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[dzv]

No offense to you, but I (and a lot of others) would have to disagree with you on the use of the 'quick solder' method.  I am perfectly capable of installing an Xbox modchip using any installation method, but I stay away from this method because of the drawbacks.

Firstly, you are recommending this method to people who are inexperienced solderers.  I see that you managed to get yours working without a problem, but this method can actually be quite dangerous for beginners.  The problem is that if you're not an experienced solderer, then you won't necessarily know how to ensure a good, solid solder joint.  So when you go and solder the 9 (or whatever) solder points, you're likely to get at least 1 or more joints that aren't making a good connection (probably on LPC point 2, 6, 9, or 12).  The problem with the 'quick solder' method, is that once you've soldered a few of the points down, it's quite difficult to see which points are bad.  And it's also very difficult to remove the chip to re-do the bad points.  I (and probably most installers) have had to repair quite a few Xboxes due to people who have tried to solder in a 'quick solder' chip, and/or tried to desolder one.

Secondly, once the chip is in, you're pretty much locked to that chip.  Desoldering one of these (without ripping up the motherboard) can be quite difficult for a novice.

In my opinion, the pin header is definitely the best method.

For those who have filled LPC holes, and don't want to desolder them (it can be quite difficult for novices), then a wire install is best.  Preferably with some kind of removable wiring harness.  I would recommend turning the included pin header into a wiring harness, so that the chip can be easily disconnected and replace with any other chip that uses a pin header.

[Flagg3]

QUOTE (flat235 @ Jan 2 2004, 11:01 AM)

Forget trying to remove the solder from the holes - whatever the tutorials tell you, unless you're pretty handy with ure soldering, you will break some tracks and waste your mobo

Umm, do you own a solder sucker?

I could see having difficulty if you tried to use a desoldering braid, but a solder vacuum costs about $7, takes about 5 minutes and will never cause damage to any tracks.

Flagg

[Xeero]

I hate my solder sucker...  

But I love removing solder from the LPCs using my braid.    Five minutes seems kind of long...  

EDIT:  Anyway, the "quick solder" method (aka, PCB fusion) is probably the worst way to mod your Xbox.  Sure it goes in quick...but does it go in right?  As dzv mentioned, it's quite difficult to check the points for propert continuity.  Also, it's quite a bit more difficult to remove the mod chip when compared to other methods.  I've heard about too many people thinking they've cleaned all the solder up and that the chip must just be stuck...and they try to just pop the chip up, tearing up every track in a 2-inch radius.

EDIT2: Flagg3, that is EXACTLY what I have and hate!   If it works for you, though, no need to stop using it.  

[Xeero]

Yep, they work the same way.  I've never been able to get the pump to work as well as the braid.

[flat235]

hehe calm down its just my opinion - ive seen so many people nuke their mobo trying to remove solder...

the point about being locked in is well made though - hadnt occured to me..

however, heres an idea - someone should make a little adapter - with the solder-on-top holes that i like, and a pinheader - like on a little tiny PCB .. then people with filled holes can just drop in on top, few drops of solder - then plug any chip on top..

TD

[flat235]

also, i would have to add - 99% of people i know, once theyve got a chip in and working never change it.. i know thats maybe a naive attitude - but it holds in most "newb" cases.. as long as the chip is flashable, which everything is nowadays, there really is no reason - unless you wanna do some debug biosing - in which case, you probably know enough to sort yourself out anyway

TD

ps. anyone think that adapter i mentioned is worth manufactring ??

[royalk4]

yes if you made an adapter like that at a resonable price that would make it less expensive than getting a solderless adapter.  I would buy multiple units.

[HSDEMONZ]

The quick solder method is how I used to do all of the original Xecuter Chips.. loved it.. quick and fast.. and never had one beef with it.

Until the day I tried to remove it.

No solder sucker handy.. and Braid wasn't getting enough of it.. so the world's first X2 chip wire mounted on an Xecuter v1 was born.

Old news for sure.. but necessity does breed invention.

[nyarrgh]

QUOTE (HSDEMONZ @ Jan 5 2004, 11:14 AM)

No solder sucker handy.. and Braid wasn't getting enough of it.. so the world's first X2 chip wire mounted on an Xecuter v1 was born. Old news for sure.. but necessity does breed invention.

hehehe.. first time I saw this.. How did you stop the X1 from booting/interfering with the X2 though? did you have to cut some tracks in the X1?

[HSDEMONZ]

I'm assuming you've never installed a chip before.

If you disconnect d0... you have effectively disabled the chip.  In that pic.. x1 chip d0 wire was disconnected.. then.. x2 was installed piggyback style, and had it's D0 connected.

Now.. since that photo.. that layout has changed. The d0 for both are on switches. This way.. if X2 ever croaks.. (or takes a bad flash) I'm just one switch away from turning on the old X1 chip.

Worst case scenario.. turn both off.. and boot stock tsop/bios.

Variations on this them:

I'm done on request DUAL X2 using the same principle.. except the wire mounts for both chips were on a switch system. (people at the time wanted bragging rights and 8 BIOS slots) I was willing to oblige.  Those photos are in my archive in the sig.

[moistness]

QUOTE (dzv @ Jan 6 2004, 02:45 PM)

Actually, this doesn't really make sense.  The D0 point is simply used to tell the Xbox mobo whether to boot from the onboard TSOP, or from the LPC (when D0 is grounded).  The D0 does not need to be connected to the modchip to 'enable' the chip.  Most cheapmods don't need the D0 to be connected to the chip at all.  So, having 2 modchips connected to the LPC bus at the same time shouldn't (theoretically) work, unless you are doing something else to actually disable one of the chips.  Basically, here's the way it would work with 2 chips connected to the LPC bus: If D0 is not grounded, boots to TSOP BIOS (like normal) If D0 is grounded, Xbox will attempt to boot from a device on the LPC bus If both chips are powered up and connected to the LPC, then there would surely be some interference in the data transmission, probably causing mixed results So, I don't really understand how it's working for you.

I'm guessing it has somthin to do with x2's sharing their d0 earth connections!

[Xeero]

QUOTE (dzv @ Jan 6 2004, 09:45 AM)

Actually, this doesn't really make sense.  The D0 point is simply used to tell the Xbox mobo whether to boot from the onboard TSOP, or from the LPC (when D0 is grounded).  The D0 does not need to be connected to the modchip to 'enable' the chip.  Most cheapmods don't need the D0 to be connected to the chip at all.  So, having 2 modchips connected to the LPC bus at the same time shouldn't (theoretically) work, unless you are doing something else to actually disable one of the chips.  Basically, here's the way it would work with 2 chips connected to the LPC bus: If D0 is not grounded, boots to TSOP BIOS (like normal) If D0 is grounded, Xbox will attempt to boot from a device on the LPC bus If both chips are powered up and connected to the LPC, then there would surely be some interference in the data transmission, probably causing mixed results So, I don't really understand how it's working for you.

Maybe the traces leading from the LPCs on the bottom chip's PCB were cut. ::shrug::