Opened A Xbox To Find A Hitachi-lg Dvdrom, **MERGED TOPICS** Options

[truBB]

Any of these?

[LenteSubigo]

Ok, I have a firmware flashing program that appears to have successfully worked. I am still testing this flashing program so if you have an 8163b and would like to test the flashing program please send me a pm.

Wenid has tested it, and it appears to work.


Warning, you will be risking killing your drive. If you want to test this flashing program please remove any other cd or dvd drives from your computer. I don't want to be responsable for someone flashing 8050l firmware to their new dvd burner by mistake.

[freaky_00]

Another note, I have also ordered the IDE FLASHER from Germany. (any help on using this thing would be appreciated.. ahem, ahem, wenid)

If you need any help I could TRY to translate. I don't know if I am good enough for it but it could be worth a try since I am from germany!

First of all here is the program available for download and the german manual (Handbuch).

Chapter 3 adresses jumpering for different sizes of the flash used. Chapter 4 adresses the use of the IDE FLASHER. There is a bunch of "Hinweise" (hints to prevent destroying of the IDE FLASHER or the ICs) which should be followed. These are to much to handle but you could try

world.altavista.com or you could try http://dict.leo.org/?lang=de&lp=ende

The second is a dictionary. You have to use the field under the flags!!!

Chapter 5 Software: ideflash.exe is a PURE dos application and should only be used under dos. You should be able to use it under Win9x/MEs Dosbox. It DOSN'T WORK under 2000 or XP!!! Nothing is said about NT or 2003

The option "-port" tells the app which IDE port the flasher is connected to. "0" means primary IDE, "1" is secondary, 2 and 3 are the following ports! The option "-socket" is used to specify the IC socket. Possible values are DIP32 or PLCC32. The option "-hardware" is new. Possible values are "RevD", "RevE" or "RevF". Most users need to use "RevF". The other values are reserved for older revisions of the hardware. This option could be used to show required jumpering or to control revision specific parameters. Reading out flashs of 1MB is only supported since Rev. F. ALL OPTIONS ARE CASE SENSITIVE. dip32 and DIP32 are differentiated. The correct option would be DIP32!

Note : Before you start to overwrite possibly the only bios chip you have you should do the update on a second chip so you will still have the original. A backup of the old chip which you can reflash.

FlashROM read to file:

"ideflash -port 1 -hardware RevF -socket DIP32 -f_read <file>"

Before writing don't forget to erase:

"ideflash -port 1 -hardware RevF -socket DIP32 -f_erase"

Write from file to FlashROM:

"ideflash -port 1 -hardware RevF -socket DIP32 -f_write <file>"

Hope this will help a bit.

[truBB]

Thanks freaky_00, that info will help. Seems pretty straight forward, as long as I keep ESD safe. I have a couple linux machines, so I'll plug it into one of those.

I have been quite busy for the last couple days playing around with this setup. I plugged in a Thompson back in, and read the values from eVox:

"ready"
"no cd"
"ejecting"
"Open"
"checking"
"[name of cd]"

I tried all the points that I showed above as 'ready' points, but still no success. I usually end up with evox saying "unknown" once the dvd is in and ready. I get the closest results with using the cyan point, as ready (shown above). I also was connecting the ready point thru a 1Kohm resistor.

Also, I swapped pin 3 & 4 on the xbox connector side to get eVox so show the right info. So basically:
LDin ===> inverted ====== to pin 3 (trayin)
LDout ==> non-inverted === to pin 4 (trayout)

something like this:


and for the solder pnts: (except for ready)



I did measure pin 10 on my thompson and got:
0V = not ready
3.2V = after init, and ready.
Other voltages seem to correlate with the linux dvd howto.

[wenid]

Any of these?

The one I'm using is the one you have ringed in dark blue.
The labelling on your board seems to be different to mine. On my board it says TP126 next to this point and the writing is sort of around the other way to the writing near this point on your board (ie. sort of vertical instead of horizontal, if you see what I mean). I'll have a look at the board in the newer drive when I get around to dismantling it.

[wenid]

Thanks freaky_00, that info will help. Seems pretty straight forward, as long as I keep ESD safe. I have a couple linux machines, so I'll plug it into one of those.

I used a GNU/Linux box too. You just need to build the ctflasher kernel modules and you're away, basically.

I have been quite busy for the last couple days playing around with this setup. I plugged in a Thompson back in, and read the values from eVox:

"ready"
"no cd"
"ejecting"
"Open"
"checking"
"[name of cd]"

No "Init"?

I tried all the points that I showed above as 'ready' points, but still no success. I usually end up with evox saying "unknown" once the dvd is in and ready.

If you're using Xbox original discs then it will always say "Unknown" until you flash the Xbox firmware to the drive. I don't think the unknown status is related to the ready signal, at least not directly. The "No Disc" message is a different story, however...

Also, I swapped pin 3 & 4 on the xbox connector side to get eVox so show the right info. So basically:
LDin ===> inverted ====== to pin 3 (trayin)
LDout ==> non-inverted === to pin 4 (trayout)

That may be right -- I may have had the tray in and tray out the wrong way around all along, but I don't think so. The LDIN and LDOUT signals are very similar. The only difference is when they switch from low to high (and back again). One goes high as soon as the tray starts opening and the other doesn't go high until the tray is fully open. How does this timing relate to the changes in the EvoX display for a "real" Xbox DVD drive?

I did measure pin 10 on my thompson and got:
0V = not ready
3.2V = after init, and ready.

Just to clarify: are you saying that it goes from 0V to 3.2V at the same time as the display changes from init to checking?

[Tiros]

If you want this to work right you will need to find the "ready" signal.
You should trace the connection directly from the yellow wire for "ready" to the microprocessor I/O pin that performs this function in a STOCK xbox drive first, Then find the equiv. connection point on your replacement drive. AFTER you flash the xbox FW, that point will become the "ready" signal.

BTW I would use a 74HC14 for the level shifting and inversion. You can run through 2 gates for the signal that doesn't need inversion. No resistors or other BS.

But it seems this unit doesn't read CDR after the mod....so what good is it?

[yohan666]

I too was wondering the benefits of getting one of these PC drives and modding it.

This is what I was thinking.
1. A cheap replacement. I can get one of these LG GDR-8163b drives for 25$. In the case of replacing my old Thompson. DVD R's are so cheap and most games dont even fit on CD R anyway.
2. Possibly a stronger Laser, faster read times, more media compatability.

Next thing I was thinking about was the differences between the 2 drives.
Xbox LG has different circuitry, but same chipset as PC drive?
PC LG Better Lazer?

If the drives are close enough and someone already has the LG drive in their Xbox, can they buy the PC LG and just take the lazer out from the PC drive and put it in the Xbox drive, in theory making their drive stronger with out having to go through all this modding?

[dbzfanhater]

darn getting close i wish there was a firmware for GDR-8162b because u can get thoes for like 35 bucks and i got on my floor right beside me

This post has been edited by dbzfanhater: Mar 17 2005, 10:32 PM

[BCIcdrz]

will a GDR-8163BK work?

i think the K for the black bazel

ones without the K are white

[truBB]

The one I'm using is the one you have ringed in dark blue.
The labelling on your board seems to be different to mine.  On my board it says TP126 next to this point and the writing is sort of around the other way to the writing near this point on your board (ie. sort of vertical instead of horizontal, if you see what I mean). I'll have a look at the board in the newer drive when I get around to dismantling it.

According to what you wrote before, TP126 is on the board of the other dvdrom (8050L) you have? If you also look closely at my pic above you can see that there is "TP126" on the left side, directly in-line with the blue point.
That blue point measured 5VDC for me, both with dvd-in and out.

I used a GNU/Linux box too. You just need to build the ctflasher kernel modules and you're away, basically.
No "Init"?
If you're using Xbox original discs then it will always say "Unknown" until you flash the Xbox firmware to the drive. I don't think the unknown status is related to the ready signal, at least not directly. The "No Disc" message is a different story, however...
That may be right -- I may have had the tray in and tray out the wrong way around all along, but I don't think so. The LDIN and LDOUT signals are very similar. The only difference is when they switch from low to high (and back again). One goes high as soon as the tray starts opening and the other doesn't go high until the tray is fully open. How does this timing relate to the changes in the EvoX display for a "real" Xbox DVD drive?
Just to clarify: are you saying that it goes from 0V to 3.2V at the same time as the display changes from init to checking?

It definitely says 'checking' in eVox with the GDR-8162b. But, thats with my incorrect ready point. I forget if it says 'init' with the thompson, or 'checking'. Currently as I have it hooked up, if I float pin 10, (hold it in my hand for a sec) then ground it, it [eVox] detects the dvd correctly as 'evox-cd' or something similar.

The timing is different than what I expected, when using the Thompson. For instance, measuring the GDR-8162b, I get what you'd expect from the points:
GDR-8162b
_______closed__opening__open
LDin =___0_____3.6_____3.6
LDout =__0______0______3.6

Thompson
_______closed opening open
pin3 = _3.4______0_____0
pin4 = __0______0_____3.4

I'm quoting those #s from memory. I have 'em written down at home, I hope I got 'em right. I did attempt to get this working using an inverter, and only using LDin for both trayin & trayout without sucess. I went back to your orig config as it gives me the best results. Now that I look back, I think it wasn't working using the inverter only because I don't have the correct ready signal.

To clarify with the thomson,
When the dvd is actually ready, I measured 3.2vdc. I forget if its says 'checking or init'. Zero volts otherwise.

[Maverick-DBZ-]

The drive that truBB is working with. I'm wondering if it's the same as this one?


http://www.lge.com/catalog/prodmodeldetail...alSuffix=000000


edit:

has anyone tried the GDR-8163BII it seems to be the same as the GDR-8163B execpt it has a 512KB Cache Buffer size while the GDR-8163B only has 256KB.

This post has been edited by Maverick-DBZ-: Mar 18 2005, 12:54 AM

[calisadork]

Excuse my noob-ness, please. As I understand it, there is currently no software-only solution for replacing the firmware in the LG GDR-8163b drive with firmware that would make it compatible with the Xbox. Currently the only method is to purchase the previously mentioned IDE Flasher. Is this correct?

Is there any speculation on whether or not there will be a software-only solution? That is, is it possible to have a PC program to replace the firmware in the 8163 drive with the 8050's firmware and then use that 8163 drive in an Xbox?

I understand that there would also have to be some wiring modifications and a simple logic circuit to make the hardware interface compatible with the Xbox.

I also understand that if after making the wiring modifications to an 8163 drive but not replacing its firmware that it will work in an Xbox, but it just won't read original Xbox discs? Is this correct?

Yes, I have read the entire thread. I've spent the last few hours doing so.

Thanks for your help.

[Maverick-DBZ-]

calisadork there now is software for flashing the GDR-8163b drive with the Xbox GDR-8050L firmware.


I have the GDR-8050L firmware but I don't have a GDR-8163b drive to test the flasher software with. It's still in the mail.


Once I have the drive I'll be sure to post if it works for me.


edit: here is the readme file that Xbox-Scene posted on there main page. I really hope it works!

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EE...uZleZTXnLjM.php

This post has been edited by Maverick-DBZ-: Mar 18 2005, 01:12 AM

[crazygreekangelo]

Hey everyone keep up the good work. If you havn't noticed alredy, I'd like to mention that there is now a link to this post on xbox-scene.com. I guess someone has taken an intrest into our progress

EDIT: oops sorry, I guess Maverick-DBZ- beat me to the news. Anyway, I think I will try ordering one of these drives as soon as it becomes available again on newegg

This post has been edited by crazygreekangelo: Mar 18 2005, 01:23 AM