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DobaMuffin

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Posts posted by DobaMuffin

  1. 6 hours ago, KaosEngineer said:

    Lots of info lost on how they modified the older BIOSes.  The oldest EVTool that Xbins FTP server has is v1.0

    Missing are 0.8.0.b1 and 0.7.0.b1 (thanks @SS_Dave for it. Do you happen to have the 0.8.0.b1 version?)

    On nghtshd's - the dev of XBTool and EVTool - old web site, the History of EVTool shows all the diffs between the versions. 

    Older versions up to v1.0.7 are for M8 or M8_16.  No EVTool tool for M7.  Not sure how these were patched other than hex editing.

    v1.0.8 and v1.0.9 are for Evox M8+ (1.6 and 1.0-1.5 versions) and metoo BFM versions

    (http://web.archive.org/web/20041111034638/http://home.alltel.net/nghtshd/evtool.html)

     

    Hey KaosEngineer. So it doesn't seem that Evtool will work, but I did manage to get it to populate the fields in XBTool 1.0.23a. Looks as though the boot order is evoxdash.xbe, and then xboxdash.xbe.

    Blue.PNG

    Nothing.PNG

    Red.PNG

    • Like 1
  2. 3 minutes ago, KaosEngineer said:

    It has an ALX2+ rev 4 modchip installed.  Currently boots the ALX2+ (kernel version 1.00.5101.01) blue BIOS in the 256KB user flashable BIOS bank or the Red colored version stored in a non-writeable 256KB section.  The devs of the modchip say it's a ROM but the flash memory chip they use is a 49LV400BC-90 chip. A 512K x 8 bit flash memory chip (or 256K x 16 bit accessible with a BYTE# control line). 

    I believe their CPLD's logic code prevents one half of the flash memory chip from being writeable not a separate ROM chip on the modchip.  However, there are 3 chips and I cannot make out the labeling on the CPLD Xilinx 95?? chip or the other part - .

    These images are hopefully easier to read for the ALX2+ rev4. This one from a Reddit post, and the image on this page, though it's labelled as a different modchip, but looks the exact same. 

    • Thanks 1
  3. 7 hours ago, ttsgeb said:

    In the quantities I'm getting, the boards are the most expensive part, at about $6 each, most of that being shipping charges. Otherwise, it's the inductors, which run about $4 each.

    Ah totally forgot to check prices for inductors. That would make sense then.

    Hopefully you figure out the issue that's causing the 5v line to not work. That way a your hard work wasn't for nothing.  

  4. 17 minutes ago, ttsgeb said:

    I'm specifically going for something small to use in the slim xboxen that's a better fit than the picoPSUs are.
    This definitely isn't going to come out cheaper than a used OEM PSU, the BOM is around $30, but it fits in the fan cutout on the motherboard with room to spare, so it's great for size reduction... If I can get it working.

    I would still choose to purchase a new psu if proven to be stable and reliable over the old oem PSUs. Just something about not using old and used parts when new parts would cost about the same.

     

    As for your BOM. What is costing you the most? The pcb's?

  5. 1 hour ago, BaconWizard17 said:

    Interesting. I didn't know that was possible. I do kinda like the aesthetic of the OG controller though

    If you like the og controller aesthetic, I suggest looking/reading these 2 reddit posts for inspiration on modding original xbox controllers. This and this.

    What seems to be the easiest is to use generic xbox controllers for their shells, and modifying everything else to fit into it properly. Though there doesn't seem to be a formal write up anywhere, so you may have to get creative.

  6. 26 minutes ago, Zelg said:

    Hi Yorxs! I just bought my first OG Xbox, I'm very excited! I managed to find a 1.6 one, seems really cool!

    I still can´t solder, but I'm learning about other things you can do to enhance my box, like HDD replacement and cable upgrades.

     

    Cheers, man!

    Hi Zelg.

    For softmods, you don't have to worry about soldering, but it is definitely a nice skill to have when it comes to modding this beast of a console. I wish you luck, and may you have a great time with your new original xbox.

  7. 21 minutes ago, bulkchart32 said:

    what's the reason that u want to use a non oem psu?

    I'm not the person you quoted, but I do have some possible insight into why.

    OEM power supplies can get expensive sometimes, and they do fail from time to time. If a diy psu can be build for a decent price, and is stable and safe, then it is worth building. Whether for a system you have without a psu, or with a failed psu. Another possibility is if you are making a slim xbox build, then any space saved can make things easier.

    Personally, I can only find original power supplies for about $30 CAD which is more than I've paid for pretty much any of my xbox systems. In my case, I'm interested in a diy power supply solution as it would save me quite a bit of money vs buying several power supplies to power the xbox motherboards I have at home.

    And as always, as these consoles age, parts start to fail, and what stockpile of replacement parts there was start to shrink. By having new parts to replace the old failing parts, you help prolong the life of these consoles. I know that the xbox psu can be repaired most of the time by replacing the capacitors, but not everybody has the skills to do that, and sometimes the issue is more than just the capacitors.

    So that's my insight into why, but judging by ttsgeb's first post, I'd say that they are looking for a more elegant solution to getting a cheap psu for the xbox instead of going the route of using a picoPSU.

    • Like 1
  8. 7 hours ago, ttsgeb said:

    I just threw together revision 2, and still have the issue with the 5v line not producing any voltage.  I'm not entirely sure what's going on, and I've been struggling to find the motivation to work on this project for a while.  I also learned that I chose the transistors for controlling the power poorly, and picked new ones out that were supposed to be the same footprint, but they turned out to be about 30% larger, which makes them completely unworkable on this board. I'll have to look more into what happened there and apparently work on my datasheet reading skills.

    I will see if I can create a design too, as I have a few xbox motherboards that need power supplies and I'd rather not buy a bunch of old psu's for them.

    Reading datasheets can be tough sometimes, and we all make mistakes so no worries. Hopefully though, you gain valuable skills from this project. And good luck with trying to figure out the issue(s).

     

    DobaMuffin

  9. 5 hours ago, ttsgeb said:

    I found the problem: I made the footprint wrong.  Good thing boards are cheap these days.
    image.thumb.png.a82f98db24a75bca6836d3998cb595bf.png

    Lol. It's always something simple. Glad you could figure out the issue. Hopefully it's the only issue there was.

  10. 31 minutes ago, ttsgeb said:

    The datasheet said nothing about no-load shutoff, and I didn't build that into the circuit, but I gave it a try anyway.
    No change. I'm still seeing nothing from the 5v and perfect behavior from 3v3. I'll make sure to have a load connected on my second build before powering it up, though.

    Do you have an oscilloscope available to you so that you can see what the 5v line looks like?

  11. 7 minutes ago, ttsgeb said:

    The datasheet said nothing about no-load shutoff, and I didn't build that into the circuit, but I gave it a try anyway.
    No change. I'm still seeing nothing from the 5v and perfect behavior from 3v3. I'll make sure to have a load connected on my second build before powering it up, though.

    What part did you use for the 5v circuit?

  12. On 6/5/2020 at 7:58 PM, ttsgeb said:

    I'll be ordering a replacement chip and a components kit to build a second one tonight. Hopefully this time next week, I'll have a working board.

    Any luck with the new parts?

  13. Looking through the files, there is also documentation relating to the xbox in the form of PDFs which go into detail about various parts of the hardware. located here. There is also pictures of what looks to be hardware designed for the lpc bus. Here and also this.

    I've also seen some source code to xbox programs hidden away in some archives like UnrarX2.rar.

    I've also found photos of some very sweet looking avalaunch themed xboxs. Here and a few in this folder like this and this.

    So while I am not too sure why they put all this online for anyone to see, I can say for sure that there is some interesting things hidden through out.

  14. Hello,

    Whenever I get interested in a new subject, I always do a deep dive to find all sorts of information on it, and the Xbox is no different. Well while searching for a datasheet of the Xbox mcpx chip, I stumbled upon a bunch of files. Some are seemingly random, while other have to do with Avalaunch development, or pictures and files of xbox hardware. I don't know if much of the files or pictures are particularly helpful, but I find them interesting if nothing else.

    Here is the website in question: http://www.crusaders.no/~joker/old_web/

    Maybe someone can figure out what's relevant for this community and combine it all together.

    DobaMuffin

  15. On 5/30/2020 at 1:02 AM, Saturnplanet5 said:

    Hi, new here. Hope to learn some tricks.

    I'd suggest to take a look around the forums and read a few of the posts to see if any of the information is interesting for you. I guess it also depends on what you want to do, and what you're looking to get out of your xbox. Do you want to softmod it or hardmod it? Play games, or code programs? It really depends on what you want to do, as to where to start learning new tricks.

    16 minutes ago, Stimpy777 said:

    Same goes for me, but this site seems pretty complete 🙂

    From what I've seen of this site, it is pretty complete overall. There is certainly lots of interesting, and sometimes obscure information hidden away if you know where to look. I suggest looking at what interests you in the forums.

    And both of you, welcome to this community.

    DobaMuffin

  16. On 1/6/2020 at 9:55 PM, r3dback said:

    I was lucky enough to pick up a crystal Xbox for $5 at flea market.

    Mine ended up costing me 60 CAD, and I got lucky because I was the first person to setup a time to meet up so that I could purchase it. Luckily it had never been opened, and by seeing if it had the extra screw post or not, I found out it was a 1.6 so I left it as is for now. Don't know when I'll open it up, but its not too big of a concern for me.

  17. 1 hour ago, ttsgeb said:

    Idk. Bob has a nice ring to it.

    I'll be ordering a replacement chip and a components kit to build a second one tonight. Hopefully this time next week, I'll have a working board.

    I like that idea. First revision "Rev Bob". Definitely something that would be memorable.

    I look forward to the update for the next attempt.

  18. 4 hours ago, ttsgeb said:

    Boards came in today
    IMG_20200605_080552.jpg?width=974&height=1298
    IMG_20200605_095201.jpg?width=974&height=1298
    Assembled and tested, the 3v3 line works as expected, but the 5v line doesn't work at all. I'm assuming it's due to a poorly aligned chip that I didn't notice until after I plugged it in. I re-aligned the chip and the problem got worse. I'm pretty sure that chip is fried.
    I also ran into a problem with the power jack, apparently either I read the datasheet wrong, or the datasheet was wrong.  Either way, I had to solder a pigtail jack on to get power to the board.

    That sucks. Hopefully it is just a fried chip, and not a board issue. But I guess that's part of the whole process of designing a board like that.

    When all is said and done, what will you call the first released board revision?

    • Like 1

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