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[Caustics]

Hi,

I wanted to install a BIOS select switch to my 1.0 TSOP flashed xbox. I bought it second hand and it came flashed. The previous owner soldered a18 and a19 directly on the chip pins and I had to undo them. In doing so I made a mess and got solder all over the bios pins. I think I have it all removed, but my xbox still frags, so I guess there is still some solder left.

Now my question, is it possible to install a mod chip (X3 or some other) and then completely remove the internal BIOS? As a modchip essentially replaces the internal bios chip, can this be done? I think I can only remove all of the solder if I remove (i.e. cut it out and remove the remains) of the internal bios, because  some solder has to have flown under the chip.

TIA,

A really depressed Caustics

[Caustics]

I did some searching and found that if my TSOP is really damaged, a normal mod won't work as normal mods still use some of the TSOP. My ony chance would then be a 29 wire cheapmod. That would completely replace my TSOP. I should be able to remove the TSOP (in theory).

Would be great if anyone had experience with something like this.

Johndoe

[gottimanu]

whats wrong with the bios?

is it flashed with a 256k bios?

i think u might be able to do the 3 wire trick

[Caustics]

I'm afraid something is physichally wrong either with the chip or one of its connections to the motherboard. I did the 3 wire trick, that is, I soldered 2 switches to a18 and a19 so I can switch them seperately to vcc or gnd. This is done oke, but doesn't help.

I need to know that if I solder a 29 wire mod (like the xray3) I can remove the TSOP, because I'm afraid that I still have some pins shorted which would render even a 29 wire mod useless.

Caustics

[DevoDave]

If you have a LPC based modchip, then yes, you can totally remove the original TSOP eeprom.

Proven.  I had a v1.1 box and pulled the eeprom off.  Still worked through the cheapmod.

[Caustics]

That is excellent news, thanks DevoDave.

My chances of reviving my xbox just increased.

Thanks,

Caustics

[Caustics]

I bought and installed an XRay3 because I was really sure my TSOP was busted. It worked. Had to remove the TSOP, but now my xbox is allive and kicking. Looks very funny, an xbox mainboard with it's TSOP missing, but hey, I'm not complaining.

So, my case is further proof that with a 29 wire midchip you can remove the TSOP from the mainboard.

Caustics

[acemilo]

Whoever told you that lpc chips use the tsop is full of shit, thats what the d0 is for.  The d0 gets grounded and it tells the xbox to boot off the lpc instead of the tsop.  In fact, you could just solder a wire from the d0 to a ground on the mobo, never solder it to the chip, and just put the chip on the lpc and it will still work.  You could then do whatever you wanted to the tsop chip, since it would never see it anymore.

[otherguy]

nice job getting it to work, but i doubt you had to go through all that trouble...  like i said  to begin with, an lpc chip will work even if the tsop is hosed, where-ever you read that you need data on the tsop for the lpc chip to work....   that was wrong (or you read/interpreted something incorrectly).

Again congrats on fixing it...   i really dont think you had to go through all that work though.

[Caustics]

Perhaps I didn't have to go through all this trouble (it was my understanding that you need at least some life in your TSOP to be able to run an lpc mod, but you seem much more knowledgeable than I am, otherguy, so I'll take your word for it), but this sure was the cheapest. Especally at the curent dollar/euro exchange rate; 15 euro's and I was done.

I consider this a little bit of character building ;-)

Caustics