Tutorial: Rf (rol) Board Leds, Swap Green and Red, No Trace Cutting Options

[RDC]

Before I begin I'd like to say 99% of the credit for this goes to G0t M4xx 21 who figured it out first, both with trace cutting, as well as the no trace cutting method where Resistors are removed and is the basis for this tutorial, I have to take 1% though for doing these pics and pointing out some alternate soldering points to hopefully make it a little easier for some.


NOTE: You do NOT need to remove the connector for any part of this mod, it's been removed so I could get a good scan of the board and it shows off what traces go where for anyone doing repair work.

OK, here we go. For starters this is the RF version of the board, as there are at present 3 that I'm aware of, RF, RF01 and RF02, and the differences will be covered as we go. You'll need some small wire for this 30awg or so, and a fairly steady hand for the (de)soldering you'll have to do, as well as an X-acto knife and magnifying glass depending on the RF board version you have.

This will only swap the "Ring of Light" colors from Green to Red and Red to Green, If you want the center LED changed to Red you will have to replace that one with a Red one, and it's an 0603 SMD type.

First off you need to remove 4 Surface Mount Resistors, R3, R4, R21 and R22. These things are small and if you can't find them or see them to remove them then get some magnifying glass to help out or stop now before you make a mess.



NOTE: This is the RF01 that does not have these Resistors installed. On this RF01 version you have to cut 4 traces instead of removing 4 Resistors, and then proceed the same as the RF version.

Use an Xacto knife and a magnifying glass and carefully cut just enough to sever the trace at the Resistor locations, R3, R4, R21 and R22. If you need to restore the board to it's original setup you can just install jumper wires where the Resistors would have been, or use some 0ohm Resistors.



NOTE 2: There is a newer version of this RF board (RF02) that is a good bit different from these here, when I get one of these to scan and trace out I'll update this again.

After you have those removed, and they must be for this to work properly, you need to "connect the colors" to get the LED colors swapped. Just connect Violet to Violet, Blue to Blue and so on. The colors of the spots have jack to do with the LED colors, they're just those colors to show you what you need to connect to where.




This is what it should look like after it's all wired up.




Alternate Spots

These are alternate spots to do the "connect the colors" part, you MUST still remove the Resistors, or cut the Traces depending on your board version, for this to work. Some of you may have better luck with these spots since they're not all side by side like in the previous picture, that's something that can even get a person that's good at soldering in a mess sometimes. These points, while just as small, are more in the open and may be a little easier for you to hit.

Connect the spot at...

T9 to TP8 (Violet)
T8 to TP11 (Blue)
T7 to TP6 (Green)
TP2 to TP7 (Red)




Make sure you keep your wire runs away from the screw hole there at the bottom and the grounding spot in the middle, you don't want any to get pinched when reinstalling the board onto the 360.


Here are some "clean" shots of the RF-RoL board Top and Bottom for anyone that may need them for whatever.

RF

TOP

BOTTOM


RF01

TOP

BOTTOM

This post has been edited by RDC: Aug 8 2010, 01:01 PM

[PEPE123]

how the f#$K wyd u be able 2 solder that small

[Majkey88]

how the f#$K wyd u be able 2 solder that small

I did this a while back, worked great and looked good. But it whas hard as HELL. I used a standard "big" solering iron, and it whas really close that i fucked upp everything. The fucking tip on my iron whas almost as big as those 4 pins together

[sicknasty413]

Nice tutorial. Good pictures.

I saw the title and pondered, "I wonder if he gave credit to G0t M4xx 21." haha.

But honestly, any normal human being would know that swapping the SMDs/adding error would be WAY easier.

[grav1ty_718]

This is a great tutorial. Excellent work once again.

[j5350]

Alternate Spots

These are alternate spots to do the "connect the colors" part, you MUST still remove the Resistors for this to work. Some of ya may have better luck with these spots since they're not all side by side like in the previous picture, that's something that can even get a person that's good at soldering in a mess sometimes. These points, while just as small, are more in the open and may be a little easier for ya to hit.

Connect the spot at...

T9 to TP8 (Violet)
T8 to TP8 (Blue)
T7 to TP6 (Green)
TP2 to TP7 (Red)

Shouldn't the alternate spot say "T8 to TP11 (Blue)"

[RDC]

Shouldn't the alternate spot say "T8 to TP11 (Blue)"

Yep, and now it does. Thanks for reading it, nice to know that just the pics aren't being looked at.

Nice tutorial. Good pictures.

I saw the title and pondered, "I wonder if he gave credit to G0t M4xx 21." haha.

But honestly, any normal human being would know that swapping the SMDs/adding error would be WAY easier.

Thanks, ran it by him before posting it as well. Redoing the LEDs is much more difficult that swapping them this way, provided you want Red for primary and Green for secondary. This way you have 6 small solder points to deal with (4 in the back, the TP points are too easy to hit and don't count and 2 for the center LED if you want it changed) and 4 wires of length that are easy to handle. Swapping the actual LEDs would mean removing the stock ones, where traces ca be lifted in the process causing a huge mess, then soldering in 9 0603 or 0805 LEDs as well as 4 wires around 4mm in length for the secondary LEDs, it's more of a pain that way by leaps and bounds, again provided you want the Red/Green setup.

This post has been edited by RDC: Jun 3 2007, 02:22 AM

[snow rider221]

nice tutorial RDC.

I love all of your macro shots you provide for us

[RDC]

nice tutorial RDC.

I love all of your macro shots you provide for us

Thanks, these are scans of the board though, done on an HP scanjet 3570c. Works alright for some boards, where it's nice and flat like the top of the RF board, but I had to pull the connector to get the bottom scanned good. Lets me get insane resolutions so I can zoom way in to trace out everything in PS in layers, then I can just turn on/off what I wanna see or save a shot of part of what I traced out without having to have 10 different pics. When I do use the camera though I try and make sure those are just as good. The completed pic is the only one done with the camera, and it's really a so-so shot for my likes.

[Tortuga2112]

thanks RDC, G0t M4xx 21.

worked perfectly. and I'd have to agree it was wayyy easier than the others I did where I removed the smd's and re-soldered.

red green inverted rol

[Navillos]

id did this a while back off G0t M4xx 21's pic and the hardest part was cutting the traces without slipping. oh i also had it connected wrong at first and had two green lights and two orange. then i moved the wires up one pad, then everything was gravy. RDC got got the best pics and scans on the scene.

This post has been edited by Navillos: Jun 4 2007, 05:32 PM

[PEPE123]

Mod Edit: Post in your B/S/T then.

This post has been edited by RDC: Jun 5 2007, 11:20 PM

[warlion]

i just finish to do this mod and let me tell yu i was with mi nuts in my throat all the time, when i connect the xbox to the power i was so scary ,
i decide to turn on my console and take a wile to the leds to start i almos die in that second , but all was fine now i have mi ring of ligth red ,

i am so happy thanks you for this tutorial , this is rreally cool

[curiouscreature]

how the f#$K wyd u be able 2 solder that small

anytime u wanna solder like this... i always use solder flux... a very little amount will give you a better bead and more control over what whape you want your solder bead...

[Gothguy]

Yea, i just did the mod, using the second diagram instead of the first one, and when i finished and plugged the rf board into muh 360 and pressed power, nothin worked

someone pm me if they want to help