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Recovering from botched Aladdin installation


jeffl
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I tried to install an Aladdin modchip on my TSOP'ed 1.0 xbox. I overestimated my soldering ability and managed to seriously botch the installation. It looks like I damaged the pads near D0. When I try to boot the xbox, it FRAGs. I'd like to get it back to a working state.

 

Do I have any options for repair or am I SOL?

 

 

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5 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

Oh boy.... You need to do a trace repair with some jumper wires from via to via but how it looks, you should some one else do the job.

And why do you want to install an aladdin in a nice TSOP'ed 1.0/1.1 ?

I wanted the experience of modchip installation. I have a bunch of 1.0/1.1s. I've never encountered a 1.6 in the wild so I figured I'd give it a shot on one I own. I'm really disappointed in myself that I may have damaged the unit potentially beyond repair.  I appreciate the reply.

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What I see can be repaired. The question is (NO offence here) if you are able to repair the board. Again no offence.

You have the option to bridge the traces from one via to another with some fine wire like awg 30 or awg 32 and the XBox should be come back to life if the job is done right.

So maybe you solder on some old broken tech (EDIT: And I don't mean the XBox :D /EDIT) you have laying around to gain experience before you procced to do the job your self or you search for some one who can do the job for you. Pick your poison. ;)

 

Edited by sweetdarkdestiny
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No offense taken. A man must know his limitations. I verified using a multimeter that I only broke those two traces. Here's a picture under magnification.

 

1080113522_Screenshot2022-01-10101247.thumb.png.627d8d0f26158621d95123916291f9c5.png

 

I can't even fit a wire the size of a resistor leg in those vias. Any general guidance from the community on how I would go about this repair?

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You dont need to fit a wire in the via. Just scrape the mask of a bit and tin the via and solder the wire to it (on top).

If you have speaker wire, strip some cm/inch and use just 1 single strand if you don't have wire that small enough. 

Option 2 is to scrape the solder mask of the trace and just bridge the two points (Like shown in this highly professional made picture : https://imgur.com/a/qdUBj1m )

You could also try to use a resistor leg for it since it should be more stable like a single small wire and you have planty of room. And you can fit the shape first so it's maybe easyer for you. But that is on you to figure it out whats easyer for you.

If you have a soldering iron with temp control set it to ~ 300 - 320° C. Depening on the tip you use. And don't forget to pre tin the trace and cable/leg. That makes soldering much easyer.

AND, it dosn't need to be perfect. It just has to be good enough to bridge the points.

Finaly, try it first on some other dead what ever you have laying around and you don't care about. Give you're self some time and try it over and over again. And in 2 or 3 days you get back to the XBox and you will get the job done. :)

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On my fourth try, I successfully repaired the traces. I was shocked that it worked. My advice for others new to soldering is not to attempt grounding D0 until you are comfortable working with really small connection points under magnification. D0 on the bottom of the board may be bigger than it on the top but it is still very small.

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  • 4 months later...

I've done the same thing 😱

 

It's what you get blindly following instructions when your eyes are getting dim with age.

 

Like the OP, I soldered to the test pad which neatly de-laminated it, then the slight flex of the wire broke it off. If I'd looked with more magnification in the first place to trace the tracks I'd have spotted that I could have soldered to the through hole at the end of the track with no trouble.

 

I'll have a look again in the morning.

 

 

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I didn't realize the importance of magnification until I made that error. I bought YOCTOSUN LED Head Magnifier, Rechargeable Hands Free Headband Magnifying Glasses for about $20 on Amazon. I find the product to be good for consoling modding.

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Board startup date: April 23, 2017 12:45:48
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