035 but it is still the same.

I have X2 modchip, PAL box changed to NTSC, and xbox to component adaptor and then to VGA.

Anyone help?

Other than that the games are awesome

Adam

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Hmm, that's strange. My VGA patcher doesn't affect anything other than the video output, so i'm betting that it is most likely an X2 BIOS specific issue. Perhaps editting the X2 config file could help, but as long as it can boot other games directly then it is not an issue with the VGA patcher.

So basically, if your other backups/originals boot just fine and your only having a problem with a few specific games, then it's a BIOS issue and not an issue with the VGA patcher.

[footix]

hello and first of all thanks for the good work!!
the files seems to have been trashed away... could you please reup them?
thanks a lot

[FrostyTheSnowman]

Update!

I have just been informed that the website that was hosting my vga patcher has either gone down, or no longer has the file available. (Thanks for the tip footix!   )

So, here is the new link to where you can download my vga patcher.


VGA Patcher v0.7
http://forums.ngemu....t...id=122012


NOTE: You can also find my vga patcher at the 'usual places'.

[footix]

great:)
that was a freaking fast answer!