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[mic77]

Ive installed an aladdin advance 64 in an 1.4 box with the focus videochip, and at first it worked fine for about a couple of hours, then i resoldered everythin( i have d0 permanently grounded) and now it worked for about a day, and now when u try to start it, it just hangs and flashes red/green.

Ive soldered manu of these aladdin chips before and have never had aproblem sofar, any ideas of what it could be?

/mic

[mic77]

Ive installed an aladdin advance 64 in an 1.4 box with the focus videochip, and at first it worked fine for about a couple of hours, then i resoldered everythin( i have d0 permanently grounded) and now it worked for about a day, and now when u try to start it, it just hangs and flashes red/green.

Ive soldered manu of these aladdin chips before and have never had aproblem sofar, any ideas of what it could be?

[Chancer]

Why did you resolder?
If the machine frags then the LPC points are still not right so its out with the soldering iron again.

[mic77]

i did resolder because it fragged after working for a couple of hours, i guess i have to resolder again.
But i still find it strange that its working for a while and then starts to frag, if its a bod solderjob it wouldnt start at all i would think.
anyway i guess i must try again...
 

[Chancer]

Seems to be the most common install problem. Loads of threads about similar problems where the chip works for so long then stops. Its to do with the board expanding slightly as the xbox warms up and if the LPC joints are not bang on the chip stops working

[Arakon]

DON'T use the solder method it's intended for.. soldering a chip straight to the MB without a chance to properly make sure no solder flows between pins or that the contact is good is plain stupid.. add a pin header, use wires, or whatever.. but avoid the "quick solder" way.
you'll regret it when you want to remove it for upgrades or cause its fried.

[Chancer]

QUOTE

DON'T use the solder method it's intended for.. soldering a chip straight to the MB without a chance to properly make sure no solder flows between pins or that the contact is good is plain stupid..

Its a bit late for that I think. It may already be soldered.
Also what you are saying is not right. Pin header is great yes as it easy to remove the chip after but soldering the chip direct is easy with only a small degree of soldering skill and I have over 90 of these many installed without a pin header and no problems. Fitting the socket on to the aladdin board is just as hard as the pins do not line up with the half moon connector.
To say a direct solder has no chance is rubbish and not true.

[Arakon]

tell that to the people who used direct solder back with the xecuter 1 and destroyed their xbox trying to remove it.

fitting a socket is a matter of 1 minute.. stick socket through the hole, solder pins, done. no risk, if something goes wrong it can be cleaned up, and it's not in your xbox.

[mic77]

ive always used wires with the alladin chip , and never had any problems before, ive also checked the soldering points to se e if there is a connection.
About the motherboard expanding, its sounds like the only reasonable explanation to this problem, its just that im having a hard time beliving my soldering is the problem since ive doublechecked it more than once, and i am no beginner in soldering.

/mic

[Chancer]

QUOTE

fitting a socket is a matter of 1 minute

You have never fitted a header socket to an aladdin then cos you will not fit one in a minute. The pins have to be bent and formed to solder to the half moon connector as well as some of the pins removed. Fitting the pin header in the mobo is easy yes but if someone cannot do a direct solder then they will struggle with a header socket on this particular chip.
As for the masses who destroyed there boxes removing a direct solder install well they should not be trying to remove the chip if they are not capable. Let someone do it who can do it or fit solderless in the first place. Soldering braid and the correct tecnique makes removal of this sort of thing a doddle to do.
Also take into account that these chips are not supplied with any such extras so the guys that buy then want to use them now not have to try and find a supply of pinheaders and sockets.
Your post suggests direct solder can not work and that is not the case.

[mic77]

now i have tried removing everything and starting from scratch, and it worked... or so i thought alteast, it works just like before, as soon asit heats up it wont boot from the chip, then when i turn it of to cool down it works just fine, but this time i know the soldering is flawless and it must be something else, i know it sounds strange but ive tried resoldering four times now with the same result.

btw, shouldnt the eject light be orange if the chip is active, its green with this chip...

 

[Arakon]

I'm not sure what you are on, chancer, but fitting a header socket into an aladdin advance takes exactly a minute including soldering. you pull out the pins where the aladdin has no solder connectors, stick the connector straight through (no bending involved) and add a bit of solder to every connector. that's it. the solderpads are standard spacing afterall.

as for having to look for a source of pinheaders etc.. just about any electronics shop has them.

[anu|b|iss]

settle down guys! Lets not argue about it. There are tons of ways to solder the chip and you don't all have to agree on which is best OR how long it takes to do either. As for the quick solder. I have removed many aladdins that where soldered to the mobo. It's not impossible and it is quite easy providing you have patience, a little time and are very gentle with it. Just need a solder sucker or copper mesh (though in my personal pref the solder sucker works way better since you can heat up the area and just suck out the solder until it's all gone.) Pulling on the chip is what breaks it and/or the machine. DON'T PULL ON THE CHIP UNTIL IT IS LOOSE FROM THE LPC. A gentle nudge while heating is enough to lift it up enough to suck the solder out.

(EDIT)

BTW, a pin header is not necessary, you can use pins from a discarded peice of hardware like an old hard drive or motherboard IO card.

This post has been edited by anu|b|iss: Mar 10 2004, 05:03 PM

[Chancer]

doubled sorry

This post has been edited by Chancer: Mar 11 2004, 09:41 AM

[Chancer]

QUOTE

I'm not sure what you are on, chancer, but fitting a header socket into an aladdin advance takes exactly a minute including soldering. you pull out the pins where the aladdin has no solder connectors

.
If you look at the pinheader socket the pins that solder on to the aladdin points are slightly staggered so do not meet exactly with the half moon connector points so the pins have to be bent slightly back an angled to fit. I will see if I can post a picture in the morning. I am referring to doing it correctly with the pinheader (male) onto the mobo and a socket (female) fitted to the aladdin not just soldering the aladdin board onto a (male pin header.
For your information dickhead I aint on anything
content offensive so removed.

This post has been edited by Chancer: Mar 11 2004, 11:20 AM