FRAG with OpenXenium after first boot

[Difio]

Hi, I'm having a really strange issue with some OpenXenium I've built that is driving me crazy. Basically, after flashing XeniumOS with Xenium Tool and hotswap method, on the first boot the modchip works fine: XeniumOS is loaded, I can flash other bios (and I can boot them!), so everything works as intended. However, if I reboot the Xbox the chip doesn't work anymore and the console FRAG. If I reflash XeniumOS it works again at first boot, but - as before - when rebooting xbox everything I get is a FRAG.

I tried turning on with eject button or recovery switch, but nothing change. I tried different dump of XeniumOS and used also the official release of 2.3.1 XeniumOS. It simply acts as a modchip without any bios. It's really something strange because this is happening with all of the five chips I've assembled, with exactly the same behaviour. Thinking of a bad batch of Xilinx or flash I bought another set, but even with them I've the same issue. I really can't understand what's going on. It's like the flash get corrupted after every first boot of XeniumOS.

The Xbox boots without any issues with Aladdin Xblast (which I use to do the hotswap method), so I don't think it's something related to the console. I've upgraded RAM to 128MB, but I don't think it's a problem for openxenium. I program the CPLD with a DIY Xilinx Parallel programmer and Impact (using .jed or .svf) without any error and CPLD works fine, it's recognised by xenium tools, I can change the colour of the LED etc.

Any suggestions? I've searched on the internet, but could not find anything useful. Thanks 

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by Difio

[SS_Dave]

You don't have the recovery point's linked on the chip do you?

 

Cheers

SS Dave

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

[Difio]

No, recovery points are not linked. If I link them, after flashing xeniumOS, recovery mode boots without issue and it still works if I reboot the Xbox. However, as soon as I unlink them and boot to XeniumOS, when rebooting Xbox or turning it off/on I get FRAG. Recovery mode just don't work anymore. As I said, it's like the flash get corrupted after the first boot of XeniumOS, though I ignore the reason.

[KaosEngineer]

Is your OpenXenium modchip one you made or purchased from someone already built?

Edit: I see you said you made them.  Which Gerber file did you use to have the PCBs made.  I thought I had seen something about bug in an early PCB design required to get them to work.  I'll have to see if I can find it.  It may have been for a completely different modchip design though, not the OpenXenium.

 

Post a picture of the pin header soldering on the bottom of the motherboard.

[KaosEngineer]

On 2/21/2021 at 9:28 AM, Difio said:

No, recovery points are not linked. If I link them, after flashing xeniumOS, recovery mode boots without issue and it still works if I reboot the Xbox. However, as soon as I unlink them and boot to XeniumOS, when rebooting Xbox or turning it off/on I get FRAG. Recovery mode just don't work anymore. As I said, it's like the flash get corrupted after the first boot of XeniumOS, though I ignore the reason.

Which XeniumOS bin file did you write to the modchips that you have built?

 

[Difio]

I'm sorry if I just answer now, but I've been busy with work and had to put this matter on hold. So I try to answer the questions in order:

1) I used the gerber present in the ryzee119's github, I think they are the most recent. Here is a photo of the LPC header, sorry for the low quality:

https://imgur.com/a/K6UtAuC

I have already tried to do a reflow, but nothing has changed. Also, I would like to point out once again that I have no problem with an Aladdin Xblast.

2) I used all the files I could find. I tried with the dumps present here on the furum, I tried with the official files present on Xbins. Everything behaves exactly the same way.

During my research, however, I found a very strange thing. After flashing the bios of a XeniumOS gold (but it is valid for any other version), I started the xbox and as soon as XeniumOS loaded, I turned it off. Subsequently, through xenium-tools I made a dump of the contents of the modchip and compared it with the file that I flashed. To my surprise, I found that the dump is completely empty. It is as if the modchip's flash is completely erased after the first boot. This would explain why on the second boot the console goes into FRAG. However, if I flash XeniumOS with Xenium-tools and then immediately dump the flash, they are identical. So something is happening at boot that erase the flash. I just can't explain it...

See image: https://imgur.com/a/NkxyIUO 

Also, I don't know if it is a normal behaviour, but when I flash XeniumOS and reboot the xbox, before loading XeniumOS, it tooks about 5-8 seconds to boot during which the led in the modchip is first amber, then it turns blue. If I reboot it's red.

 

EDIT: I'm reading here and here that if XeniumOS detect that a modchip is a clone, it will lock up the chip...it's basically the exact same thing happening to me. It's very strange...have you some ideas @Ryzee119?

Edited March 26, 2021 by Difio