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

[wenid]

as for using an op-amp or NAND gate I'd have to side wit neither. While I can appreciate both methods an op-amp has no place in digital only circuitry

You are entitled to your opinions, of course, but perhaps you could keep them to yourself until you come up with a better solution. So far the op-amp is actually the cleanest and simplest solution. As has been stated repeatedly before, the problem we have is NOT purely a logic issue.

and a NAND gate requires more wiring than needed. The same effect could be accomplished with an inverting buffer.

Indeed it could, and has -- I did do it this way at one point, in fact I originally suggested this way back in one of my earliest postings to this thread. So far the only device with spec's that meet the challenge requires pullup resistors on its outputs (open-collector ouputs), making it messier than the op-amp solution. It might be technically more "correct" or "pure", but it's more of a pain and a fiddle and the op-amp solution works just as well.

[twistedsymphony]

What you suggested using before was a "hex inverter" which is different than an inverting buffer. A proper inverting buffer will pull up the 3-point-whatever to a solid 5V and invert without the need for pull up resistors. It's a single chip with no other components needed....

You asked me to keep my opinions to myself until I had a better suggestion.. well I gave you a better suggestion, just because I haven't had a chance to physically PROVE it doesn't mean it wont work or that it's not a good solution.



This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Mar 18 2005, 06:52 AM

[wenid]

does it read ALL DVD+R and DVD-R or only the good ones?????

Since only a very few people have one of these up and running, I would think that very little testing has been done. I can tell you that it reads TDK DVD-R discs OK, but that's all I've tried in mine so far. As for "only the good ones", past experience would suggest that it's just as likely to be cheap media that works.

[wenid]

What you suggested using before was a "hex inverter" which is differet than an inverting buffer.

Nice nit-picking. How about actually giving us something useable instead of trying to show off what a smart-ass you can be? While we're on the subject, if you're going to have that crap about spell-checking in your signature, you'd better spell-check your own postings, eh? ("differet")

A proper inverting buffer will pull up the 3-point-whatever to a solid 5V and invert without the need for pull up resistors. It's a single chip with no other components needed....

Great. Where can we get one? What is the part number or whatever? Where are some data sheets?

You asked me to keep my opinions to myself until I had a better suggestion.. well I gave you a better suggestion, just because I havne't had a chance to physically PROVE it doesn't mean it wont work or that it's not a good solution.

It doesn't mean it WILL work either, and you haven't give us a COMPLETE better suggestion, just a fairly vague idea with no specifics that anyone can actually use.

[twistedsymphony]

pardon me for trying to help out

This post has been edited by twistedsymphony: Mar 18 2005, 06:52 AM

[wenid]

pardon me for tying to help out

What help? All you've done so far is tell us we're doing it wrong and that we should use an inverting buffer. Not very helpful in my book. (still not spell-checking? -- "tying")

This post has been edited by wenid: Mar 18 2005, 06:50 AM

[HSDEMONZ]

Let's end the back and forth bickering and keep this a technical discussion.

[truBB]

I'm apparently helpless, because I'm going around in circles confusing myself & everyone. I bought the drive from newegg, and is the GDR-8163B.




Flipping the board over, and looking from the side there is a date/and number, that says:
JD4 (GDR-8163B)
2004/02-02



Using my magnifying glass, and looking closely at the backside of the board, you can see that the blue point is actually TP126, directly to the left of TP129. (super closeup)
.

Reference, back side of board:

[{{DEMON}}]

SO let me see if i have this right?

Flash the PC Drive with the LG Xbox DVD drive Firmware (just like 616t)?
Just solder the 4 wires to the 4 points on the mainboard of the DVD drive(just like samsung 616t)?
Solder the other ends to thre respective pins on the pinheader so you can plug the yellow cable into it?
Thats it im read to go?
It reads originals?
NO Motor reversing?

{{DEMON}}

[ferrari_rulz_02]

SO let me see if i have this right?

Flash the PC Drive with the LG Xbox DVD drive Firmware (just like 616t)?
Just solder the 4 wires to the 4 points on the mainboard of the DVD drive(just like samsung 616t)?
Solder the other ends to thre respective pins on the pinheader so you can plug the yellow cable into it?
Thats it im read to go?
It reads originals?
NO Motor reversing?

{{DEMON}}

theres a bit of inverting going on i think. i think it'd be easier till one of them writes a tut on exactly what to do

[Tiros]

That depends what you mean by "work right". According to truBB, the point I'm using for ready is no good, and yet this drive is working fine. It may not be perfect, but in practice who really cares?

We are well aware of this approach. It has been mentioned before and this is, in fact, how I arrived at the ready point I am now using. The problem is that the circuitry in the 8163B is not absolutely identical to that in the 8050L, and some of the differences appear to affect these signals.

This device has already been considered and rejected. It's minimum high level input voltage is too high.

The same good as any other Xbox DVD drive that won't read CDRs, ie. still very useful, especially considering how cheap DVD burners and media are these days. Who needs CDRs anyway?

If you can't find the "Ready" using the approach I suggest, you are not doing it right or don't understand digital circuits. The latter seems to be more likely since you persist in using an OpAmp for a digital circuit. Perhaps you need to review what I did originally for the 616T on xboxhacker.net to understand the consequences of not using the correct ready signal.

Perhaps you do not know how to read a datasheet.
74HC14 Datasheet
Specifically (Page 2 VT+)

I really don't like your attitude. From what you have posted so far you have minimal, at best, hardware engineering skills. Your mod is more of a kludge than it needs to be since you do not understand basic electronics. Others try to help, and you ridicule. Wow, you flashed the firmware from an XBOX original drive to a PC drive!! Nobody ever thought of that before

Maybe you think it's "good enough" and "nobody cares", but these are just excuses for poor engineering.

This post has been edited by Tiros: Mar 18 2005, 06:16 PM

[eclone]

Another xbox with LG drive:

Prod. date: ? januari 2005
Serial: 2xxxxxx 50505
Version: v1.6b (Hynix ram)
Bought in: EU (Netherlands)

[Tiros]

A quick look shows an even better choice here:

74HCT14

Note on page 11, VT+ is only 2.1 volts!
They are only $0.30 at Mouser.
The HC14 (not HCT) can become borderline if the 5V supply voltage is high and the 3.3 is a little low. The HC14 would work if powered up through a diode, reducing it's VCC by .6volts. The HCT is a better choice since than the HC or the OpAmp, it will meet all worst case situations, and requires NO external parts.

This post has been edited by Tiros: Mar 18 2005, 07:47 PM

[LenteSubigo]

If you can't find the "Ready" using the approach I suggest, you are not doing it right or don't understand digital circuits. The latter seems to be more likely since you persist in using an OpAmp for a digital circuit. Perhaps you need to review what I did originally for the 616T on xboxhacker.net to understand the consequences of not using the correct ready signal.

Perhaps you do not know how to read a datasheet.
74HC14 Datasheet
Specifically (Page 2 VT+)

I really don't like your attitude. From what you have posted so far you have minimal, at best, hardware engineering skills. Your mod is more of a kludge than it needs to be since you do not understand basic electronics. Others try to help, and you ridicule. Wow, you flashed the firmware from an XBOX original drive to a PC drive!! Nobody ever thought of that before

Maybe you think it's "good enough" and "nobody cares", but these are just excuses for poor engineering.

From your post it is clear that you don't understand electronics. The signal comming from the read, tray-in, tray-out, and eject points are not digital. There is no data being digitally transmitted through these signals. These signals only put out either positive voltage or 0 volts. Using an OP AMP on this circuit makes perfect sence. We have not explored every option, but the OP AMP is clearly one of the best ideas. If you can think of something that is smaller or simpler, name it.

By the way, Wenid didn't just stick the xbox lg 8050l into his computer and extract the firmware like you can simply do with the sd-616t. He had to hardwire a flash memory extractor onto the firmware chip and extract it. This cost him some $ and took a few hours. So, show some respect people, without wenid's help we wouldn't even be talking about this stuff. If you have a better idea for the signal circuitry, post it, try it, and we will find the best option soon. DON'T go calling people stupid or flaming them for posting their idea, simply tell them why you don't think it is the best idea (harder, more complex, cost, functionallity, ect.)



P.S. I have confirmed that the firmware flasher is working on all drives tested so far.

P.P.S. For those who have received the firmware flasher from me, please send me a pm/email with your results, as well as your drives ROM VERS and manufacturing date.

[darksoul1970]

Am I correct by just flashing this drive you can use it as a replacement for a Xbox.. the only thing that will not work is the eject function from the xbox eject button.. but it will work fine ejecting from the drive itself? If this is true.. Then this may be the solution I was looking for, for a HTPC case mod?

Please let me know if this is correct? and by the way great work everyone!