Post by: xboxmods2977 on August 22, 2011, 08:44:00 PM
To simply run XBMC as a dash, it isn't necessary, and also not recommended.
For one, if you flash the wrong bios, you will kill your mod chip. For two, unless you are looking to upgrade to a gianormous hard drive, or want to run your xbox without a DVD Rom drive, there isn't a reason worth the risky procedure.
Post by: xboxmods2977 on August 23, 2011, 02:36:00 PM
If the bank size is 256k, go with the iND 5003 bios.
If the bank size is 512k, go with the X2 5035 bios.
These are just my personal bios recommendations of course, but these 2 bios' are the best available anyway.
Then determine what version the Xbox is. This too is important to know before you flash your chip with a new bios.
Post by: Heimdall on August 23, 2011, 03:35:00 PM
Your options are:
1.0-1.5 Xbox - iND-BIOS.5003, X2.4981, Evox M8+
1.6 Xbox - Evox M8+ 1.6
Note that there are two different versions of Evox M8+, and if you use the wrong one you'll need another chipped Xbox or another chip to recover.
Your seller should be able to give you all the details about the Xbox version and the BIOS, assuming that he/she modded it themselves, but even so you should double check before doing anything.
Post by: Heimdall on August 24, 2011, 09:34:00 AM
Post by: shambles1980 on August 24, 2011, 10:59:00 AM
Im 99% sure the ram would be compatable. i think hyinx ram is the only one with any issues. and they only come on the v1.6 (correct me if im wrong some 1)
Post by: Difio on August 24, 2011, 08:08:00 PM
When the Xbox is arrived, i realise that the modchip was not installed in the xbox, but i had to solder it (there have been a misunderstanding between me and the seller)
However, when i took the modchip, I've seen that the part that have to be sold to the LPC was completely gone (probably the pads got damaged when the chip was desoldered)
However, the chip was a "gift" by the seller, so i didn't get angry so much...however, I thought that this problem might be solved soldering every point of the LPC (looking to the scheme, obviously) and using the pad along the circuit of every point. I've done it, but when i turned on the xbox, the chip didn't start...I've tried to turn on and off the xbox many times, pressing the power button and the eject button for 1 second and so on, but nothing happened.
However the xbox loaded the ms dashboard without problem (it ask me to set the date). (I tried also to sold D0 to ground, to make modchip always on, but nothing happen..the situation was the same)
After some minutes, however, the problem: when i turned on the xbox, it turned on and turned off for three times, then it showed me the frag (flashing red and green light) and black screen.
So I immediatly turned off the xbox. The problem was present every time I turned on the xbox. So i think that could be the modchip the problem (even if I checked every soldering). I desoldered the modchip and, indeed, the xbox started correctly again. So i tried to turn on and off many times, and it worked.
Then, I leave it on for some minute (to see if something was ok), but after, i think, 10-15 minute, the xbox got the black screen with the yellow flashing light. I've read that this could be a problem of overheating (and probably it was, because i hadn't close the case)....however after some times, i tried to turn on the xbox again...but here the bad surprise: Frag. The xbox, as before, turn on and off for three times and then show the red/green led flashing... What is happened?
(Before installing the modchip, I've changed the EEPROM phisically from the motherboard, because the original hard drive was broken, so I've taken a drive from another xbox and to resolve the problem of the key i swapped the EEPROM...however, after this operation the Xbox turn on without problem so i don't think that this can be the reason).
Any suggestion?
EDIT: Another think: when i soldered the D0 point to ground, I've not soldered the one on the modchip to ground, but the on the motherboard...I don't think if it could be the reason (sincerely i remembered that the point to sold to the ground was the one on the motherboard), but however after i remove it (alongside with the modchip) the xbox worked, as i said before, so i don't think that this is the problem.
Post by: Difio on August 24, 2011, 08:58:00 PM
Post by: Heimdall on August 25, 2011, 02:13:00 AM
However, if the chip was from a different Xbox version and has the wrong BIOS, or it is broken, then you are out of luck, and should just softmod the Xbox.
Post by: xboxmods2977 on August 25, 2011, 04:17:00 PM
When the box overheated (flashing yellow), you could have killed something on the board.
You could have sent an ESD into the board from your iron and killed something (this has happened to me) on the board.
You could have a solder splash/bridge somewhere on the board.
Inspect the board carefully.
Post by: Difio on August 25, 2011, 09:06:00 PM
For the FRAG, looking at the motherboard I hadn't seen anything, so i went to check the LPC...I use the guide on xbox scene and i discovered that a pad of the LPC didn't make contact with the trace...so i found an alternative point and made a bridge to bypass the trace destroyed (this was not caused by me, but from the original owner of these xbox...that had desoldered an LPC modchip in a bad way (i think he used a 220v solder) and he destroyed one or two pads leaving the LPC in a ugly situation).
Then I resold the modchip and everything works, i can load the original dashboard and the bios on modchip using the normal combination of the power button.
Then another bad suprise...i discovered that the bios on modchip was so old that it can't load the dashboard if is connected a locked hard drive with a different key...so i had to take the broken motherboard, desoldered the eeprom with the correct key, and solder it to the working motherboard...(removing the eeprom i've destroied a pad, but fortunately i found an alternate point.
Now it's all ok, even if the mod is not so esthetic-friendly: due to the LPC's pad on the modchip destroyed, i've to build a PCB on which i could solder every single wire and for space reasons I had to put the modchip in vertical...but however doesn't matter, it worked.
Then, for the yellow led, i think there was a problem of thermal conducting...after i removed the CPU heatsink, infact, i seen that the original pad thermal conductor was in a very poor state, so i lapped the heatink and used some thermal conducting paste...I haven't made this operation to the GPU because its heatsink seems to be glued to the processors, so i think that it wouldn't be necessary...
However, i've to test it to assure that all is ok.
Post by: Heimdall on August 26, 2011, 01:45:00 AM
QUOTE(Difio @ Aug 26 2011, 04:06 AM) 
Then another bad suprise...i discovered that the bios on modchip was so old that it can't load the dashboard if is connected a locked hard drive with a different key
Flash it using Evox.
Post by: Difio on August 26, 2011, 06:32:00 AM
Post by: Heimdall on August 26, 2011, 06:49:00 AM
Post by: Difio on August 26, 2011, 08:49:00 AM
Post by: Difio on August 26, 2011, 10:02:00 AM
EDIT: i found that this is normal, but i don't understand why on the resistance where i solder the BT point says that are 20k ohm...i don't understand why...as a result, now the xbox turn on as soon as i connect the power cable...
Post by: Difio on October 09, 2011, 05:05:00 PM
I get no FRAG, black screen or something else, the xbox just boot normally the microsoft dash. I've checked all the solder and they are ok.
The only strange thing i saw is the eject LED: when i press quickly the power button the led at the beginning is red, then became green (and the ms dashboard loads perfectly), and when i press the button for 1 second at the beginning the led is red, then came orange. If i'am not wrong, this is normal, but the fact is that as soon as i leave the button after 1 second the led became green booting the ms dashbard without problem.
I really don't understand, the LPC solder is ok because if they weren't the xbox had to FRAG...
Any of you had experienced a situation like that? Could be a problem of the chip (may be it fried with the old xbox)? I had thought also to an incompatibility between the xbox (a 1.4) and the chips (or better, the old bios)...can somebody help me? Thanks..