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Aladdin XT Plus2 On a XBox V1.0


HDShadow
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Not done a chip install before but decided to take the plunge and have just received an Aladdin XT PLUS2 including pin-header.

Thing is I have two options: install on a v1.0 or a v1.6.

I've started by bridging the BT to adjacent GND point so when fitted the chip will be always be on. A bit fiddly and I overcooked the solder on one end but it looks clean enough.

The question is what to do now: there are plenty of guides for the the v1.6 but that involves rebuilding the LPC which with my soldering skills I'm not 100% confident about. There is also contradictory information about the pin-header set up too. Some guides remove just one pin others like this very clear YT guide recommends removing four pins.

The v1.6 LPC hassle made me tend towards using the v1.0 instead but the guides I've found for that are limited and seem unclear in comparison. Nothing at all about using the pin header, if there are any differences, and the pins that need removing or even what needs to be connected to what. Available pictures are particular poor. It also appears that to use the pin header I'm going to have to remove the existing solder from the LPC holes too.

Is the info in the v1.6 YT tutorial about using 5v from the right transistor leg to make the LED only switch on when the Xbox is powered up applicable to the v1.0?

Advice/info please. 

Edited by HDShadow
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For a 1.0 Xbox, Pin 4 in the header has to be removed as there is no hole for pin 4.

Install a 2x6 header (12 pins).  Connect the D0 pad of the modchip to the D0 point on the 1.0 motherboard - either the top via or alternate test pad location on the bottom of the motherboard.

There is no LPC Debug port rebuild required on a v1.0 motherboard.  All the signals are connected to the pin locations on the port.  A rebuild is only required on a v1.6 motherboard since MS did not connect the signals to the pin header locations for many of them.

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4 hours ago, HDShadow said:

It also appears that to use the pin header I'm going to have to remove the existing solder from the LPC holes too.

True. On a v1.0 motherboard, you have to remove the solder from the LPC holes to install the pin header. 

Carefully use solder wick if used improperly you can easily damage traces on the motherboard or solder sucker (desoldering tool) or desoldering station.

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So the led is switched I cut the trace between R1 and the via point (yellow line) 

Then add a link from R1 to pin 9 (3.3 volt) and I also link the BT to pin 2 (Ground) ( the green lines)

This way the led will be switched in all versions of Xbox.

IMG_20200404_103218.thumb.jpg.1a0fa9d19477097aab7ca970f025eb45.jpg

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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As said I've already done the BT to Pin 2. Whilst the soldering of that looks 'average' from the wire connection side of the chip looked at from the other side, which will actually be on top when the chip is fitted, it looks pretty good. 

So cutting that R1 trace and connecting R1 to ground will do the same thing as the 5v wired connection shown in the v1.6 YT video. Yes?

The only other thing to do then is the wire from D0 pad on the chip to the appropriate point on the MB. Seems D0able. :)

BTW how easy is it to get the LED off and replace it with for instance a blue one? 

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1 minute ago, HDShadow said:

As said I've already done the BT to Pin 2. Whilst the soldering of that looks 'average' from the wire connection side of the chip looked at from the other side, which will actually be on top when the chip is fitted, it looks pretty good. 

So cutting that R1 trace and connecting R1 to ground will do the same thing as the 5v wired connection shown in the v1.6 YT video. Yes?

The only other thing to do then is the wire from D0 pad on the chip to the appropriate point on the MB. Seems D0able. :)

BTW how easy is it to get the LED off and replace it with for instance a blue one? 

The wire from R1 is going to the 3.3 volt supply and not ground.

The D0 has 2 locations 1 on the bottom of the PCB and that is a bigger solder point and the via point on the top of the PCB that's a shipload smaller.

 

1174336387_D0ona1.0.PNG.514bc9a974822b0b642945ea161445d8.PNG  1661955094_D0ona1.2.PNG.38681641200c83d2606409c3881ffc08.PNG

The D0 can be soldered directly to a ground point (one of the screw holes is good)

Swapping the LED is doable if your soldering skills are reasonable

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

 

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Sorry I did read your post and meant R1 to 3.3v (Pin 9) not ground.

Do you mean D0 point(s) of any Xbox version's MB can be connected to any ground point and I can safely ignore the chip's D0 pad connection?

That is one of the things I was confused about in the 'official' Aladdin XT PLUS2 PDF install manual it mentions not using the chip's D0 pad as its unreliable but only shows the v1.6 D0 MB point connected to a screw pad.      

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39 minutes ago, HDShadow said:

Sorry I did read your post and meant R1 to 3.3v (Pin 9) not ground.

Do you mean D0 point(s) of any Xbox version's MB can be connected to any ground point and I can safely ignore the chip's D0 pad connection?

That is one of the things I was confused about in the 'official' Aladdin XT PLUS2 PDF install manual it mentions not using the chip's D0 pad as its unreliable but only shows the v1.6 D0 MB point connected to a screw pad.      

On all versions 1.0-1.4 I ground the D0 point on the main board and I do not connected to the modchip.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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I've decided to wimp out on using the v1.0. I had a look at the LPC and did not fancy de-soldering every hole.

But I have a v1.1 too I bought used with a dodgy disc drive (605F) which has now given up the ghost so I've had to swap in a replacement one from another working Xbox. Didn't want to do that but for me there's no point in fitting a chip in a Xbox that is not fully functional. Anyway that's a side issue.

My question is are there any differences fitting the Aladdin chip in a v1.1 ie. that info about cutting the trace and and wiring R1 to pin 9 or the pin-header stuff?

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The cutting of the trace next to R1 on the modchip is only needed for the Version 1.6 if you want the led switched on/off.

I always fit a pin header then you can plug the chip on and if you soldering skills are not up to speed use the alternate D0 point as it is a larger spot to solder to.

 

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

 

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The pin header I was always going to use; it is just its easier to fit it to the v1.1 because the LPC holes are free of the solder that blocks them on the v1.0. As said, wimping out this time but if it all goes OK I might try chipping the v1.6 next.

I am also going to use the larger D0.

I do want the LED to turn off when I turn the Xbox off. With a v1.1 does that mean I do not need to do that trace cut and the additional R1 to pin 9 connection?

Also looking back at KaosEngineer's posts I'm a bit confused about which pins on the 12 x pin header I need to remove for a v1.1. He said it was unnecessary to remove all 4 pins (as shown in the YT video) but I realise now that was just in relation to the v1.6 Xbox. Which pin or pins can be or more importantly need to removed for a v1.1?

Edited by HDShadow
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I always fit a 14 pin header and remove pin 4 on versions 1.0-1.4 and on the 1.6 Xbox remove pin4 and pin 6(5 Volt).

The only reason I fit the 14 pin is incase I fit a open Xenium and it gives easy access to the 2 extra data lines use for the LCD.

You can still mod the Aladdin chip like the pic I posted and it will work in all versions(1.0-1.6) and still switch the led on and off.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Been busy on other things but bit the bullet and tried installing the chip today.

All seemed to go OK..........................................except the result was the Xbox (v1.1) ended up fragging.

There's no indication of any power to the chip, the LED doesn't even come on momentarily.  I snipped the (alternative) D0 point connection I made to the nearest screw hole plate and as far as I've tested it the Xbox still boots OK so there's been no accidental damage to the MB or components. But that means there's likely  something wrong with the pin header connections.

But I've checked the soldering and whilst its not pretty it looks OK. Is there any way to test if/what power is on each pin so I can perhaps find the culprit and fix it?

BTW I did the full (12) LPC pin header pin removal thing as suggested in several guides and SS_Dave ^ ie. looking down on the pin header from above removed pins 3, 4, 5 and 11.

1501075275_FullLPCPinHeaderRemoval.png.4d9c00f38df7c485640492b09c19e31f.png

    

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I'll restore the other 3 pins then.

Sorry to be pedantic but you both say ^ ^^ pin 4 is the only one that needs removing but surely it would be better if you called it pin 3?

Pin 3 is actually what goes into the chip, its only pin 4 if you're looking from the bottom of the MB which of course you won't see when the MB is replaced in position.

266275300_FullLPCPinHeaderRemoval.png.ebd3380adb8ebbaa85d532f078ba278e.png

 

 

 

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Is that really the accepted/standard convention for numbering the pins?

I'm familiar with chip pinouts where they're numbered anti-clockwise from an identified pin 1 position.

The pinouts I've had most experience with are SCART TV connector cables where the pins are numbered: (1) bottom left, (2) bottom right, (3) second row up left and so on but, of course, the receiving SCART socket is the reverse of that ie. as for the ^ numbering of the LPC socket in that pic. The SCART cable pins themselves are still identified as I described  left to right from the bottom left up.

But if that LPC socket pinout ID is the accepted convention for referring to the pins too I'm not going to be pedantic and argue with it. 😀 

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11 minutes ago, HDShadow said:

Is that really the accepted/standard convention for numbering the pins?

I'm familiar with chip pinouts where they're numbered anti-clockwise from an identified pin 1 position.

The pinouts I've had most experience with are SCART TV connector cables where the pins are numbered: (1) bottom left, (2) bottom right, (3) second row up left and so on but, of course, the receiving SCART socket is the reverse of that ie. as for the ^ numbering of the LPC socket in that pic. The SCART cable pins themselves are still identified as I described  left to right from the bottom left up.

But if that LPC socket pinout ID is the accepted convention for referring to the pins too I'm not going to be pedantic and argue with it. 😀 

Try soldering D0 to the chip before you add the other pins but add pin 6 if you want the led to turn on. Use the D0 on the underside as it is easier to solder to.

 

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8 hours ago, HDShadow said:

Is that really the accepted/standard convention for numbering the pins?

I'm familiar with chip pinouts where they're numbered anti-clockwise from an identified pin 1 position.

The pinouts I've had most experience with are SCART TV connector cables where the pins are numbered: (1) bottom left, (2) bottom right, (3) second row up left and so on but, of course, the receiving SCART socket is the reverse of that ie. as for the ^ numbering of the LPC socket in that pic. The SCART cable pins themselves are still identified as I described  left to right from the bottom left up.

But if that LPC socket pinout ID is the accepted convention for referring to the pins too I'm not going to be pedantic and argue with it. 😀 

It is how the pins are always referenced on a original Xbox.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.
 

 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Ging3rguy said:

Try soldering D0 to the chip before you add the other pins but add pin 6 if you want the led to turn on. Use the D0 on the underside as it is easier to solder to.

 

I actually soldered that to an alternative ground point: the nearest screw plate as per earlier recommendations but are you saying I should connect it instead to the chip's D0 pad instead?

My feeling was that the fact the console booted OK when I cut the wire meant the D0 connection was doing what it was meant too and that it had been good until I snipped it.

It surely confirms that the problem is with the chip or the pin soldering, not the D0 point connection.

I want the LED to come on when the Xbox is powered up but one of the reasons I followed the guide to remove four pins rather than just the one was because it said the chip LED would turn on as long as the Xbox was connected to the mains if you did not remove pin 6. 

Looking at that LPC pinout, removing pin 12 GND seems a bit pointless so that really only leaves the LFrame pin 3 removal open to question. Would that pin not being connected cause the chip not to boot because if its not that then it must be my soldering or, hopefully not, the chip itself is faulty.

My money is on my soldering but it seems most sensible to reinstate all the pins removed except 4 and see if it works.       

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I have the D0 to ground and the BT on the chip linked to pin 2 (ground) and by doing it this way the mod chip is always enabled.

The pic I posted about cutting a trace on the mod chip is mainly for the version 1.6 so the led switches off and it will still switch the led on and off in all the other versions.

If you are fitting the Aladdin in a version 1.0 -1.4  then you need pin 6 to power the LED on the chip or you can mod the chip like the pic I posted before.

IMG_20200404_103218.jpg.e98d9f1a9035534dc245b75ad3bdff2f.thumb.jpg.77714f911f2b39fac85ab8ff173e371a.jpg

So at least add the pin (pin 3)for the Lframe and test again. (your pin 4)

 

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

 

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