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Weird Issue With Og XBox V1.6 and MuppetX


sidocious
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Hi Mates,

I met the following issue, I try to explain everything... I'm totally lost in space, so I hope, you have some idea what happening... :)

So, first, what you have to know:
- I've got an xbox classic v1.6 without video and sound output.
- When opened it, I found a MuppetX modchip in it. My friend inform me, he try to flash this modchip, but 1MB always gave an error message "mismatch bios size", so he flashed it with 256KB bios. That was the mistake of him, so the modchip never works again... (The LPC Chip is 49LF020A, like in Aladdin)
- I flashed it with USB Programmer with many types of bios.bin, tried 256, 512, 1024 evom8+ for v1.6, I tried everything to use it again... But the only working solution was to flash it with 4*256kb = 1MB XBlast OS bios. But when I use XBlast NET bios flasher (cause I can't use any other way, just USB programmer), the flashed bios never works.
- I checked all capacitors and all of them is in good conditon... I checked traces and all of them in good condition.
- When I push (more than 5 sec) the power button, the xbox started and loaded the XBlast OS. Without modchip (power up with eject or just push power button) there is no video or sound output. If I change the Bank (I do not know is it bank0 or bank1), the Xbox turn off and turn on again...

My questions:
- Is there anyone who has an original dump of a MuppetX bios?
- Which is the Bank0 and Bank1 on MuppetX?
- Which BIOS size the correct for that? (As I said, I try 1MB first and all other sizes, but won't work...)
- Why Xbox doesn't give video and sound output without modchip?
Is it maybe an EEPROM error?...

Thank you in advance!

BR, Zsolt

ps: I red this topic: 

 but do not help :S

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2 minutes ago, Benur75 said:

Are you sure you flashed a 1.6 bios like Evo bios ? Because you may know that you have to flash a specific bios when using a 1.6 Xbox.

Bye

Yes. I used the right bios :) And yes, I know, there is a specific bios for v1.6 and another one for v1.6 with more than +137 GB HDD use... I think there is another problem...

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Oh, I forgot to share some other information...

I soldered a brand new aladdin chip to it and the problem is same. No video, no sound. I flashed this brand new modchip in my v1.6 xbox with v1.6 evo m8+ bios and nothing happened... So, this MuppetX the only one what I can use to got video and sound output... Really weird...

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Just thought I'd mention this from what I've read so far: it sounds like whoever modded this Xbox might have cut a trace leading to the Xyclops chip, containing the original Xbox BIOS. Can you check the traces near this onboard IC? If this is the case, it is impossible to boot from the original onboard BIOS. You must use a modchip to use the console at all, or repair the trace. If the console cannot find a BIOS to boot from, it always tries three times then FRAGs.
I DO have a copy of the original MuppetX BIOS, I dumped it before reprogramming it manually when I first got it.
I can't attach it as it exceeds this forum's file size limit, so I'll post a link for anyone who wants it.

https://gargoyle.acns.pns.edu/xbox/MUPPETXBIOS.BIN

I also have a link to another forum (in foreign language) where someone described how to make a CD with the correct filename for overwriting the BIOS via the Xbox itself (with the modchip in) https://gueux-forum.net/index.php?/topic/193810-resoluflasher-sa-muppet-x/

I hope this helps! EDIT: I thought I'd mention, the MuppetX BIOS is simply a Cromwell-like loader used for reflashing whatever other BIOS you want to put on the modchip. It cannot by itself boot any Xbox programs. It's use was simply to avoid selling chips containing modified Microsoft copyrighted code, to leave the end user to find this for themselves.

Edited by samspin
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If the OP has a MuppetX chip he is flashing the wrong size BIOS it has 2 banks of 512kb and he has flashed the chip(49LF020A) with a external programmer with a 1meg (4X256kb).

I also don't think he is trying to boot the OE BIOS he just trying to get the mod-chip working

The OP also states the mod chip has a 49LF020A where I am sure the Muppet has a 49LF080A chip so to me that sounds like a Aladdin chip.

 

SS Dave

 

 

Those who can hard-mod, Those who can’t soft-mod.  

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5 hours ago, SS_Dave said:

Post a pic of the chip you have.

SS Dave

Those who can hard-mod, Those who can’t soft-mod.  

Hi SS Dave,

I have the same as the attached pictures, but the LPC chip is (I do not know why) 49LF020A as I remember. (Now I'm at workplace so I can't check it just on the evening)

Edited by sidocious
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If the modchip installed has a 49LF020A (2Megabit - 256KByte), it's only a 256KB flash memory chip - 1 256KB BIOS bank.  It cannot be a MuppetX with 2 512KB banks.  That chip is not large enough.  It would need to be a 49LF080A (8Megabit flash - 1MByte) to have 2-512KB banks which actually hold a duplicate 256KB BIOS or 1 512KB BIOS (e.g. X2 5035 v16).

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1 hour ago, KaosEngineer said:

If the modchip installed has a 49LF020A (2Megabit - 256KByte), it's only a 256KB flash memory chip - 1 256KB BIOS bank.  It cannot be a MuppetX with 2 512KB banks.  That chip is not large enough.  It would need to be a 49LF080A (8Megabit flash - 1MByte) to have 2-512KB banks which actually hold a duplicate 256KB BIOS or 1 512KB BIOS (e.g. X2 5035 v16).

Like in Aladdin... So I really do not understand how can it work. And of course I know, it need a 256K bios. But it is really weird... How can it works before if it has 49LF020A, not 49LF080A. And I flashed 256KB bios first, but that won't boot up the xbox... Hmm...

 

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14 hours ago, samspin said:

I hope this helps! EDIT: I thought I'd mention, the MuppetX BIOS is simply a Cromwell-like loader used for reflashing whatever other BIOS you want to put on the modchip. It cannot by itself boot any Xbox programs. It's use was simply to avoid selling chips containing modified Microsoft copyrighted code, to leave the end user to find this for themselves.

Thanks for the nice and detailed message. I downloaded the bios, I try to buy some 49LF080A for the future... 

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14 hours ago, samspin said:

it sounds like whoever modded this Xbox might have cut a trace leading to the Xyclops chip, containing the original Xbox BIOS. Can you check the traces near this onboard IC? If this is the case, it is impossible to boot from the original onboard BIOS. You must use a modchip to use the console at all, or repair the trace.

I checked the motherboard and do not find any cutted traces.

What is really interest (as I wrote before) I put a brand new Aladdin XT Plus2 in it, but that doesn't work... I really do not understand why. I soldered more than 100 modchips in the last 10 years, but I've never met with the same issue :) That is why I really confused...

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18 hours ago, SS_Dave said:

If the OP has a MuppetX chip he is flashing the wrong size BIOS it has 2 banks of 512kb and he has flashed the chip(49LF020A) with a external programmer with a 1meg (4X256kb).

I also don't think he is trying to boot the OE BIOS he just trying to get the mod-chip working

The OP also states the mod chip has a 49LF020A where I am sure the Muppet has a 49LF080A chip so to me that sounds like a Aladdin chip.

 

On 10/20/2019 at 4:30 PM, sidocious said:

But the only working solution was to flash it with 4*256kb = 1MB XBlast OS bios.

That's the part that got me confused whether it was a 1MB or 256k chip... again :/

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25 minutes ago, samspin said:

That's the part that got me confused whether it was a 1MB or 256k chip... again :/

I think (as the XBlast OS said) it can use only the right size of the bios file. if that is too small, than mirroring it to fit it, if it is too big, than use only the right size of that. So, I think, that was only 256KB.

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Slightly non-related but I do remember that the Muppet-X chip used to have a website at the domain "muppetchip.com" very briefly. (see http://web.archive.org/web/20050205015147/http://www.muppetchip.com/  from 2005 advertising a PS2 version, followed by an Xbox version here a couple of months later: http://web.archive.org/web/20050420041329/http://www.muppetchip.com/ ) A WHOIS lookup reveals that that domain is now owned by Disney, presumably because there is a Muppet called Chip from The Muppets. I reckon Disney complained and the modchip manufacturers handed the domain over. That might explain why these particular modchips don't turn up very often! It doesn't help that entering the site shows a Muppet character as the logo!

Edited by samspin
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21 hours ago, KaosEngineer said:

MuppetX Pictures on the Wayback Machine captured from xbox-scene.com

http://web.archive.org/web/20060522115014/http://www.xbox-scene.com/modchips/muppetx_pictures.html

MuppetX Installation Diagrams:

v1.0-1.1

v1.2-1.5

v1.6

Thank you! I had all of them. But it is do not solve my problem, I think. So I bought 3 pieces of 49LF080A and waiting for arrive it...

But... The most interesting situation is, when I put the Aladdin XT+ in it, I can't use it. The problem is same.

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20 hours ago, samspin said:

Slightly non-related but I do remember that the Muppet-X chip used to have a website at the domain "muppetchip.com" very briefly. (see http://web.archive.org/web/20050205015147/http://www.muppetchip.com/  from 2005 advertising a PS2 version, followed by an Xbox version here a couple of months later: http://web.archive.org/web/20050420041329/http://www.muppetchip.com/ ) A WHOIS lookup reveals that that domain is now owned by Disney, presumably because there is a Muppet called Chip from The Muppets. I reckon Disney complained and the modchip manufacturers handed the domain over. That might explain why these particular modchips don't turn up very often! It doesn't help that entering the site shows a Muppet character as the logo!

Thanks.

It is so sad :) And many of the good webpages and community archived :(

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8 hours ago, sidocious said:

Thank you! I had all of them. But it is do not solve my problem, I think. So I bought 3 pieces of 49LF080A and waiting for arrive it...

But... The most interesting situation is, when I put the Aladdin XT+ in it, I can't use it. The problem is same.

I don't think the MuppetX will work with a 256KB flash chip.  Maybe the previous owner swapped flash chips with an Aladdin XT plus 2 when attempting to mod it to an Aladdin-XBlast modchip.  

I'm at a loss that a new Aladdin XT+ doesn't boot either.  In most cases that I've helped someone fix a FRAGing modchip installed Xbox, the problem arose from a bad connection between the LPC bus and the modchip - a cold or improper/poor solder joint of one or more header pins connected to the LPC Debug port.  Possible fix: Reflow (reheat/solder) all the connections and try booting the Xbox again.

Post a picture of the pin header soldering on the back side of the motherboard.  Seeing it will help to determine if the solder joints are the possible problem area.

 

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On 10/23/2019 at 4:51 AM, KaosEngineer said:

I don't think the MuppetX will work with a 256KB flash chip.  Maybe the previous owner swapped flash chips with an Aladdin XT plus 2 when attempting to mod it to an Aladdin-XBlast modchip.  

I'm at a loss that a new Aladdin XT+ doesn't boot either.  In most cases that I've helped someone fix a FRAGing modchip installed Xbox, the problem arose from a bad connection between the LPC bus and the modchip - a cold or improper/poor solder joint of one or more header pins connected to the LPC Debug port.  Possible fix: Reflow (reheat/solder) all the connections and try booting the Xbox again.

Post a picture of the pin header soldering on the back side of the motherboard.  Seeing it will help to determine if the solder joints are the possible problem area.

 

Hi,

Sorry for the late answer, but my work ate me :)

So.

I try to explain again and of course I will attach a picture about the LPC fix.

I soldered out everything from the motherboard. There is no LPC fix, no modchip. Than I plugged it in and when I turn it on, than the green light blinking two short times and four long times. Than the HDD (and the whole system) turned on and spinning up. I tested it without HDD (cause its "sound" so sick), but the issue is the same again.
But there is no video/audio output.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCJqh7Y2aqI

Resoldered the LPC fix (the last one was good too, I checked all of them with multimeter) and put the aladdin in it. The situation is same.

So, that is why I totally confused about this issue... I do not understand, why I can get video output with some modchip OS, but can't got V/A ooutput with a fully working Aladdin...
 

IMG_20191028_200126.jpg

IMG_20191028_200215.jpg

IMG_20191028_200115.jpg

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Shorten the LPC rebuild wires.  Make them just long enough to reach in a straight line without any loops in them.  (I've also read they should not crossover each other.)

On the top side, looks like pin 11 of the header is busted off or at over half of it looks to be gone, is it? I took another look.  Optical illusion on the last picture makes it look broken off but I see it is not.

The pin header solder joints need to be reflowed/reheated as most of the solder is sitting on top of the pin.  It has not flowed down around the pin and inside the feedthru hole on the motherboard to make a good electrical connection.

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22 minutes ago, KaosEngineer said:

Shorten the LPC rebuild wires.  Make them just long enough to reach in a straight line without any loops in them.  (I've also read they should not crossover each other.)

On the top side, looks like pin 11 of the header is busted off or at over half of it looks to be gone, is it? I took another look.  Optical illusion on the last picture makes it look broken off but I see it is not.

The pin header solder joints need to be reflowed/reheated as most of the solder is sitting on top of the pin.  It has not flowed down around the pin and inside the feedthru hole on the motherboard to make a good electrical connection.

Everything have been reflowed. The LPC fix, what you see, I built it so many times and never made issues... And, as I said in my first post, it is worked with MuppetX and with the "old" LPC fix... Gave video- and audio output. Just my "clever" friend flashed that chip to fail... And than started this horrible story...

Another interesting thing, if I flash aladdin (49LF020A) with cromwell or some other modchip OS, than this xbox can give video output. When I flash the modchip from network or from a dvd, that will be fail and do the same issue...

So...

I can soldering out everything, cleaning it out, but I have hundred bucket for that, it will do the same error :S

I checked the whole motherboard with magnify but do not found any "bridges"... Checked connections with multimeter, I do not know what more I can do.

I'm near to retreat...

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HI Sidocious

I this pic one of the solder joints looks suss some more flux and a bit more heat for a fraction longer is needed 

32112552_muppetrepair.jpg.acb906d12b7ac781a29ea7a3c0771ea5.jpg

As mentioned by KaosEngineer shorten the wire length as strange and intermittent things can happen with long wire run even sometime the way the wire is rune can cause problems.

273827756_1_6re.thumb.jpg.7ae8bb25d5c7717aba4a209857039de1.jpg

 

Are you using a D0 wire or have you cut the Lframe point?

 

SS Dave

 

 

Those who can hard-mod, Those who can’t soft-mod.  

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6 hours ago, sidocious said:

Everything have been reflowed. The LPC fix, what you see, I built it so many times and never made issues... And, as I said in my first post, it is worked with MuppetX and with the "old" LPC fix... Gave video- and audio output. Just my "clever" friend flashed that chip to fail... And than started this horrible story...

Another interesting thing, if I flash aladdin (49LF020A) with cromwell or some other modchip OS, than this xbox can give video output. When I flash the modchip from network or from a dvd, that will be fail and do the same issue...

So...

I can soldering out everything, cleaning it out, but I have hundred bucket for that, it will do the same error :S

I checked the whole motherboard with magnify but do not found any "bridges"... Checked connections with multimeter, I do not know what more I can do.

I'm near to retreat...

I think for the MuppetX, it needs a 1MB (49LF080A) EEPROM instead of a 256KB (49LF020A) EEPROM.  Its banks are 512KB (2x256KB) for a BIOS flashed it). I'm not sure if it will load a BIOS file properly with the smaller EEPROM installed in it.

The Aladdin XT chips use the 256KB (2Mbit - 49LF020A's).

Cromwell is a 256KB BIOS as are the modified/hacked EvolutionX M8 and M8+; Team Xecuter X2 4981 and 4983; and iND-BiOS 5003 and 5004 BIOSes.  I don't see why any of these others flashed to the modchip would act any differently - no video output.

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