Topic: Aladdin Advance Xt Installation Tutorial (Read 688 times)

Evil Ryu · « **Reply #32 on:** November 23, 2004, 03:06:00 PM »

Nope,... as grounding the D0 connection forces the xbox to boot from the LPC, and if there isn't a bios (modchip) there, then it will just frag.

Firebaall · « **Reply #33 on:** November 23, 2004, 03:07:00 PM »

How did you make out with that 1.6b install? I haven't had a problem with the M8plus_16 bios. Mind you it's installed in a 1.6 xbox, not a 1.6b. Keep us posted.

Evil Ryu · « **Reply #34 on:** November 23, 2004, 03:21:00 PM »

I'm going to mess around with it tonight. I've done a pile of reading, and it seems like this may be a fairly common problem with the XTs and the v1.6(& b's?)(no video on boot). One fella has recommended that I try the 'Yoshihiro-m8-1.6B-Memory-Fixe-Beta4' bios - as he had the same problem a few times on a few different xboxes and it had fixed the problem everytime (he was using M8plus_16 before he tried this bios). So we'll see... I post an update when I get this xbox up and running properly.

Cheers

Firebaall · « **Reply #35 on:** November 23, 2004, 10:30:00 PM »

How sure are that it's the m8plus_1.6bios? Is there a chance that you have just the standard m8_1.6? This would very much explain the problem. Are you able to reflash to make dead certain?

Evil Ryu · « **Reply #36 on:** November 23, 2004, 10:39:00 PM »

*UPDATE*

I got the v1.6(b?) working. It looks as though it was a bios problem. The M8plus_16 bios would give the no audio/video on bootup, but then I tried the 'Yoshihiro-m8-1.6B-Memory-Fixe-Beta4' bios and it worked like a charm! So I dunno if there are still issues with some xboxes and the M8plus_16 bios - but it worked for me.

I ended up testing this pretty thoroughly - just to make sure. Here's what I did:

1) Started booting the xbox with the problem bios (which was a M8plus_16 bios that I had modified with EVTool 1.0.9). On the 8th boot I had no video. Pretty much every attempt after this resulted in the same thing (it would boot properly about 1 out of 5 tries).

2) Swapped AladdinXTs with one that had the 'Yoshihiro-m8-1.6B-Memory-Fixe-Beta4' bios on it. The xbox booted up 30 times without any problems.

3) To make sure that it wasn't a problem with the modchip that I had originally used, I swapped the SST chip from the working one (the chip with the Yoshihiro bios) and put it into the none-working XT. Booted the xbox another 30 times without any problems.

4) Just to confirm, I put the XT with the original, modified M8plus_16 bios back into the xbox and the problem showed up after only two boots.

5) Thinking that maybe it was a problem with the modified M8plus_16 bios, I decided to try a virgin M8plus_16 bios. I booted the xbox 27 times (which all booted fine), but then on the 28th boot, I started getting the no audio/video problem again (which would happen about 4 out of 5 tries after this). So even though the xbox booted fine 27 times with this bios, it still leads me to believe that the M8plus_16 bios isn't fully 'compatible' with this xbox.

6) Now, just to make sure (and be objective about this), I put the XT with the Yoshihiro bios back into the xbox and booted it another 40 times without any problems.

So after booting the xbox a total of 100 times with the Yoshihiro bios and not any problems, I think it's safe to say that this bios will work fine with this xbox.

I should also note a few specifics about the xbox and the install:

- v1.6 xbox (not sure if it's a 'b' version - I'll have to look into that to confirm it) with the brown power/eject leads
- 2004-09-09
- Dash: 1.00.5838.01
- Kernal: 1.00.5960.01
- AladdinXT installed alà 'always on' - LPC rebuilt, BT grounded & LFrame trace cut

I'm going to post this info in the 'Bios' forums as well - hopefully it may draw attention to this problem - as I don't think I'm the only person to come across this.

$langer · « **Reply #37 on:** November 24, 2004, 12:15:00 AM »

Bulan · « **Reply #38 on:** November 24, 2004, 01:03:00 AM »

A quick question, this with cutting the trace for the "Always On" install, would it work the same way for other alladins? like Super Aladdin, and such?

Meaning that u don't need to (shouldn't!) connect D0 (LFrame) to GND or anything on these too, just cut the trace...

Just thinking since the installation for the other variants of alladin looks about the same

I could host a mirror too if needed..

Evil Ryu · « **Reply #39 on:** November 24, 2004, 07:01:00 AM »

Yup,... the installs should be exactly the same. I'm not 100% sure because I don't have every modchip to test this, but I'm pretty sure that all of the Aladdin chips are pretty much installed exactly the same way (except some have the L2 line - which isn't required, it's just for the HDD activity feature).

$langer,... for a v1.6 install, just follow the tutorials. That's what they are there for. You only need to cut the trace if you want to install the chip so that the modchip is always enabled. Otherwise connect the BT, L1 & D0 connections to the modchip for the ability to enable/disable it - no trace cutting required.

Bulan · « **Reply #40 on:** November 24, 2004, 08:16:00 AM »

Thx Ryu for reply.. Yeah.. I was thinking the same, that it doesn't differ much from the other versions..

Anyhow.. I mirrored (and cleaned it some) the Tutorial at my site to if that's ok with you? Located @ http://xbox.bula.nu/aladdin/xt/
Really just wanted the info somewhere to be found when my memory falls short.. but thought I could share the link if it was needed

Evil Ryu · « **Reply #41 on:** November 24, 2004, 08:27:00 AM »

$langer · « **Reply #42 on:** November 24, 2004, 10:36:00 AM »

I'm still not sure about not cutting the trace and using a resistor for a v1.6 install on/off method. The whole reason this high LFRAME current develops is due to the fact the Modchip grounds the D0 point on the chip and hence grounds LFRAME which will then cause high current to flow. By cutting a trace and and wireing a resistor across it, you force less current to flow through the LFRAME circuit path.

You are suggesting that for the on/off install method that no trace cut/resistor is needed and to hook up D0 as normal, but this will just cause LFRAME to become grounded which catdog mentions is what we don't want to happen. There are a list of modchips that pulse D0 rather than continually grounding and the Aladdin is not one of them. Even Chancer mentioned that he is using resistors in his installs and I'm pretty sure a lot of them are Aladdins...

Also, what about the pin header, do any pins need to be removed i.e. pin #4?

I think it is important to mention what pins need to be removed for the tutorial because the picture of the LPC rebuild has 4 missing...

I really like the tutorial by the way and I think quite needed, I just want to make sure that everything is exactly right and clear

Thanks!

$langer · « **Reply #43 on:** November 24, 2004, 02:22:00 PM »

I agree about the always on connection, definately the easiest way to go (I hope my customer will go with this method

)

It would be nice to know about the on/off method, Chancer or hippo care to comment?

Good to know about the pin header, so for sure 4 pins have to be removed before soldering.

Thanks for all the help!

aladdin64 · « **Reply #44 on:** November 24, 2004, 02:44:00 PM »

I snapped some pictures tonight of installíng a pinheader to a AladdinXT that doesnt come with a pinheader, so a took some pictures to show before and after pins were removed from the header, so we got that covered. Also snapped some pictures of my 1.4 mobo to show the alternate BT and L1 (Don't know why since they're the same on all boards, but now we got them)
Thanks alot Dansken for those other pictures, they're soon to be integrated into the tutorial.

Will be updating the tutorials anyday know, so if anyone got material they wanna add, please feel free to PM me, Evil Ryu or maybe even Bulan (?).

Well, anyways.. thats all for now...

Regards

Author Topic: Aladdin Advance Xt Installation Tutorial (Read 688 times)