Print

[micubano]

I have my Executer 2 pro on pogo pins in my XBox 1.0. The D0 quick test is fine. I get the 1 and 5 when I click info in x2bm. A put 4 * 256 bios in the banks and tell it to go. It stops at 50% erasing and doesn't move from there. When I click erase alone, it is so fast that I dont think it is doing anything. The cable is 6' standard parallel cable and my CPU is 99% used by x2bm after I start the write process. Any suggestions?

[micubano]

OK. If I turn the xbox off, x2bm starts writing. It won't verify and when I read it is still blank.

[micubano]

Bump

[micubano]

I tried the direct method last night and it didn't work. I finally broke down and soldered the wires to the board. Suprisingly, I still have the exact same problem. FRAG's OK with 4 on. Starts the erase with 4 off and freezes there until I terminte the program or turn off the xbox. When I turn off the xbox, it pretends to write to the X2   .

Any other suggestions?

[Xeero]

Just making sure you have the flash-enable jumper on.

[micubano]

Yes, I have the jumper on. I confirmed all the connections with a multimeter. I'm starting to think it's the FCC cable. I'm going to ring that out tonight. I've worked with these before when messing around with Palms and Handsprings. This one was packed in that pink foam so tight that it had some major creases in it, including one right under one of the blue tabs. I may order the extreme cable.

Has anyone else had a problem where everything appears to work fine (reading and info) until you go to flash the bios? Then it just hangs at erasing the chip. The chip itself has never been flashed.

And I have tried different parralel port settings (EPP/ECP/SPP) and all the other suggestions on the boards over the past week. I may me a newbie on XBox, but I've been on enough boards to know read first and ask the question only if you can't find the answer. I can't find the answer because no one else seems to have the same problem I have. The best advice Extreme-Mods.com could give me was solder the wires to the board and that left me where I started.

BTW, anyone want an X2 pogo pin adapter cheap? It works fine. Make me an offer.

[micubano]

Finally! Someone else who shares my pain! I tried to get home at lunch to test the fcc cable with my multimeter but I never made. This morning the X2BS program gave me a few not found messages. Then a couldn't open port message. I left it on while I ate breakfast and when I went back, it could see it fine. I still can't write though! All I need is to write once!!! I have a feeling that this is going to be something stupid that I've been overlooking. I'll keep track of things I try and post my findings here.

[micubano]

After tracing all the paths over and over again, I have finally concluded that it is the major crease on the contacts of my fcc cable that is causing the problems. I can "nudge" all the other parts and nothing happens, but if I touch the fcc cable the wrong way the X2 will not be found. One time i nudged it the right way and flashed the bios, but none of the banks flashed clean. It was nice to see the x2 bios names in the banks when I read the chip though.

I've worked with FCC cables before because I repair and upgrade Palm and Handsprings. I know that the clips slide out and not up. With handhelds, the cables are usually so short and immobile that they never have a chance to crease. My cable came with a few creases in it and didn't work from the start, so I'm upset over that. I think I only made it worse while switching from pogo pins to wires. I ordered the new extreme FCC cable from Extreme Mods the second I was sure that was my problem. Hopefully all will be fixed soon.

[micubano]

OK, I got the new Extreme FCC cable and installed it. In X2BS I got Man. Code 01 Dev. Code 11 which threw me off for a few minutes until I noticed Iwas using a 6 ft. cable between the laptop and the XBox. Since the new FCC cable is much longer than the old one and the back of the external connecter isn't that sticky anymore, I was easily able to remove the hex nuts from the back of my laptop, set the laptop on the xbox and do a direct connection no problem. Then I got a good write for the X2 bios. I had to try 3 different switch position, but I finally found one that booted withe Executer at the bottom. I'm glad I got the cable instead of sending the chip in for testing.

While waiting for the FCC cable, I got a PS2 and ordered the M2 Pro mod chip for v. 7. Only 23 wires to solder! I already opened the PS2 and I have to say the XBox is MUCH more hacker friendly .

To recap on this thread:

1. If you get the proper Man and Dev Codes but the chip won't write AND it looks like it's writing when you turn the XBox off, check your FCC cable.

2. If possible use a direct connection.

3. If you get the X2 pro, just get the Extreme Fcc cable. It is worth it.

To the guys at Extreme-Mods, how about bundling the X2 with the Extreme FCCcable? This may prevent a few headaches on boths sides in the future. Thank you for your quick replies that helped me track down the problem. Even though there were major creases in my original FCC cable (Which were probably happened during shipping), you guys were there with me all the way.

For you Newbies, I'm a newbie and it wasn't that bad. Take a day to learn soldering. Practice on a few old cards you have lying around. Take your time on the install. And get the Extreme FCC cable. It is much more forgiving.

[jopo]

dude ive been having the exact same problem you are with them shiping in the little pink foam box and the fcc cable being bent up pretty good.  im wondering if the printer extension cable form the computer to the modchip would matter.  If i got a 3 foot instead of the 6 foot that i have right now would the verification code stop comming up and let the bios go on to the chip?